My
Notes and Reflections on Sehre Ramazan Lectures by Br. Khaleel Jaffer.
Surah : Al Baqarah 2 – Ayah 165.
‘ and of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides
Allah ….’
They love them – idols, wealth, self, false believes etc as they
ought to have loved Allah.
The only natural obsession or yearning is for Allah.
Yearning for Allah in Arabic translates to ‘ shauk illAllah’
Now there is a subtle difference between ‘ shauk’ and ‘uns’ both
are yearning, but with a difference.
One who has ‘shauk’ is referred as ‘ Mushtaq’ his yearning is for
Allah who appears to be far and he yearns His nearness.
One who has ‘uns’ feels Allah to be very close to him,
‘Al unsbillah’ and such a person is referred to as ‘ Anees’
In ‘shauk’ the yearning for Allah is externalised whereas in ‘uns’
it is internalised yearning.
A gnostic (A’rif) is one whose body or person is with people but
his heart is with Allah. He has no need of people, no need of this world and
it’s entanglements, he is solely focused on achieving Nearness and Pleasure of
Allah. His security is only in the Love of Allah, and he prays with his whole
being.
When he is in ‘ruku’ he is fully focused and present in the ‘ruku’
and does not think of ‘sujood’ he prays with intensity and purpose. All his
acts are performed out if Love for Allah.
Moulana Abuzar ul Gifari’s night prayers were so intense that at
times, he used to be in ‘ruku’ for greater part of the night. When someone
pointed out to him about his prolonged ‘ruku’ he said how I wish the night
would have been longer. The night vigils of our beloved Nabi (S.A) are well
known, and Allah in his Rehmat addressed him lovingly as Ta Ha ‘ ma anzalna
alaiqa … ‘ we have not send down the Quran unto you ( O Muhammad) to cause you
distress.(Surah 20 Ayat 2)
Dawood Nabi used to make a living by selling palm baskets and
seeking in return barley bread. Isa Nabi used to sleep on a stone pillow.
Nabiullahs and Awaliya Kirams through out the ages have lived a spartan life.
Moulana Ali (S.A.) in one of his sermons says that the Love of Allah is like a
fire, when it kindles in the heart of a believer, it burns everything, and what
remains is only the Love of Allah.
In Nahjul Balagha Sermon 160 Moulana Ali (S.A.) says if you wish,
I will give you example of Musa Nabi.
He calls out – ‘ My Lord – I am a beggar in need of what you will give me’
Musa Nabi who is the leader of his men, who has vanquished the
might of Pharaoh, has achieved all that his heart has desired, what it is that
he still wants ?
Allah knows what Musa Nabi is thirsting for. After self
mortification for 40 days in the wilderness, when Musa Nabi finally arrives,
Allah in jest asks.
Sura Ta Ha (20: 83) Why have you come running to me O Musa ?
Sura Ta Ha (20: 84) I have come running to you my Lord that You
may be pleased.
This than is the true yearning. Nothing in the world matters,
except Love of Allah.
At this stage an important point has to be considered. Islam does
not favour or encourage one to become a hermit or a monk, to forsake the world,
but the sirat of Nabiullahs and Awliya Kirams in many instances show that they
enjoined upon themselves spartan lifestyle, although some were rulers of the
world and leaders of their followers.
This paradox begs an answer and had to be reconciled.
Some of the symptoms a true A’rif experiences, when the yearning
for the Love of Allah takes hold of him, as that he looses sleep, appetite, and
although he lives amongst people he detaches himself.
The above symptoms are similar and experienced by one who falls in
love with the opposite sex. But the yearning for Allah, when it takes hold of
someone, is more intense, everlasting and the joys and experiences are beyond
words.
Here it has to be remembered that any act of yearning performed
after rationalising and deducing is not right. Outward appearances of wearing
coarse clothing, simple diet etc: will not hold water, it is not true yearning.
Any act of yearning performed out of pure Love by the nudging of the
heart is commendable. If one who is in true Love of Allah and as a consequence
looses sleep, lives a spartan and secluded life, such a one is not to be
blamed, because his only concern is the Love and Nearness of Allah, and for him
nothing else matters.
In his case as if, ‘Taqbir’ ( the one that we recite in Janaza
namaz) has been said for him and all his worldly desires.
An
A’rif who truely yearns for Allah, receives strength and ease from Him to carry
out also his worldly duties – which is also essential in Islam , an intregal
part of Iba’dat.
How is one to distinguish true love for Allah. A terrorist straps
himself with a bomb, enters a masjid, blows himself up, shouting ‘Allaho Akbar
‘ thereby destroying precious Muslim lives. He is not yearning for Allah but
falling prey to the wiles of Shaitan and his wishperring and false promises of
‘huruleens’. His lust for Heteafter is his undoing and destruction of innocent
lives.
In the riwayat of Musa Nabi when he nears the glowing bush, a
Voice calls out to him ‘ fakhla nalaiyek’ remove your sandals, the esoteric
meaning – when you approach the Blessed Ground, remove all attachments of both
this world, and seeking of reward in A’kherat, and immerse your being in
yearning for Allah. Come to Me pure and clean, free of attachments. If the
condition is so, Allah says if you take one step forward, I will take ten steps
towards you.
An A’rif is doubly blessed and more honoured if he lives amongsts
his community, and by setting a good example tries to win over others to his
way of living and thinking.
Crying is an expression of love, and one who yearns for Allah does
constant zikr and tasbih.
Love speaks the language of its own and it cannot be understood by
rationalising. The outward actions of an A’rif at times seem far fetched and
perplexing, but these actions cannot be understood by applying the mind. It is
out and out a ‘heart thing’.
The origin and source of any true realisation is through the heart
and not through the mind. The mind is an effective and useful tool, that allows
us to analyse, deduce and draw conclusion. It has an important place in our
DEEN but it also has its limitation, in the context of God Realisation. The
heart is the source of love and compassion.
There are many Ayats in Quran where understanding and Aql are
associated with the heart.
Surah Al A’raf 7 : 179 ‘ lahum kulubun la yafkohuna beha….
They have hearts wherewith they understand not.
Surah Haj 22: 46. lahum kulubun ya keluna (Aql) beha….
have they hearts wherewith to understand.
Al qalb haramullah – Heart is the sanctuary of Allah. Heart is the
vehicle that will take you on the path of yearning and God Realisation.
The prerequisite for attaining such lofty status is that all
materialism should be removed and softening of the heart
The
philosophical meaning of materialism is that physical matter is the only
reality, as it can scientifically be verified.
However, in the context of our discussion on the art of yearning
for God, we are concerned with those who do not deny the Hereafter but at the
same time are preoccupied more with materialistic needs rather than spiritual,
emotional and intellectual needs.
Enjoying materialism is fine, if regarded as a blessing from
Allah, and through which Remembrance and Shukr find expression, but being
enslaved to materialism is a big obstacle in the path.
Who is your Provider, and what is the source of your happiness and
comfort, are questions that need to be addressed.
When one chooses the path of Allah it has to be remembered that it
is not a bed of roses, but one has to strive hard, be fully focused to attain
His Pleasure.
The following are the three signs that one observed in an A’rif.
1. He turns away from this world. He lives amongst the people but
unlike them.
2. He is preoccupied with the Zikr of Allah and the Hereafter.
3. He prepares for death, before death arrives.
Softening of the heart is a prerequisite, without which it is not
possible to truely yearn for Allah.
Quran states in clear writing the way to attain Spirituality and
Nearness and also warns that it is not easy.
Surah al – Baqarah 2:45 ‘ vastainu bis- sabre vas sal’ate…
and seek help in patience and As Sala’t and truely it is extremely heavy and
hard except for Al – Khashi’un.
Khashi’un are those who have a soft heart and are very humble,
easily given to tears. Let us understand what causes hard hearted ness in the
spiritual sense. If we come to understand the reasons, behind it, we can try to
remove the impediments.
1. Persistence in sins and not repenting.
2. Too much of indulgence in worldly pleasure, particularly lust and excessive
obsession.
3. Lack of remembrance of death – which is inevitable.
4. ‘tarkul Ibada’t’ intentionally keeping away from prayers for long period of
time.
5. Greed and amassing of wealth.
Doa – supplication and in particular Munajaat – wishperring during
Layl is considered to be the best method of softening the heart. Quran States :
‘Call out to your Lord humbly and secretly’. Ahlul bait (A.S.) and Awliya
Kirams thru the ages have shown mumineen how Doa and Munajaat are the best and
unparreled in the softening of the heart, inculcating ‘tavajo and khusu’ in
oneself to attain Nearness of Allah.
The learned in this art of supplication with the help of years of
study and analysis, have found five distinct steps, by which Doa – Supplication
can be made. Tilawat of Supplications of Ahlul Bait ( A.S. ) Moulana Ali,
Moulana Zainul Abedeen in particular are matchless in their intensity and pure
ness. However, one can also supplicate in his own language, express his
yearnings and try to attain Nearness. Do try it out.
Step 1. Praising and Glorifying Allah.
Step 2. Acknowledging our sins, and seeking true repentance.
It takes a lot of courage and humility to recall the sins and seek repentance.
Step 3. Accepting utter helplessness, without His Mercy I am doomed. You My
Lord is ‘Sattar ul uyoob’ I am burdend by my sins, but your Mercy is far
greater.
Step 4. Full faith in Him, no matter what. This is very interesting step, where
a mumin does not ‘let go’ I will not cease to love You.
In order to comprehend fully, I quote a passage from Doa e Kumail.
This Doa has all the five steps, however, I quote only a small passage to
highlight Step 4.
فَبِعِزَّتِكَ ياسَيِّدِي وَمَوْلايَ اُقْسِمُ صادِقاً ، لَئِنْ
تَرَكْتَنِي ناطِقاً لاَضِجَّنَّ إِلَيْكَ بَيْنَ أَهْلِها ضَجِيجَ الامِلِينَ
وَلاَصْرُخَنَّ إِلَيْكَ صُراخَ المُسْتَصْرِخِينَ
O’ my Lord! By Thy honour truly do I swear that, if Thou wilt allow my power of
speech to be retained by me in the hell, I shall amongst its inmates cry out
bewailingly unto Thee like the cry of those who have faith in Thy kindness and
compassion.
Step 5 Adressing Allah with conviction now that you find tears
flowing down freely, that your prayers have been answered, no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’
but being fully convinced that you have been heard, and this leads you to do
Hamd and Shukr.
In
the previous post we have seen that following the Guidance and reflecting and
doing Tilawat of Doa Mubaraks of Awliya Kiram sahebs, we adna mumin can also
learn to yearn, express our desires and wishes, offer Hamd and Shukr for the
blessings received and supplicate to Allah in our own way, which is sure to
please our Lord, for Allah accepts that which comes out direct from an adoring
and loving heart.
There is a riwayat of Musa Nabi one day coming across an
unlettered person, who was calling out loud to his Lord and expressing his
longing in a crude language but with deepest of love. Musa Nabi chides this
person, saying this is not the way to call out to the Almighty.
Allah calls out to his ‘ kalimullah’ saying do not chide the
unlettered ‘abd’ of mine, for his supplication pleases Me greatly.
Supplication is a habit that has to be lovingly and diligently be
nurtured. One has to find a private space, and an opportune time, preferably in
the night to commune with His Lord. Detachment with people and materialism is a
sign that one is now prepared.
Excessive eating is a big deterrent in the path of yearning. One
should learn to eat in moderation, out of necessity of overcoming hunger,
rather than eating out of greed.
A true A’rif’ will simplify his life, long for the company of
awakened souls, will avoid useless talk and banter, and will prolong his
‘sajda’ and will always thirst for Zikr of Allah.
Allah loves the person who does Zikr and for doing Zikr, one does
not need wealth, status, knowledge etc: A freeman and a bondsman, a prisoner,
in fact everyone, if their desire so, can do the Zikr of Allah, and it is in
this that we realise that Allah has given each one of us the opportunity to
become ‘farishta shifat’.
Alhamdolillah.
I end by expressing my gratitude to Br. Khalil Jaffer, whose
erudite lectures, have made me reflect and take notes, and hope I have done
justice, at the same time admitting my limitations.
.JPG)
