Bismillah.
Know that the lessons which I share with you are those that I discover along my journey to know Allah and He being the Murabbi is the ultimate Teacher who will teach us what we need, when we need, at the right time. I myself am still learning and struggling, so please do not have the impression that I am above you or that I have mastered all that I have written here. I am not a saintly being. In fact, today's posting is a pause, a time to reflect on myself, for if God were to reveal my shortcomings, flaws, weaknesses and hypocrisy, you and everyone else will flee from me. So I say this prayer I learned from Sheikh Abul Hassan as-Shadhili as mentioned in Kitab Al-Hikam: '
Ilahi kam 'asika wa anta tas turuni.'
'O Lord, I have wronged myself, yet You hide my flaws.'
We all need His forgiveness. We need His mercy. We are needy towards Allah. We are faqir. Faqir means needy. We need countless things from Him and one of the most important things is that we need His hidayah (guidance), lest we stray from the straight path. We need tawfik (strength) from Him so as to follow His guidance. Hidayah would be meaningless without the tawfik to carry out the appropriate actions. We need Him because He is the King and we are His subjects. Therefore, servitude (ubudiyah) and being needy (faqir) are inherent traits of ours.
Ilahi kam 'asika wa anta tas turuni.'
'O Lord, I have wronged myself, yet You hide my flaws.'
We all need His forgiveness. We need His mercy. We are needy towards Allah. We are faqir. Faqir means needy. We need countless things from Him and one of the most important things is that we need His hidayah (guidance), lest we stray from the straight path. We need tawfik (strength) from Him so as to follow His guidance. Hidayah would be meaningless without the tawfik to carry out the appropriate actions. We need Him because He is the King and we are His subjects. Therefore, servitude (ubudiyah) and being needy (faqir) are inherent traits of ours.
Sheikh Abul Hassan as-Shadhili teaches us that we can be poor of everything except Allah. Hence, we seek richness with Him.
'Nas alukal faqra mimma siwak,
wal ghinna bika hatta la nash hada illa iyaka.'
'We seek from You, poverty from other than You
and richness with You, until we see not anything but You.'
Sheikh Abul Hassan also stressed the need for us to constantly be in the state of ubudiyah by admitting our poverty, weakness and unworthiness.
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wal ghinna bika hatta la nash hada illa iyaka.'
'We seek from You, poverty from other than You
and richness with You, until we see not anything but You.'
Sheikh Abul Hassan also stressed the need for us to constantly be in the state of ubudiyah by admitting our poverty, weakness and unworthiness.
Ya Ghani! Man lil faqiri siwaka!
O Allah the Self-Sufficient!
Who else does this needy one hope for but You!
Who else does this needy one hope for but You!
Ya Qawwi! Man lid dhoi'fi siwaka!
O Allah the Most Strong!
Who else does this deprived one hope for but You!
O Allah the Most Strong!
Who else does this deprived one hope for but You!
Ya Qadir! Man lil a'jizi siwaka!
O Allah the Most Able!
Who else does this weak one hope for but You!
O Allah the Most Able!
Who else does this weak one hope for but You!
Ya 'Aziz! Man lidz zaleeli siwaka!
O Allah the Mighty!
Who else does this worthless one hope for but You!
O Allah the Mighty!
Who else does this worthless one hope for but You!
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Let's all heed the teachings of this sufi scholar from Morocco, Sheikh Abul Hassan as-Shadhili (1196 -1258 CE). With his barakah, may we be among those who benefit from the wisdom of Al-Hikam (authored by Ibn Atha'illah as-Sakandari) and may we be granted the opportunity to visit Sheikh Abul Hassan's maqam, someday, InshaAllah.
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