The Nature of Man, Love, The Universe and God by Al-Ghazali

a chill books original the nature of man love the universe and God by Al ghazali complete chill book with captions translated by Syed nawab Ali 1921 part one the nature of man and internal senses he is at the same time also endowed with two qualities peculiar to himself knowledge and will by knowledge is meant the power of generalization the conception of abstract ideas and the possession of intellectual truths Bible is meant that strong desire to acquire an object which after due consideration of its consequences has been pronounced by reason to be good it is quite different from animal desire nay it is often the very opposite of it in the beginning children also lack these two qualities they have passion anger and all the external and internal senses but will find its expression only later knowledge differs according to the capacity for it according to the latent powers in a man hence there is a variety of stages amongst Prophets The alarmers the surface and the philosophers further progress is possible even Beyond these stages for divine knowledge knows no bounds the highest stage is reached by one to whom all truths and realities are revealed intuitively who by virtue of his exalted position enjoys direct communion and close relation with the most holy the real nature of this position is known only to him who enjoys it we verify it by faith a child has no knowledge of the attainment of an adult an adult is not aware of the Acquisitions of a learned man similarly a learned man is not cognizant of the Holy Communion of the Saints and the prophets and of the favors bestowed on them although the Divine blessings descend freely those are fit recipients of them whose hearts are pure and wholly devoted to him verily says the Hadith the desire of The Virtuous is to hold communion with me and I long to look at them he who approaches me a span I approach him an arm Vine favors are not withheld but Hearts bedinned by impurity fail to receive them had it not been that the devil's hover round the hearts of men they would have seen the glories of the kingdom of the heaven the superiority of man consists thus in his being cognizant of divine attributes and actions therein lies his Perfection thus he may be worthy of admission to God's presence the body serves as a vehicle for the soul and the soul is the Abode for knowledge which is its fundamental character as well as its ultimate object the horse and the ass are both beasts of Burden but a superiority of the former is found in its being gracefully adapted for use in battle if the horse fails in this it is degraded to the rank of mere burden-bearing animals similarly with man in certain qualities man resembles a horse and an ass but his distinguishing trait is his participation in the nature of the angels for he holds a middle position between the Beast and the angel considering the mode of his nourishment and growth he has found to belong to the vegetable World considering his power of movement and impulses he is a Denison of the animal kingdom the distinguishing quality of knowledge lifts him up to the celestial world if he fails to develop this quality and to translate it into action he is no better than a grunting Pig a snarling dog a prowling wolf or a crafty Fox if he wishes for true happiness let him look upon reason as a monarch sitting on the throne of his heart imagination as its Ambassador remember memory as Treasurer speech as interpreter the limbs as Clarks and the senses as spies in the Realms of color sound smell Etc if all these properly discharge the duties allotted to them if every faculty does that for which it was created and such service is the real meaning of Thanksgiving to God the ultimate object of his sojourn in this transitory world is realized man's nature is made up of four elements which produce in him four attributes namely the beastly the brutal the satanic and the Divine in man there is something of the pig the dog the devil and the Saint the pig is the appetite which is repulsive not for its form but for its lust and its gluttony the dog is Passion which barks and bites causing injury to others the devil is the attribute which instigates these former two embellishing them and Redeeming the sight of Reason which is the Divine attribute Divine reason if properly attended to would repel the evil by exposing its character it would properly control appetite and the passions but when a man fails to obey the dictates of Reason these three other attributes Prevail over him and cause his ruin such types of men are many what a Pity it is that these who would find fault with those who worship Stones do not see that on their part they worship the Pig and the dog in themselves let them be ashamed of their deplorable condition and leave no stone unturned for the suppression of these evil attributes the peak of appetite begets shamelessness lust slander and such like the dog of passion begets Pride vanity ridicule Roth and tyranny these two controlled by the satanic power produce deceit treachery perfidy meanness Etc but if Divinity in man is uppermost the qualities of knowledge wisdom faith and Truth Etc will be acquired know then that mind is like a mirror which reflects images but just as the mirror the image and the mode of reflection are three different things so mind objects and the way of knowing are also distinct there are five reasons which may prevent the object from being reflected in the mirror 1. there may be something wrong with a mirror too something other than the Mirror May prevent the reflection 3. the object may not be in front of it 4. something may come between the object and the mirror five the position of the object may not be known so that the mirror may be properly placed similarly for five reasons the Mind fails to receive knowledge one the Mind may be imperfect like the child's too sin and guilt may be dim the mind and throw a veil over it three the Mind may be diverted from the real object for example a man may be obedient and good but instead of rising higher to the acquisition of Truth and contemplation of God is contented with bodily devotions and acquirement of means of living such a mind though pure will not reflect the Divine image for his objects of thought other than this if this is the condition of such mind think what will be the state of those Minds which are absorbed in the gratification of their inordinate passions 4. an external screen may as it were come before the objects sometimes a man who has subjugated his passion still through blind imitation or Prejudice fails to know the truth such types are found amongst the voteries of the Kalam even many virtuous men also fall a prey to it and blindly stick to their dogmas 5. there may be ignorance of the means for the acquisition of Truth thus for illustration a man wants to see his back in a mirror if he places the mirror before his eyes he fails to see his back if he keeps it facing his back it will still be out of sight let him then take another mirror and place one before his eyes and the other facing his back in such a position that the image of the latter is reflected in the former thus he will be able to see his back similarly the knowledge of the proper means is a key to the knowledge of the unknown from the known Divine dispensation is liberal in the distribution of its bounties but for reasons mentioned above Minds fail to profit by them for human Minds partake of the nature of the Divine and the capacity to apprehend truth is innate the Quran says surely we offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains but they declined to Bear it up and were afraid of it and man took it up surely he is not just to himself and is ignorant In this passage the innate capacity of man is hinted at and refers to the secret power of knowing god latent in human Minds by virtue of which they have preference over other objects and the universe the prophet says every child is born in the right state vitrot but his parents make him a Jew a Christian or a magian and again had it not been that evil spirits hover around the hearts of the sons of Adam they would have seen the kingdom of heaven IBN Umar reports that the prophet was once asked as to where God is found either on Earth or in heaven he is in the hearts of his Faithful Servants replied the prophet part two human freedom and responsibility actions are either voluntary or involuntary the difference between them is not of kind but of degree analyzed that the process of an involuntary action and you will find that if for example a man intends to thrust a needle in your eye or draws a sword to strike on your head your eye in the former case will at once close and in the latter your hand will suddenly be raised up to Shield your head this prompt action on the part of your eye and hand is due to your consciousness of the evil to be evaded and this gives rise to volition which moves the eye and the Hand without the least delay there are however cases the desirability or rejection of which needs meditation but the moment mind decides the decision is carried out as promptly as in the above example this meditation translated into choice or rejection constitutes will now makes its choice between two Alternatives and takes its cue either from imagination or reason for example a man may be unable to cut his own throat not because his hand and is weak or a knife is not available but because will is lacking which would give the stimulus to Suicide for man loves his own life but suppose he gets tired of his life owing to having harrowing pains and unbearable mental sufferings he has now to choose between two Alternatives which are both undesirable a struggle commences and he hangs between life and death if he thinks that death which will put an end to his sufferings quickly is preferable to life with its lingering intolerable pains he will choose death although he loves his life this Choice gives rise to will the command to which communicated through proper channels would then be Faithfully executed by his hand in the manner of suicide thus though the process from the commencement of mental struggle for the choice between two Alternatives down to the stimulus to physical action is uniformly determinate there is at any rate a sort of Freedom trackable in the will man holds the balance between determinism and Freedom the uniform succession of events is on the lines of determine Nation but his choice which is an essential element of wool is his own our alarmers have therefore coined a separate phrase Casp at distinguishing it Freedom they say that fire burns of necessity jobber but man May acquire fire through the appropriate methods while An Almighty God is the ultimate cause of fire exia but it must be noted that when we use the word ixia for God we must exclude the notion of choice which is an essential element of wool in man let it be here recognized once for all as a general principle that all the words of man's vocabulary when used for God's attributes are similarly metaphorical the question may be asked if God is the ultimate cause why should there be a causal Connection in the orderly succession of events the answer to this lies in the correct understanding of the nature of causation nothing causes anything antecedents of consequence God Alone is the efficient cause but the ignorant have misunderstood and misapplied the word power as to the orderly succession of events let it be understood that the two events are conjoined like the relation between the condition and the conditioned now certain conditions are very apparent and can be known easily by people of little understanding but there are conditions which are understood only by those who see through the light of intuition hence the Common Era of miscalculating the uniformity of events there is a Divine Purpose linking the antecedents to the consequence and manifesting itself in the existing orderly succession of events without the least break or irregularity verily says the Quran we did not create the heavens and the Earth and what is between the mins sport we did not create them both but with truth but most of them do not know surely there is a set purpose pervading the universe the uniform succession of events is not at random there is no such thing as chance here again it may be asked if God is the efficient cause how will you account for actions attributed to man in the scriptures are we to believe that there are two causes for one effect my answer to this will be that the word cause is vaguely understood it can be used in two different senses just just as we say that the death of a was caused by one B the Executioner and two see the king's order both these statements are correct similarly God is the cause of actions as he has creative power and efficiency at the same time man is the cause of actions as he is the source of the manifestation of uniform succession of events in the former case we have a real causal connection while in the latter a relation of the antecedent to the consequent after the manner of the connection between the condition and the conditioned there are passages in the Quran where the word cause is used in different senses the angel of death who is given charge of you shall cause you to die then to your lord you shall be brought back Allah takes the souls at the time of their death have you considered what you sow we pour down the water pouring it down in abundance then we cleave the Earth cleaving it asunder then we cause to grow therein the grain fight them Allah will chastise them by your hands and bring them to disgrace so you did not slay them but it was Allah who slew them and thou did not Smite when thou did Smite but it was Allah who smote that he might confer upon the Believers a good gift from himself these passages show that the word cause signifies creative power and must be applied to God alone but as Man's power is the image of God's power the word was applied to him figuratively yet just as the death of a culprit is caused by the actual killing by the hand of the Executioner and not the king's order so the word cause actually applied to man is contrary to fact God Alone is the real efficient cause and the word must be applied to him in its root sense of power it may be asked then why man should be rewarded for his good actions and punished for his misdeeds let us consider first the nature of reward and Punishment experience tells us that things have natural properties and that physical laws operate in a uniform manner take for example the science of Medicine certain drugs are found to possess certain qualities if a man swallows poison of his own accord he has no right to ask why poison kills him its natural property has simply operated in his system and caused his death similarly actions make an impression on mind good and bad actions are invariably followed by Pleasure and Pain respectively a good action is its own reward of pleasure and a bad one of pain the former works like an Elixir the latter-like poison the properties of actions have been discovered like discoveries in medicine but by the Physicians of the heart the Saints and the prophets if you will not listen to them you must suffer the consequence now hear a parable a certain King sent a horse a robe of honor and traveling expenses to one of his suzerains in a distant land although the king had no need of his Services the Royal gift was a favor shown to his suzerain so that he might come to the king's court and be happy in his presence if the Souza rain understands the king's intention from the nature of the gift and utilizes it properly with a grateful heart he will wait on the king and live happily but if he misuses the gift or takes no heat of it he will prove an ungrateful wretch it is thus that the boundless mercy of the omnipotent and omniscient God bestowed on us the gift of Life providing us with bodily organs mental and moral faculties so that we uplift ourselves by utilizing them properly and be worthy of being admitted into his holy presence if if we misuse them or pay no regard to them surely we shall be kafas literally ungrateful for His blessings bestowed on us for our good and thus be doomed verily says the Quran we created man in the best make then we render him the lowest of the low except those who believe and do good so they shall have a reward never to be cut off [Music] part three pride and vanity when a man feels a superiority over others and with this a sort of inward Elation this is called Pride it differs from vanity in as much as vanity means consciousness of one's Elation while Pride requires a subject an object and a feeling of elation suppose a man is born solitary in the world he may be vain but not proud because in Pride man considers himself Superior to others for certain qualities of himself he allots one position to himself and one to another and then thinks that his position is higher and is therefore elated this puffed up feeling which imparts a sense of touch me not is called Pride the prophet says o God save me from the puffing up of Pride IBN Abbas says that the sentence in the Quran and they have pride in their hearts and will fail to reach it means that the thought of inward greatness will be denied to them this thought is the source of Inward and outward actions which are so to speak the fruits of it a proud man will not tolerate any other to be on equal terms with himself of in private and in public he expects that all should assume a respectful attitude towards him and acknowledging his superiority treat him as a higher being they should greet him first Make Way for him wherever he walks when he speaks everyone should listen to him and never try to oppose him he is a genius and people are like asses they should be grateful to him seeing that he is so condescending such proud men are found especially among alarmers sages are ruined by their pride the prophet says he who has an atom of pride in his heart will fail to enter Paradise this saying requires explanation and should be carefully listened to virtues are the doors of paradise but pride and self-esteem lock them all so long as man feels elated he will not like for others what he likes for himself his self-esteem will deprive him of humility which is the essence of righteousness he will neither be able to discard enmity and envy resentment and wrath slander and Scorn nor will he be able to cultivate truth and sincerity and calmly listen to any advice in short there is no evil which a proud man will not inevitably do in order to preserve his Elation and self-esteem vices are like a chain of rings linked together which entangle his heart therefore an atom of pride is Satan's spark which secretly consumes the nature of the sons of Adam know then that pride is of three kinds one against God two against prophets and saints three against fellow men one against God it is due to Mere foolishness when a biped creatures considers himself as if lord of the universe namrud and Pharaoh were such types who disdained to be called God's creatures on Earth verily verily says the Quran the Messiah does by no means disdain that he should be a servant of Allah nor do the Angels who are near to him and whoever disdains his service and is proud he will gather them all together to himself two 2 against prophets and Saints it is due to unwarranted self-esteem when one considers obedience to any mortal being as lowering his own position such a person either fails to reflect on the nature of prophetship and thereby feels proud of himself and does not obey the prophet or refuses to consider the claims of prophetship as being derogatory to his elated self and therefore pays no regard to the prophet the Quran quotes the words of such persons and they say what is the matter with this apostle that he eats food and goes about in the markets why has not an angel been sent down to him so that he should have been a Warner with him or why is not a treasure sent down to him or he is made to have a garden from which he should eat and those who do not fear our meeting say why Have Not Angels been sent down to us or why do we not see our Lord now certainly they are too proud of themselves and have revolted in great Revolt our Prophet Muhammad was an orphan and had scanty means of livelihood so the korashite chief Waleed bin moguera and Abu Masood sakhvi used to speak contemptuously of him and when people believed in him and accepted Islam the proud korashites used to say Muhammad is surrounded by poor men let him send them off and then we have the aristocracy of Mecca will listen to him but God spoke to Muhammad and withhold thyself with those who call on their lord morning and evening Desiring his Good Will and let not their eyes pass from them Desiring the beauties of this world's life and do not follow him whose heart we have made unmindful to our resemblance and he follows his low desires and his case is one in which Jew bounds are exceeded three against fellow men a proud man considers himself a superior being and would like to see everybody humbled before him he is therefore quarreling with God trying to share with him his attribute omnipotence God Is Spoken of in the Hadith as saying omnipotence is my mantle he who quarrels with me for it him will I Crush surely manner are all his servants and no servant has a right to treat his fellow servants as their Master but a proud man in the intoxication of his Elation takes himself as God on Earth he is too haughty to listen to truth from the lips of any of his fellow men IBN mossud says it is enough for sin if a person who is advised to fear God answers his advisor look to thine own self the consciousness of superiority which begets pride is due to certain attributes or accomplishments which can be summed up as a spiritual divided into one knowledge 2. devotion B worldly are five kinds 3. pedigree 4. Beauty 5 strength six wealth seven kith and kin there are thus sudden causes in all and these need some description knowledge is power consciousness of power easily elates a man who considers himself Superior to others and treats them in a supercilious manner if he accepts the Greetings or the invitation of his fellow men or receives them in audience he thinks they should be thankful to him for his condescension people should obey and serve him for by virtue of his knowledge he thinks he has a right over them such a proud elim is sorry for the sins of others but unmindful of his own condition while he freely distributes Heaven and Hell among his fellow men he claims salvation and Heaven for himself the question is whether he is really justified in holding the title of elim for an elim is one who knowing himself knows God who fears the Lord most who holds himself more responsible for his actions for he knows good and evil and feels the awful presence of a mighty and just being who looks to righteousness alone let us consider why men of knowledge become proud there are two main causes which should be noted first there is a false conception about the nature of real knowledge devoted to certain sciences and arts such as mathematics physics literature and dialectics they think that Proficiency in them makes a man perfect real knowledge means the lifting of the veil from before the eyes of the heart so as to see the mysterious relation between man and his maker and to be filled with a sense of awe and reverence in the presence of an omniscient holy being who pervades the universe this attitude of mind this Enlightenment is real knowledge it produces humility and repels Pride secondly there is an indifference to moral training during Student Life Wicked habits thus produce bitter fruits of Pride WAP has well Illustrated this point when he says knowledge is like rain falling from above so pure and sweet but the plants when they absorb it in bitter or sweeten it according to their tastes man in acquiring knowledge acquires power which gives strength to the hidden qualities of his heart if he was prone towards pride and paid no attention to the subjugation of it he would prove more proud when he acquires knowledge there will be men says the prophet who will have the Quran on their lips but it will not go down their throats they will claim knowledge of it calling themselves learned Kari they will be from among you my companions but woe to them for they will see the consequence of it in Hell warned by their Prophet his companions lived a life of humility and their example taught its lesson to their successors a person came to Khalif Omar after morning prayers and said I should like to give public sermons my friend said the Khalif I am afraid you would soon be puffed up with pride who zaifa the companion of the Prophet was a leader of prayer one day he said to his congregation Brethren have another leader or go and pray alone for I begin to feel puffed up with your leadership thus the companions of the Prophet lived meekly the humble servants of God on Earth keenly watching the changing phases of their hearts and promptly seeking the remedy but we who call ourselves their followers not only do not try to purify our hearts but do not even think it worth while to consider the means for their purification how can we expect salvation but we ought not to lose heart the Apostle of Mercy for the worlds rahmet all Lila lemon has said sooner time will come when if any person will do even one-tenth of what you are doing now he will have his salvation devotion and religious service elicit admiration and praise for the devotee who finding himself respected by the people is elated this Elation quietly develops into pride and then the devotee considers himself a superior being and favored of God he despises his fellow men and calls them Sinners who will be doomed forever but he does know that he himself will be doomed for despising his fellow men and thinking too much of himself the prophet says when you hear any person saying woe to the people they are doomed know that he himself will be doomed first it is recorded that a certain sinner among the Jews passed by a well-known Pharisee struck with the appearance of the Pharisees piety and devotion the poor sinner sat down by him believing in the Saving Grace of his holy touch but the proud Pharisee distainfully spoke out touch me not thou filthy Sinner and leave my presence whereupon God sent his word to the prophet of that age go and tell that sinner Thou Art forgiven as for that Pharisee his devotion is cast aside and he is doomed three people are usually proud of their lineage and look down on men of low birth they refuse to treat them on equal terms and boastfully speak of their ancestors in the presence of men who are treated by them in a haughty manner this evil lurks even in the hearts of good and virtuous men although their manners and actions throw a veil over it but in an unguarded moment of excitement and fury this demon of pedigree is let loose from the innermost corner of the heart the prophet's companion abuzar says I was quarreling with someone in the presence of the Prophet when suddenly in a fit of rage I abused the man thou son of a negris on this the prophet coaxingly said to me obuzar both the scales are equal the white has no preference over the black hearing this I fell and said to the person brother come and trample on my face and then forgive me it is reported in the Hadith that two men were quarreling before the prophet one said to the other I am the son of such and such illustrious man tell me who thy father is the prophet addressing the boastful man said there were two men in the time of Moses who boast fully spoke of their pedigree one said to the other look how my nine ancestors all in one line were men of renown and God said to Moses tell this man all thy nine ancestors are in hell and thou art for Tenth four women generally feel proud of their beauty this leads to finding fault with others and this gradually assumes the form of contempt and disdain Aisha the wife of the Prophet says one day a woman came to the prophet and I said to him look at this dwarf the prophet turned towards me and said Aisha repent of what thou Hast said for it is slander five six seven people feel a sort of elation at the sight of their possessions a merchant is elated with his stores a landowner with his fields and Groves and a nobleman with his retinue and riches in short every person feels proud of his worldly possessions and looks down on those who are lacking in them he believes in riches and worships Mammon he has no idea of what is meant by blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven we may quote a parable from the Quran and set forth to them a parable of two men for one of them we made two gardens of grape finds and we surrounded the both with palms and in the midst of them we made cornfields both these Gardens yielded their fruits and failed nothing we caused a river to gush forth in their midst the man possessed much wealth and he said to His companion while he disputed with him I have greater wealth than you and our mightier in followers while he entered his garden he was unjust to himself he said I do not think that this will ever perish I do not think the hour will come yet even if I return to my Lord I shall most certainly find a place better than this His companion said to him while disputing with him do you disbelieve in him who created you from dust then from a small germ life then he made you a perfect man but as for me God is my Lord and I do not associate anyone with my Lord When you entered your garden why did you not say it is as God has pleased there is no power save God if you consider me to be inferior to you in wealth and children perhaps my Lord will give me something better than your garden and send on his Reckoning from heaven so that it shall become even ground with no living plant or the waters May sink into the ground so that you are unable to find them his wealth was indeed destroyed and he began to wring his hands for what he had spent on it while it lay there for it had fallen down from the roofs he said Army would that I had not associated anyone with my Lord he had none to help him besides God nor could he defend himself in God alone is protection the true one in the bestowal of reward and in requital he is best set forth to them also the parable of the life in this world it is like the water which we send down from the clouds on account of which the herbs become luxuriant then these become dry break into pieces and the winds scatter them god holds power over all things wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world the good works the everbiding are with your lord better in rewards than in expectation how fleeting are worldly gains and how foolish are we in feeling proud of them let us then live as Meek and humble servants of God on Earth 4. friendship and sincerity friendship is one of God's favors says the Quran and hold fast by the Covenant of Allah altogether and be not disunited and remember the favor of Allah on you when you were enemies then he United your Marts so by his favor you became brethren Prophet says those amongst you are my close companions who have good dispositions are affectionate and Tenderly love each other and again God when he shows his kindness towards any person gives him a good friend verily God will say on the day of Resurrection where are those who loved each other for my sake today they shall rest under my shelter when there is no other shelter seven kinds of men will on the day of judgment rest under his shelter when there will be no other Shelter One adjust Imam two an adult who is devoted to God three a man who after coming out from the mosque finds his heart attached to it till he enters again four two friends who lived and died in their friendship for God's sake 5. he who for fear of the Lord wept in secret 6. he whom a beautiful woman of good birth allures but he replies I have fear of my Lord Seven he who gives arms in a manner that his left hand does not know what is given by his right hand friendship then is God's favor and should be cultivated for his sake but if we shun the company of our fellow Men Let it also be for God's sake the strongest rope of faith says the prophet is love and hate both for God's sake Christ says love God by avoiding the wicked seek his nearness by shunning their company and please him by courting their displeasure with whom should we keep company o word of God ask the people and Christ replied sit with those whose appearance reminds you of God whose words add to the stock of your knowledge and whose actions serve as an incentive for acquiring the Kingdom of Heaven God spoke to Moses saying son of Imran be up and find out a friend for thee and he who would not be with thee For My Good Will is thy enemy choose a friend who has five qualities viz wisdom good disposition abstinence from sin heresy and greed a Fool's company gives no good it ends in Gloom good disposition is necessary in as much as a man may be wise but be subservient to his inordinate passion and hence unfit for company and a sinner and a heretic are to be avoided for the simple reason that they who have no fear of the Lord and are regardless of committing forbidden actions and not to be relied on besides contagion will secretly spread and he too will think of sin lightly and gradually lose power of resisting it and a greedy worldling is to be avoided because his company will deaden the heart in the quest of the Kingdom of Heaven al-kama on his deathbed gave a fine description of a friend my son said he if you wish to keep company try to find out such a friend who when you live with him defends you adds to your prestige Bears the load of your hardships helps you in your doings counts your virtues dissuades you from vices readily responds to your requests inquires himself for your needs when you keep quiet shows his deep sympathy and your sufferings Bears witness to your sayings gives good advice when you intend to do some work and prefers you to his own self when difference arises between you and him this piece of advice gives the qualities of a friend in a nutshell when caliph marmoon the Abba side heard of it he said where should we find such a friend and yahir replied al-kama's description means that we should live in retirement Imam Jafar assadic the voracious gives a negative description of a friend do not keep company with five sorts of men viz a false man who deceives you like a mirage a fool who cannot benefit you even if he tries to do so he would do harm through his foolishness a miser who when you need his help the most surface himself from you a coward who will leave you when you are in danger a wicked sinner who will sell you for a piece of bread Son of taster says avoid the company of three kinds of men one tyrants who forget God two alarmers who practiced a simulation three suffers who are ignorant it must be remembered here that the above passages serve as an ideal but for purposes we should look to the present practical conditions and try to get as much good as may be had from them for man's life seems dreary when he has no friends and men are like trees some are fruit bearing and Shady some are shady only and some are mere thorns and thistles similarly some friends are a blessing both here and Hereafter some are for worldly gain for the world is a shadow and some are of no good in this world and the next as if they are scorpions in human form and they were not enjoined anything except that they should serve Allah being sincere to him in obedience upright and keep up prayer and pay the poor rate and that is the right religion then serve God being sincere in religion unto him I Gods is the sincere religion musab says that his father Saad was considering himself Superior to other poor and destitute Companions of the Prophet God said the prophet has helped my people with my poor and humble followers prayer and sincerity sincere action says the prophet even if it belittle will suffice for thee the following saying of the Prophet is reported by Abu harira three persons shall be questioned first on the day of Resurrection one will be the Learned man who would be asked as to what he had done with his learning day and night the land man will reply I tried my best to propagate it oh Lord thou speakest falsely God will answer and the angels will also join with him thy Soul name was to be called a learned Man by the people and the title was thine the second will be the rich man who would be asked about his riches day and night the rich man will reply I gave it in charity thou speaker of untruth God and his angels will say thou wishes to be labeled a generous man and it was done the third will be the Martyr who too will be asked about his Dido Lord the Martyr will reply thou dids command us to wage holy war I obeyed thee and fell fighting thou liest God and His angels will answer thy aim was to be trumpeted as a hero and it was done then says Abu Harare the prophet after finishing the sermon pressed me and said these three would be the first to be thrown into the Flames of Hell in the narratives of the Israelites a story is told of a certain devotee who had served God for many years once he was informed under the apostasy of a tribe which forsaking the true worship of Yahweh had taken to tree worship The Hermit filled with the spirit of the jealous God Took an Ax and set out to level the tree to the Earth but the devil in the shape of an old man met him on the way and inquired of his intention The Hermit told him of his determination whereupon Satan addressed him thus why on Earth are you leaving aside your prayers and vigils and devoting yourself to other work but this too is a sacred cause replied hermit no nor will I allow you to do so exclaim the devil whereupon The Hermit in the white heat of his Pious rage Court hold of the devil and forcibly held him down spare me sir begged the devil I have something to say to you the hermit let him go then spoke Satan I think God has not commanded you to do this thing you do not worship the tree you are not responsible for the sins of others if God wills it he will send some profit and they are so many who would carry out his order so I think it is not your duty why then trouble yourself but I belong to the chosen people of Yahweh and I am Duty bound to do so replied to hermit whereupon they again began to wrestle and eventually Satan was thrown down oh I see cried Satan an idea has just come into my mind let me go please and I will tell you thus obtaining his release the evil one addressed him as follows is it not the case that you are poor and have to live on the arms of those who are devoted to you but in your heart of hearts you would like to shower your bounties on your brethren and neighbors so generous and compassionate is your nature what a Pity that such a noble Soul lives on arms you have read my mind to write quietly responded to hermit may I hope said the evil one entreatingly that you will be pleased to accept two golden Dinars which you will find at your side bed every morning from tomorrow you will then be relieved of depending on others and be in a position to do charity to your poor relations and Brethren as for that rich tree what if that be cut down surely your poor needy Brethren would get nothing and you would lose the opportunity of helping them while the tree would grow again the hermit pondered over these words and said to himself this old man speaks quite reasonably but let me think over the pros and cons of the case am I a prophet no I am not therefore I am not bound to cut it down am I commanded to do so no then if I do not do it I shall not be guilty of the iniquity should I accept his proposal no doubt from the religious point of view it is more useful no doubt I think I should accept it yes I must thus the two pledged their words and the hermit returned next morning he found the two denars at his bedside and was highly pleased another morning the glittering gold was there but on the third morning The Hermit searched for them in vain his Fury knew no bounds he rushed for his ax and hurried with it towards the place of idolatry Satan again met him in the way as before thou wretch Thou Art devil Cried Out The Hermit wilt thou prevent me from my sacred Duty you cannot do it you dare not do it it retorted the evil one hasta forgotten the test of my Powers sharply replied the infuriated hermit and rushed at him but to his great discomfort and humiliation to hermit instantly fell flat on the ground like a dry Leaf from a tree the devil planted his foot on his chest holding him by the throat dictating the following terms either swear not to touch that tree or be prepared to Die the hermit finding himself quite helpless said I swear but tell me why I am so discomforted listen answered Satan that first thyroth was for God's sake and zealous Vindication of his Commandments hence I was defeated but now Thou Art Furious for thyself and worldly gain the story illustrates the saying I will certainly cause them all to deviate from the way except thy servants from among those who are sincere A devotee cannot be immune from Satan's Temptation except by sincerity and therefore sent maruf of cart used to upgrade himself saying if thou wishest salvation be sincere yakub the Sufi says he who conceals his virtues like vices is sincere in a dream a man saw a Sufi who was dead and inquired about the actions of his previous life all those actions said the Sufi which were for God's sake I was rewarded for even the least of them for example I had thrown aside a pomegranate peel from the thoroughfare I found my dead cat but lost my ass worth 100 Dinars and a silken thread on my cap was found on the side of iniquities once I gave something in charity and was pleased to see people looking at me this action has neither reward nor punishment for me how is it that you got your cat and lost your ass said the man to the Sufi because responded the latter when I heard of the death of my ass I said damn it I ought to have thought of God's will Saint Sufi Ansari when he heard of this dream said the Sufi was fortunate as no punishment was meted out to him for that charity which pleased him when people watched him there is a report that a man putting on a woman's dress used to frequent murder parties in marriage and funeral processions once a lady's Pearl was lost in a party everybody was being closely searched and the man was very much afraid of the disclosure of his identity as it would mean the loss of his life he sincerely repented in his heart never to do the same thing again and asked God's forgiveness and help then he found that it was now the turn of himself and His companion to be searched his prayer was heard the Pearl being found in his companion's clothes and he was saved as Sufi narrates the following story I joined a naval squadron which was going on holy war jhad one of us was selling his provision bag and I bought it thinking it would prove useful in the war and that when the war was over I might dispose of it with profit that same night I dreamed that two angels came down from heaven one of them said to the other make a complete list of the Crusaders the other began to write down so and so goes on a trip so and so for trading so and so for reputation so and so for God's sake then he looked at me saying put this man down as traitor but I spoke for God's sake do not misrepresent me I am not going for business I have no capital I have simply started for the holy war but sir said the angel did you not buy that provision bag yesterday and were you not thinking of making some profit I wept and then treated them not to put me down as a Trader the angel looked at the other who said well right thus this man set out for the holy war but on the way bought a provision bag for profiting now God will judge the man sansari sakati says two rackets of prayer offered with sincerity and seclusion are better than copying 70 or 700 Traditions with the complete list of authorities some say that one moment sincerity is salvation but it is very rare knowledge is the seed practice is the crop and sincerity is the water nourishing it some say that God's displeasure is revealed in a person who is given three things and is denied the same number he gets access into the Society of The Virtuous but derives no benefit there from he performs good actions but lacks sincerity he learns philosophy but fails to understand truth says Susie God looks to sincerity only and not to the action of his creatures says Junaid there are some Servants of God who are wise who act as wise men who are sincere when they act then sincerity leads them to Virtue Muhammad son of said mawazi says the whole course of our actions tends towards two principles viz one his treatment meted out to thee too direction for him then willingly submit for what is meted out to thee and be sincere in all thy dealings if Thou Art successful in these two things Thou shalt be happy in both the world so Soul sincerity means that all our actions or intentions all the states of our minds whether we are doing anything or at rest be solely for God but this is very difficult to acquire as it does not in the least attract the ego itself Rowan says sincerity means disregard of recompense for Action in both the worlds in this he wishes to point out that the gratifications of our sensuous desires whether in this world or the next are all insignificant and low he who worships God in order to attain joy and Paradise is not sincere let him act for God's reason this stage is reached by siddix sincerely devoted to God and His sincerity power Excellence he who does good actions for fear of Hell or Hope Of Heaven is sincere in as much as he gives up present his sensual worldly enjoyment but wishes for the future the gratification of his appetite and height and longing of true devotees it here that men's motive is pleasure that freedom from such Pleasures is a purely Divine attribute but this objection is based on misunderstanding it is true that man desires pleasure but pleasure has different meanings the popular view is gratification of sensuous Desires in Paradise but it has no idea of the nature of higher pleasures of communion and beatitude or the vision of God and hence fails to consider them as Pleasures but these are the pleasures and he who enjoys them will not even look to the popular pleasures of paradise for His Highest pleasure his summon bonam is the love of God two file says to do good for men's sake is hypocrisy not to do is infidelity sincere is he who is free from both and works for God only these definitions suggest the ideal of sincerity aimed at by Noble Souls let us now look to the Practical side of it for the sake of the average man actions make an impression on the heart and strengthen that quality of it which served as a stimulus for them for example example hypocrisy deadens the heart and godly motive leads to Salvation both of them will gather strength in proportion to the actions which proceed from their respective sources but as they are intrinsically opposed to each other an action which gets an equal stimulus at one and the same time will be stationary in its effect on the heart now take a mixed action which draws the do a narrative virtue Say by one span but removes him away by two spans the inward result of his progress will be that he would remain where he was although he would be rewarded or punished according to his motive a man starts for Hajj but takes with him some articles for trade he will get his reward of pilgrimage but if his motive was trade only he could not be considered a a crusader who fights for his religion would have his recompense although he acquires booty for so long as his sole motive is to uphold the cause of religion the latent desire of booty would not come in the way of his recompense granted that he is inferior to those Noble Souls who are fully absorbed in him who see through him who hear through him who act through him Hadis he still belongs to the good and the virtuous for if we apply the highest standard to all religion will be considered a hopeless task and will ultimately be reduced to pessimism at the same time we must sound a note of warning for those who are satisfied with the low standard they are very often deceived they consider their motive is purely for God's sake while in reality they aim at some hidden sensuous pleasure letter do her after he has exerted himself and pondered over his motive be not overconfident of his sincerity with the fear of its rejection let him hope for its acceptance this is the Creed of the righteous who fears the Lord and hopes from him 5. the nature of love experiences are either agreeable and therefore desired or disagreeable and avoided inclination towards a desired object when deeply rooted and strong constitutes love knowledge and perception of the Beloved is the first requisite for love which is consequently divided according to the division of the five senses Each of which is inclined towards its desired object thus the eye apprehends beautiful forms the ear harmonious sounds Etc this kind of experience we share with the animals there is however one more sense peculiar to man which Delights the soul the prophet has said I desire three things from your world sweet smell tender sex and prayer which is the Delight of my eye now prayer is neither smelt nor touched in fact its Delight is beyond the scope of the five senses and yet it has been described as the Delight of my eye which means the inner either soul with her sixth sense concepts of this special sense are more beautiful and Charming than sensuous objects nay they are more perfect and strongly attract the soul is it not then possible that one who is not perceived by the five senses May yet be found and felt attractive by that sense and loved by the soul let us now enumerate the circumstances which excite loved one every living being first of all loves his own self that is to say that the desire for continuity of his existence as it's to Annihilation is innate this desire is augmented by the desire of the Perfection of his self by means of sound body wealth children relations and friends for all of these serve as a means to the end of the continuity of himself and therefore he cherishes love for them even unselfish love of his dear son if probed smacks of love for the continuity herself because his son who is part of his self-serves as a living representative of his self-continuity 2. the second cause is the love for one's benefactor towards whom the heart is naturally attracted even if he be a stranger a benefactor will always be loved but it must be remembered that the benefactor is loved not for himself but for his beneficence the extent of which will be a dominating factor in determining the degree of love 3. the third cause is love of beauty it is generally supposed that beauty consists in red and white complexions well-proportioned Limbs and so forth but we can also say beautiful writing beautiful horse Etc hence beauty of an object consists in its possession of all possible befitting Perfections it will vary in proportion to the Perfections attained that writing in which all the rules of calligraphy are properly observed will be called beautiful and so on at the same time there can be no one standard for judging the beauty of different objects the standard for a horse cannot be the same for say writing or man it must also be remembered that beauty is not connected with sensible objects only but is also related to Concepts a person is not always loved for his external beauty but often the beauty of his knowledge or virtues attract the heart it is not necessary that the object of such kind of love be perceived by the senses we love our Saints and moms and Prophets but we have never seen our love for them is so strong that we would willingly lay down our lives for upholding their good name if we wish to create love for them in young minds we can produce it by giving graphic accounts of their virtues stories of the heroes of Any Nation will excite love for them love looks not with the eyes but with the mind and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind 4. the fourth cause is a sort of secret Affinity between two Souls meeting and attracting each other it is what is called love at first sight this is what the prophet meant when he said the souls had their Rendezvous those who liked each other then love here those who remain strangers then do not join here if a Believer goes to a meeting where there are a hundred manafics Hypocrites and one morning faithful he will take his seat by the side of the modern seems that likes are attracted by their likes Malik Ben dinar says just as birds of the same feather fly together two persons having a quality common to both will join let us now apply these causes and find out who may be the true object of Love first man who is directly conscious of his own self in whom the love for continuity of herself is innate if he deeply thinks on the nature of his existence will find that he does not exist of his own self nor other means of the continuity of himself in his power there is a being self-existent and living who created and sustains him the Quran says there surely came over man a period of time when he was not a thing that could be spoken of surely we have created man from a small life germ uniting we mean to try him so we have made him hearing seeing surely we have shown him the way he may be thankful or unthankful this contemplation will bear the fruit or love for God for how could it be otherwise when man loves his own self which is dependent on him unless he be given up to the gratification of his passions and thereby forgetting his true self and his sustainer secondly a he thinks over the aim and scope of beneficence he will find that no creature can show any purely disinterested favor to another because his motive will be either one praise or self-gratification for his generosity or two hope of reward in the next World or Divine pleasure paradoxical though it sounds leap insight into human nature leads us inevitably to the conclusion that man cannot be called benefactor in as much as his action is prompted by the idea of gain and barter a true benefactor is one who in bestowing his favors has not the least idea of any sort of gain purely disinterested beneficence is the quality of the all-merciful Providence and hence he is the true object of love thirdly the appreciation of inward beauty that is to say the contemplation of any attractive quality or qualities of the Beloved causes are stronger and more durable love than the passionate love of the flesh however such a beloved will still be found lacking in Beauty from the standpoint of perfection because the three genders are creatures and therefore cannot be called perfect God Alone is perfect Beauty holy independent omnipotent all Majesty all beneficent or merciful with all this knowledge of his attributes we still do not know him as he is the prophet says my praise of thee cannot be comprehensive thou Arts such as woodsed praise thyself are not these attributes sufficient to evoke love for him but beatitude is denied to the inwardly blind they do not understand the attitude of the lovers of God towards him Jesus once passed by some ascetics who were reduced in body why are you thus he said to them and they replied fear of hell and hope of Heaven have reduced us to this condition what a Pity rejoined Jesus your fear and hope is limited to creatures then he went onward and saw some more devotees and put the same question we are devoted to God and Revere him for his love they replied with downcast eyes ye are the Saints exclaimed Jesus you will have my company fourthly the Affinity between two Souls meeting and loving each other is a mystery but more mysterious is the Affinity between God and His loving devotee it cannot and must not be described before the uninitiated suffice it to say that the souls possessing the higher qualities of beneficence sympathy Mercy Etc have that Affinity hinted as in the following saying of the Prophet imitate Divine attributes for man has been created in the image of God nah he is in a way akin to him says the Quran and when the Lord said to the angels surely I am going to create a mortal from dust so when I have made him complete and breathed into him of my Rue Soul fall down making obeisance to him it is this Affinity which is pointed out in the following tradition God said to Moses I was sick and thou didst not visit me Moses replied oh God Thou Art Lord of Heaven and Earth how could thou be sick God said a certain servant of mine was sick had thou visited him thou woodst have visited me therefore our Prophet Muhammad has said says God my servant seeks to be near me that I may make him my friend and when I have made him my friend I become his ear his eye his tongue it must however be remembered that mystical Affinity vaguely conceived leads to extremes some have fallen into abject anthropomorphism others have gone so far as to believe in the Airy nothings of of pantheism these are all vagaries of the imagination whether they take the form of IBN Allah Son of God or anal ha I am God they are to a great extent responsible for the evils of superstition and skepticism these four causes when properly understood demonstrate that the true object of our love is God and therefore it has been enjoined Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind 6. the unity of God 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 surface as fanafid towered I.E the effacement of one's individuality in contemplating the unity of God 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 internal 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 a 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 as open to Islam walks in his light the colonel 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 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 recognize 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 favorable 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 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 covetly tempting man and uses subtle means insinuating thus do you not see that the King has full power either to kill or favor 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 the outset let us point out that just as an ant owing to its limited site will see the point of the pen blackening a blank sheet of paper and not the fingers and hand of the writer to the person whose mental side 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 ours is 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 [Music] the love of God and its signs love of God is the highest stage of our Soul's progress and her summon bonum repentance patience piety and other virtues are all preliminary steps although rare these qualities are found in true devotees and the commonality though devoid of them at any rate believe in them love of God is Not only very rare the possibility of it is doubted even by some alarmers who call it simply service for in their opinion love exists amongst species of the same kind but God being ultra-mundane and not of Our Kind his love is an impossibility and hence the much talked of ecstatic states of the true lovers of God are mere delusions as this is far from truth and impedes the progress of the Soul by spreading false Notions we shall briefly discuss the subject first we shall quote passages from the Quran and the Hadith testifying to the existence of the love of God o you who believe whosoever from among you turns back from his religion then Allah will bring a people he shall love them and they shall love him lowly before the Believers mightily against the unbelievers they shall strive hard in Allah's way and shall not fear the censor of any Centura this is Allah's Grace he gives it to whom he pleases and Allah is ampful giving knowing and there are some among men who take for themselves objects of worship besides Allah whom they love Allah and those who believe are stronger in love of Allah these passages not only refer to the existence of the love of God but point to the difference in degree the prophet has taught us that the love of God is one of the conditions of Faith none among you shall be a believer until he loves Allah and his Apostle more than anything else true as the Quran says if your fathers and your sons and your brethren and your mates and your kinsfolk and property which you have Acquired and trade the dullness of which you fear and dwellings which you like adira to you than Allah and his Apostle and striving in his way then wait till Allah brings about his command and Allah does not guide the transgressing people a man came to the prophet and said I love thee o Apostle of God be ready for poverty replied the prophet and I love Allah said the man prepare to face tribulations replied the prophet the following tradition is narrated by the caliph Omar the prophet one day saw Mata son of whom they are coming to him with a lambskin round his lines looks at the prophet to his companions how God has illumined his heart I have seen him living in ease and well provided by his parents but now the love of Allah and his Apostle has wrought a change in him the prophet used to pray thus my God give me thy love and the love of him who loves thee and the love of that action which will bring me nearer to thee and make thy love sweeter than cold water to the Thirsty verily Allah loves those who repent and those who purify themselves say if you love Allah then follow me Allah will love you and forgive you your faults and Allah is forgiving merciful we have said before that love means yearning towards a desired object and the beneficence and Duty whether perceived or conceived equally attract our hearts but in using the word love for God no such meaning is possible as it implies imperfection God's love towards men is the love of his own work someone read the following verse of the Quran he loves them and they love him in front of Sheikh Abu said of Mahana who interpreted it saying he loves himself because he alone exists surely an author who likes himself his love is limited to his self God's love means the lifting the veil from the heart of his servant so that he might gaze at him it also means drawing him close to himself let us give an illustration a king permits some of his slaves to approach his presence not because he requires them but because the slaves possess or are acquiring certain qualities which are worthy of being displayed before the Royal presence this privilege this lifting of the veil brings us nearer to the conception of God's love but it must be remembered that approaching the divine presence should entirely explain include the idea of space for then it would imply change in him which is absurd Divine proximity means the attainment of Godly virtues by abstaining from the promptings of the Flesh and hence it implies approach from the point of view of quality and not of space for example two persons meet together either when both of them proceed towards each other or one is stationary and the other starts and approaches him again a pupil strives to come up to the level of his teacher's knowledge who is resting in his elevated position his uphill Journey towards knowledge keeps him restless and he climbs higher and higher till he catches a glimpse of the Halo which surrounds his master's countenance the nature of divine proximity resembles this inward journey of the pupil that is the more a man acquires insight into the nature of things and by subjugating his passions leads the life of righteousness the nearer will he be coming to his Lord but it must be remembered that a pupil May equal his teacher even be greedier than he but as regards Divine proximity no such equality is possible God's love means that which purifies the heart of his servant in a manner that he may be worthy of being admitted before his holy presence it may be asked how can we know that God loves a certain person my answer is that there are signs which bear testimony to it the prophet says when God loves his servant he sends tribulations and when he loves him most he severs his connection from everything someone said to Jesus why do you not buy a mule for yourself Jesus answered my God will not tolerate that I should concern myself with a mule another saying of Muhammad is reported thus when God loves any of his servants he sends tribulations if he patiently Bears them he is favored and if he cheerfully faces them he is singled out as chosen of God surely it is this joyous attitude of his mind whether evil befalls him or good that is the chief sign of Love such minds are providentially taken care of in their thoughts and deeds and in all their dealings with men the veil is lifted and they live in wrapped communion as for the signs of a man's love for God let it be born in mind that everybody claims his love but few really love him beware of self-deception verify your statement by introspection love is like a tree rooted in the ground sending its shoots above the starry Heaven its fruits are found in the heart the tongue and the limbs of the lover in fact his whole self is a witness to love just as smoke is a sure sign of fire burning let us then trace the signs which are found of the true lover death is a pleasure to him for it removes the barrier of body and lets the fluttering Soul free to soar and sing in the Blissful Abode of his beloved sufyan thori and her fee used to say he who dats dislikes death Bose a friend will never dislike meeting a friend a certain Sufi asked to hermit whether he wished for death but he gave no answer then the Sufi said to him had you been a true hermit you would have liked death the Quran says if the future Abode with Allah is especially for you to the exclusion of the people then invoke death if you are truthful they will never wish it on account of what their hands have sent on before and Allah knows the unjust The Hermit replied but the prophet says do not wish for death then you are suffering said the Sufi because acquiescence in Divine decree is better than trying to escape it it may be asked here can he who does not like death be God's lover let us consider first the nature of his dislike it is due to his attachment to the worldly object's wife children and so forth but it is possible that with this attachment which no doubt comes in the way of his love of God there may be some intonation towards his love because there are degrees of his love or it may be that his dislike is due to his feeling of unpreparedness in the path of love he would like to love more so that he might be able to purify himself just as a lover hearing of his beloved's arrival would like to be given some time for making preparations for a fitting reception for these reasons if a devotee dislikes death he can still be his lover though of inferior type he should prefer both inwardly and outwardly God's pleasure to his desires for he who follows the dictates of his desires is no true lover for the true Lover's will is his beloveds but human nature is so constituted that such selfless beings are very rare patients would like to be cured but they often eat things which are injurious to their health similarly a person would like to love God but very often follows his own impulses Naaman was a sinner who being repeatedly excused by the prophet was at last flogged while he was being flogged a certain person cursed him for his iniquity do not curse him said he has a regard for God and His Apostle experience tells us that he who loves loves the things connected with his beloved therefore another sure sign of God's love is the love of his creatures who are created by and are dependent on him for he who loves an author or poet will not love his work or poem but this stage is reached when the lover's heart is immersed in love and the more he is absorbed in him the more will he love his creatures so much so that even the objects which hurt him will not be disliked by him in fact the problem of evil is transcended in his love for him it may be objected here that it follows that he loves the evildoers and sinners but a deep insight into the nature of such love shows that he loves them as creatures of God but at the same time hates their actions which are contrary to the command of his beloved if this point is lost sight of people are apt to be misguided in their love or hatred of his creatures if they show their love towards any sinner let it be in pure compassion and not any sense of taking this in lightly similarly their hatred should proceed from the consciousness of his Stern Law And Justice and not from Ruthless bigotry in one of the hadesi Tutsi God has said my sense are those who cry like a child for my love who remember me like a Fearless Lion at the site of iniquities a reverent attitude of mind is another sign of his love some hold that fear is opposed to love but the truth is that just as the conception of beauty generates love the knowledge of his Sublime Majesty produces the feeling of awe in US lovers meet with fears which are unknown to others there is the fear of being disregarded there is fear of the veil being drawn down there is the fear of there being turned away when the Surah HUD was revealed in which the awful Doom of the wicked Nations is narrated away with samud away with Midian the prophet Heath desire and said this Surah has turned me into an old man he who loves his nearness will feel acutely the fear of being away from him there is another fear of remaining at a particular stage and not Rising higher for the ascending degrees of his nearness are infinite a true lover is always trying to draw nearer and nearer to him a thin veil covers my heart says the prophet then I ask for his forgiveness 70 times in day and night this means that the prophet was always ascending the scales of his nearness asking for his forgiveness at every stage which was found lower than the next one there is another fear of overconfidence which slackens the efforts and Mars progress hope with fear should be the guide of love some suffers say that he who worships God without fear is liable to ER and full he who worships him with fear turns gloomy and is cast off but he who lovingly worships him with hope and fear is admitted by him and favored therefore lovers should fear Him and those who fear Him should love him even excess of his love contains an inkling of fear it is like salt in food for human nature cannot bear the white heat of his love if it is not chastened and tempered by the fear of the Lord keeping love secret and giving no publicity to it is another sign of his love for Love Is the Beloved secret it should not be revealed nor openly professed however if he is overpowered by the force of his love and unwittingly and without the least a simulation his secret is out he is not to be blamed some suffice say he who is very often pointing towards him is far from him because he feigns and makes a show of his love of him zunan of Egypt once went to pay a visit to one of his brother sufis who was in distress and who used to talk of his love openly he who feels the severity of pain inflicted by him said tsunan is no Lover he who finds no pleasure in such pain returned to Sufi is no lover true replied zunan but I say to you that he who trumpets his love of him is no lover for Sufi felt the force of zunan's words and fell down prostrate before God and repented and did not talk again of his love it may be objected Divine love is the highest stage it would be better to manifest it where is the harm no doubt love is good and if of itself it is evident there is no harm but those who give themselves trouble to make it known are blameable let our hearts speak let our Deeds Proclaim it but not our tongue nay he should always aim at making it evident before his beloved the gospel says take heed that ye do not give your arms before men to be seen otherwise ye have no reward of your father which is in heaven therefore when thou doest thine arms do not sound a trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have the glory of men verily I say unto you they have their reward but when thouest arms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth that thine arms may be in secret and thy father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly moreover when you fast be not as the Hypocrites of sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast verily I say unto you they have their reward but thou when thou fastest anoint thine head and wash thy face that thou appear not unto men to fast but unto thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly the essence of religion is love some signs of which have been in New operated above the love of God may be of two kinds some love him for his bounties others face perfect Beauty irrespective of bounties the former love increases according to the bounties received but the latter love is the direct result of the contemplation of his perfect attributes and his constant even in tribulations these are his favorite few says Junaid of Baghdad there are many who pose as his lovers and with much talk of his love latva signs of true love they are deluded by the devil slaves of their passions seeking a hollow reputation Shameless Hypocrites who try to deceive the omniscient Lord their creator they are all enemies of God whether they are revered as divines or suffice sole of taster who used to address everyone as friend was once asked by a person the reason of his doing so as all men could not be his friends Soul whispered in his ear saying he will either be a believer or a hypocrite if he is a Believer he is God's friend if a hypocrite the devil's friend Abu chirab nakshabi has composed some verses describing the signs of love their translation is as follows do not profess your love hearken to me these are the signs of his love the bitterness of tribulations is sweet to him he is happy for he believes that everything proceeds from him for praise or sincere he cares not the will of his beloved is his will while his heart is burning with love his countenance is radiant with joy he guards The Secret of love with all his might and no thought save of his beloved enters into his mind yahia bin Mars razi adds some lines another sign is that he is up and ready like a diver at the bank of a river he Sighs and sheds tears in the Gloom of night and day and night he appears as if fighting for the sacred cause of his love he entrusts his whole self to his love and gladly acquiesce abides in his love 8. Riza or joya's submission to his will is the quintessence of love and is one of the highest stages of the favored few but some doubt its existence saying how can man be joyous for what is against his own will he may submit to God's will but it does not follow that he also shares the feeling of joy we shall discuss the nature of Riza and prove its existence let us first turn to the Quran and the Hadis Allah has promised to the believing man and the believing women Gardens beneath which rivers flow to abide in them and goodly dwellings in Gardens of Perpetual Abode and best of all is Allah's goodly pleasure that is the grand achievement in this passage God's pleasure rizwan is described as best of all blessings in another passage this blessing is also bestowed on those who joyfully submit to his will Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with him that is for him who fears his Lord who fear the beneficent God in secret and come with a penitent heart enter it in peace that is the day of abiding they have therein what they wish and with us is more yet some commentators while commenting on the words in italics say that three gifts will be given in Paradise I a rare gift of which no soul knows in this world what is hidden for them of that which will refresh the eyes two the salutation as mentioned in the Quran peace Salam a word from the merciful Lord three his goodly grace and pleasure as mentioned in war is best of all is God's goodly pleasure the prophet once asked some of his companions to point out the signs of the faith which they professed o Apostle of God said the companions we are patient in tribulations grateful in Felicity and pleased with what is ordained ye are Muslims said the prophet again the prophet said ye who are poor be pleased with what God has put you in and then you shall have your reward let us discuss the nature of Riza those who deny the existence of Riza saying that man can be patient in sufferings but joyous submission to his what is not possible really deny the existence of love and it's all absorbing nature a lover always loves his beloved's actions now this love of actions is of two kinds one Redemption from the experience of pain caused in mental or physical suffering experience shows that many warriors while enrage do not feel the pain of their wounds and know it only when they see blood gushing from them even when a man is engaged in some action which absorbs his attention the pain of a thorn pricking him will not be felt if then in such cases and there are many such pain is not felt will it not be possible that a devotee who is absorbed in him does not feel pain which in his belief is inflicted by his beloved or two although pain is felt he would desire it just as a patient who feels the pain caused by the surgeon's lancid is glad to be operated upon and is pleased with the surgeon's action similarly he who firmly believes that tribulations are like God sent curatives will be pleased with them and be thankful to God anyone who Ponders over the nature of the above mentioned kinds and then in the light of them reads the lives and the sayings of the lovers of God will I believe be convinced of the existence of Reason Saint Basha son of harit narrates the story in the shakia lane of Baghdad I saw a man who received a thousand Stripes but did not cry in his Agony he was then sent to prison and I followed him why have you been punished so mercilessly I asked because they have found out the secret of my love but why were you so strangely quiet while you were punished so severely I asked in astonishment because answered the poor fellow with a sigh she was looking at me from her balcony oh that you might see the true beloved I murmured hearing this his color had once changed and with a loud cry he fell dead the same sink tells another story while I was a student of Sufism I went to Jazeera avidan where I saw a blind epileptic leper lying on the ground while worms were eating his flesh but by his side and placed his head on my lap and spoke gently to him when he came to his senses he spoke who is this stranger who comes between me and my Lord even if each and every limb is severed from my body I will love him that scene of Reason says the saint I shall never forget it is a lifelong lesson for me it is said that Christ once saw a blind forlorn leper who was praying blessed art thou O Lord who Hast saved me from such maladies which have overtaken many of us art thou not in misery asked Christ tell me which is that malady which has not overtaken thank God cried the leper I am not like him who does not know God you are right said Christ give me your hand and the breath of Christ instantly healed the leper and he became one of his followers the prophet's companion said Benoit Cass lost his eyesight in old age and resigning his post-return to Mecca people flock to him for blessing as he was known to be one whose prayers were always heard says Abdullah Bin said I was then a mere boy I too went to pay my respects to the venerable said he spake kindly to me and blessed me then I said Uncle how is it that you who are praying for everybody would not pray for the restoration of your eyesight my son answered said with a smile to be pleased with his sweet will is better than eyesight some people went to see Shipley at mariston where he was imprisoned who are you asked the saint friends they all replied with one voice hearing this shieldly fetched some stones and began to throw them at them and they all fled calling him a Madman what's this exclaimed cheaply you call yourselves my friends but if you are sincere bear patiently what you receive from me and then he sang his love has turned my brain have you ever seen a lover who is not intoxicated with love these narratives point out that Riza or joyous submission to God's will is possible and is one of the highest stages to which The Souls of true devotees could Aspire people believe in eccentricities of Cupid's voteries but give no ear to the ecstasies of the true lovers of God perhaps they have no eyes to look at the manifestation of his Beauty no ears to listen to the music of his love no heart to gaze at and enjoy his sweet presence perhaps they are proud of their learning and think too much of their Good Deeds but they have no idea of humble and broken hearts a certain nobleman of bustam comely in appearance and lordly and bearing used to attend the sermons of saint baezid of Boston one day he said to the Saint for 30 years I have been keeping fasts waiting for the whole night and offering my prayers but still I do not find in me the animating force of what you teach although I believe in it and cherish love for you 30 years ejaculated the saint wife for 300 years if you do as you have done till now you will not have a bit of it how is that asked the astonished nobleman because answered the Saint the veil of your egotism has fallen heavily on your minds either Chief then asked the saint to tell him of some remedy but he declined saying that the chief would not like to take it but do tell me entreated the nobleman and I will try my best to follow your kind advice listen then calmly answered the saint this very moment go to the barber get your head and beard shaven take off this apparel and gird your loins with a piece of blanket gather children round you and tell them that whosoever gives you a slap with a hand will get a walnut pass through the throngs in all the bazaars followed by those children and then show yourself to your intimate friends Supan Allah explained the chief say that to me hold thy tongue retorted the Saint the Supan Allah is blasphemy how is that asked the chief because replied the saint you uttered Supan Allen not for any reverence for the holy being but out of respect for your own vain self well said the chief tell me some other remedy please try this remedy first continued the saint I cannot do so rejoined Chief there you are spoke the saint finally did I not tell you that you would not like the remedy are egoistic Tendencies impede the progress of our souls towards higher virtues and hence some of us go the length of denying the possibilities of their existence let the lives of the true lovers of God be our guide aldazali's letter to all those wishing to achieve a peaceful and Pious life one has to cross many difficult stages and cement apparently insurmountable difficulties before one attains to spiritual height by completing one's onward March the most important of these stages could be summed up in a few words social Affair and gnosis social Affair is an introduction to gnosis and begins with eating a mouthful of simple food earned by legal and pure Halal labor and ends in the sincerity of one's actions and deeds when this stage is reached the chapter on gnosis written by the pen of God in his own book flashes before our sight and we find that the chapter is entitled there is no God except Allah the prophet praise and peace be upon him said the first words which God wrote in his first book were there is no God except me my kindness Mercy exceeds my anger the chapter on social Affairs also Bears the same words but since it covers only one aspect of faith it cannot reflect the virtues contained in gnosis it is unwise to give a detailed account of gnosis for the more one seeks words to express it the more one feels the impossibility of describing the thing by any of our usual images a hint of this connection may be of some use to those who are interested gnosis or maraphat is knowledge given in ecstasy peculiar to Saints who behold god with their hearts this knowledge differs altogether from intellectual and traditional knowledge on the other hand the more one seeks to discuss social Affairs in detail the more one feels it is easily understood by listeners and as such it is beneficial to them I have already said that social Affairs start with eating a mouthful of League chili and food there are four kinds of piety and devotion meant for those who eat pure and legal food one in which the observance of justice is essential according to the verdict of religious teachers Pious people are required to avoid forbidden things another in which good people are not misled by doubt even though these doubts are not declared illicit by Islamic law the holy prophet prays and peace be upon him said to several of his companions in spite of the verdict of the mufties is your favor always turn to your own conscience for a legal decision he also said completely abandoned that which is doubtful and choose that which you do not suspect this kind of piety is not obligatory it is an optional virtue and contributes to one's moral progress the first kind signifies the devotional Spirit of the worshiper the prophet praise and peace be upon him said man cannot become Pious unless he fears that even legitimate and harmless objects might lead into trouble if he does not avoid them this is the reason my master Abu Bakr Sadiq may God be pleased with him used to place stones on his mouth to hold his tongue so that he might avoid risking saying something which may not be very desirable or a falling into a sin of which he was not aware it so happened that the once hadrad um may God be pleased with him smelts a must lying in the government treasury he touched it and it perfumed one of his fingers he washed his fingers continuously and then rubbed them on the grounds so that the fragrance would at last be removed completely although there was no harm in it he feared that if he indulged in strong smelling substances he might commit the sin of excessive smelling The Fourth Kind relates to the piety of the true believers who abstain from the world and its wickedness and whose Minds I perceive the vision of beauty of the presence which at one glance fills their minds to the exclusion that all other objects if they eat they eat for the sake of God if they drink they drink for the sake of God if they speak they speak for the sake of God if they live they live for the sake of God all their Affairs are from God in God and by God God said my worshiper draws near to me by means of voluntary righteous acts and I love him and when I love him I am his ear so that he hears by me and his eye so that he sees by me and his tongue so that he speaks by me at his hands so that he takes by me those who receive guidance from the chapter entitled social Affairs are divided into three types as explained by God in the verse then we gave the book as an inheritance to those of our worshipers whom we chose Quran chapter 35 verse 32 those who Acquire The Virtue of administering Justice on a contemplative basis and follow the right middle cause between two extremes those who do not appreciate the value of piety and avoid the performance of Duty towards their fellow men belong to the category of tyrants and serious afflictions will be dispensed to them those who write eyes higher and enjoy the rank equivalent to that of the early Muslims in this age of ours It seems impossible that one could belong to their category though it is earnestly hoped that the people who can fulfill the conditions laid down for the pious and the just could be raised to this high rank as explained by the holy prophet praise and peace be upon him the day is not far off when people who get one tenth of your portion will attain salvation when his companions inquired how this would be possible he replied for you help others to do good deeds it is wrong to think that money earned by Farmers or businessmen is always legitimate and that the one who makes use of such money is entitled to the rank enjoyed by the early Muslims it is also incorrect to believe that people in the employee of the government who receive pay and emoluments are tyrants for the money earned by the businessman is inter mixed and as such it requires a thorough process of analysis before it could be properly made use of similarly the large Fortune at the disposal of Kings also requires thorough scrutiny and careful investigation seeing from this point of view a king Hoards three kinds of wealth one money taken from someone by force two money collected from his subjects on account of a fine or penalty three money realized from subjects on account of Tax and Revenue at exorbitant rates the above mentioned types of wealth are forbidden those kings and Sultans are of course usurpers and tyrants who accumulate such wealth and do not return it to their rightful owners there is a kind of money which is quite legitimate this is the price of grain grown on one's own farm and disposed of the goods on money stolen or taken away from others by brute force is illegitimate the verdict of the Islamic law is quite clear about this the one who is in possession of such Goods or money should distribute it among the needy dervishes or contributed towards the welfare of the society it must not be left in the hands of usurpers who will certainly misuse it and disturb social justice if the owner of the money is a dervish he should use as much of it as he is surely in need of and if he is a rich man he should not spend a single penny but should contribute it towards the national reconstruction or the relief of the poor and needy if this rich man is really in need of some money he is allowed to take as much of it as is required to meet the bare necessities of his family so and so has stayed several years in a Hermitage near my home he Bears a good moral character and has discarded his worldly life for the sake of his life in the Hereafter if a man is too poor to support his family and wants to be benefited by the Sultan's voluntary charity or charitable endowments he ought to secure a favorable religious verdict on this subject and Avail himself of the concession of the approval of a competent Authority it is very difficult to subject oneself to a religious verdict of balance in these hard times and discover whether he and his family really stand in need of financial help from the government if there is such a poor man he deserves to be looked after instead of being deprived of monetary assistance due to him therefore it is incumbent on so and so to seek the help of his Muslim Brethren and other sheikhs who will certainly extend their Helping Hands to relieve him from his financial distress the peace of God be upon his holy prophet who is the head and chief of his Messengers you're sincerely al-ghazali [Music] chill books audiobooks with relaxing music visuals and subtitles to help you stay engaged [Music]

Channel: Chillbooks

Views: 12,988

Keywords: al-ghazali, imam al-ghazali, alghazzali, al-ghazzali, the nature of man, the nature of love, the nature of the universe, the nature of god, philosophy, wisdom, moral teachings

Id: gw2pPNnfE_g

Length: 98min 40sec (5920 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 01 2022