Monday, June 15, 2009

Be strong!





















Bismillah.

O son, it's easy for anyone to say 'be strong'. But understand that people's definitions of strong may not necessarily be the same. We follow the ways of the Prophet and the Sufi saints. Our beloved Rasulullah s.a.w. said: "The strong man is not one who is good at wrestling, but the strong man is one who controls himself in a fit of rage.'' (hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Most men would find Shaykh ad-Darqawi's advice below difficult if not impossible yet it is the Sufi way.

A strong man is one who rejoices to see that the world is slipping from his hands, leaving him and fleeing from him; who rejoices that people despise him, and speak ill of him and is satisfied with his knowledge of God. The Venerable Master, the Saint Ibn Ata-Illah says of this, in his Hikam: "If the fact that people turn away from you or speak ill of you causes you suffering, return toward the knowledge of God in you; if this knowledge is not sufficient, then lack of satisfaction in the knowledge of God is a far greater trial than that people speak ill of you. The purpose of this slander is that you should not rely on people; God wishes to bring you back from all things so that nothing may distract you from Him."

La haula wala quwata illa billah hil 'Aliyil 'Azim.
There is no power and no strength 
save with Allah, the High, the Great.
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Related Lisan al-Din's post: Don't take offense


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