Nisfu Shaaban message

Bismillah.

May Allah grant us hikmah and rahmah on this blessed night of 15 Shaaban. We pray Allah will not deny us  His mercy that is reserved on this auspicious evening for the sake of His wali Ghawth al-Azam Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (qaddasallahu sirruh, may Allah sanctify his secrets).

Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani spoke on 18 Shaaban 545 Hijri urging people to 'concentrate on correcting yourself and give up idle gossip and the craziness of this world.'

He said, we should learn from people before us about this deceiving world and be done with it - khalass! We must cast off the clothings of dunya and the lower self (nafs), and travel to the door of the Lord. Turn away from the lower self, then we may see the Lord. Submit (sallim) to Him and we will be safe (salimta). Strive in His cause and we will be guided aright. Give thanks to Him and He will add more.

If you wish to enjoy the companionship of the people of the Lord now and in the hereafter, you must yield to Him and comply with His words, His workings (af'al) and His will (irada). But you have made it a habit to contradict and challenge Him night and day. He says to you "Do!" and you do not do, as if He were the servant ('abd) and you the one to be served (ma'bud). Subhanallah! How much He tolerates! Were it not for His tolerance (hilmi), you would experience the opposite of what you have now. 

Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani also said that we should refrain from asking from the Lord, as it is bad manners. It is only acceptable to ask when it becomes absolutely necessary (ruksha). Otherwise, just be quiet both outwardly and inwardly. All you need to do is carry out His commandment, observe His prohibition, comply with His decree and keep your outer and inner calmly speechless in His presence. Then you will experience what is good in this world and in the hereafter. Do not ask creatures for anything, for they are weak and poor, incapable of bringing harm or benefit to themselves or anyone else. Be patient with Allah. Do not try to make Him hurry things up or hold them back. Harbor no doubts about Him, for He is More Compassionate (ashfaq) toward you than you are to you.

Shaykh asked us to tame our lower self before we embark on the journey towards Allah. Do not harmonize with it. Instead, we should train it to behave well. It is blind, dumb, deaf, confused and ignorant of the Lord. We need to put in plenty of effort and preservere hour after hour, day after day and year after year not just one hour, one month or one year. Beat it with the whip of hunger, deprive it of its luxury and attack it aggressively. 

O you of little understanding, do not flee from the door of the Lord because of some trial with which He afflicts you, for He is more aware (a'raf) of your best interest than you are. He would not put you to the test except for some good reason and wisdom. When he tests you, therefore you must be steadfast, review your sins, do a lot of seeking forgiveness (istighfar) and repenting (tawba) and beg Him to grant you the patience and perseverance to see it through. You must stand before Him and cling to the helm of His mercy. 

If you wish for success (falah), you must make friends with a Shaykh who is learned in the rules (hukm) and knowledge (ilm) of Allah - a shaykh who can teach, educate and acquaint you with the path to Allah. The seeker (murid) cannot do without a leader and guide for he is in a desert where there are scorpions, snakes, perils, thirst and savage beasts.  The murid would need someone to warn him of these dangers and guide him to the oasis of water and fruit-bearing trees. O traveler of the path, you must not get separated from the caravan, the guide and your fellow travelers. Otherwise, you will lose your property and your breath of life (ruh). Be together with the guide until he leads you to the camp site (manzil).

This is not something that comes about in a vacuum and through wishful thinking but through something that becomes established within the breast and which is verified in action. The people of the Lord (ahlillah) are the odd ones out (nuzza al-'ashair), they are fewer than one in a million. They hear the word of Allah with their hearts and their inner contents (ma'ani) and they confirm the truth of what they hear through the actions of their physical bodies.

O ignorant ones, repent to Allah, return to the highway of the champions of truth (siddiqun) and follow them in all that they say and do. You must not follow the side roads with the hypocrites who are seeking this world, turning away from the hereafter, abandoning the highway (jadda) of the Lord, which was the road taken by our predecessors. They turn to right or left or backwards, seeking the lazy folk's path, but the way they take does not lead them through to the genuine highway, which is the path to the Lord of Truth.

Since you will inevitably have social relations with creatures, develop them with the pious and the abstinent, those who have real knowledge and put it into practice, those who seek the Lord and those who are sought by Him. Associate with people of this caliber, listen patiently to what they have to say and accept what they tell you to do or not to do, then you will soon experience good results, although the span of courage is an hour's patience.

Nothing can come about because of you, yet you must play your part. You must be well behaved in the presence of your teacher and let your silence be more frequent than your speaking out, for this will be conducive to your learning and your being close to his heart. Good behavior will bring you near, while bad manners will keep you at a distance. But how can your manners improve when you do not mix with people of refinement (udaba)? How can you learn when you are not satisfied with your teacher and do not have a good opinion of him?

FROM: The Sublime Revelation

Credit: Muhtar Holland

O son, this message from Ghawth al-Azam is very strong and pertinent. It deserves to be read over and over again. Therefore, I will not be posting anything for the next few days so that we could all re-read and internalize his message. So that we could all reflect on ourselves quietly and focus on our amal - reciting the Qur'an and making more salawat/durood perhaps. InshaAllah. I fear that on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will rebuke me for not practising what I have been sharing here since they are all first and foremost directed to myself. Na'uzubillah. May Allah forgive us all, for the sake of His Beloved Mustafa sallallah alai hi wasalam.