Lisanu’l-Hal

“Allah is enough as a friend. The Qur’an is enough for intimacy. Death is enough as a preacher. Fear of Allah is enough as knowledge. Being heedless of Allah and having pride are enough as ignorance.”

Fudayl b. Iyadh (rahmatullahi alayh)

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The Doctor Has Seen Me

Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anh) fell ill one day. Those who came to visit said:

- Let's get you a doctor. 

- The doctor has seen me, he said.

- What did he say?” they asked.

“...Indeed, your Lord does  what He wills” he replied (Hud, 107).

Then he called Umar (radiyallahu anh) to his side, and gave him advice. Umar (radiyallahu anh) cried. 

Thereupon, Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anh) said:

– Death will surely occur. If you follow my advice, nothing will happen to you better than death. If you don't, there is nothing more hated for you than death. You are not strong enough to prevent death.

He also said to those present there:

– In any case, I recommend that you remember Allah Almighty, fear Him, glorify Him as He deserves, and beg Him for the forgiveness of your sins. Undoubtedly, Allah is very forgiving. May the peace of Allah be upon you.

Muhammed Emin Erbili, Tazhibu'l-Mawahibi's-Sarmadiyah

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You are not aware!

After the death of Abu Ali Daqqaq (quddisa sirruhu), one of the Sufis of Nishapur, someone saw him crying in his dream and asked:

– O ustad, what happened to you? Do you want to return to the world again?

He responded as follows:

– Yes, I want to return to earth, but not to wander around. What I want is this: After I am well dressed, I will take my staff and walk from door to door, knock on the doors and say: “Please, heed my warning! You are not aware of who you are being deprived of.”

Feridüddin Attar, Tazkiratu'l- Awliya

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The Knowledge of Marifatullah

When Umar (radiyallahu anh) passed away, Ibn Masud (radiyallahu anh) said:

– Nine-tenths of knowledge has died.

Upon this;

They said, “Why do you say that when the elders of the Companions are still alive?”

He said:

– I meant the ability to know Allah, marifatullah, not the sciences of judgment and fatwa.

Imam Ghazali, Ihyau Ulumi'd-Din

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The Real Scholar

Bayezid-i Bistami, one of the first Sufis, known as Sultanu'l-Arifin, said:

“In reality, someone who memorizes the information in a book is not a scholar because when he forgets what he memorized, he remains ignorant. A true scholar receives his knowledge from Allah Almighty whenever he wishes, without memorizing and taking lessons. He is given ‘ilm al-ladun.’ A person who reaches this level is called a Rabbani scholar.”

Abdulmajid Hani, al-Hadaiqu'l-Wardiyyah

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“A person can find comfort in all aspects only after gaining Allah's friendship and love.”

Sayyid Abdülhakim Hüseyni (quddisa sirruhu)

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The Disciple's Meal

Mawlana Khalid al-Bagdadi (quddisa sirruhu), one of the murshids of the Naqshbandi-Khalidi path, said the following:

“Murid (disciple) does not waste a bite or a sip when he eats and drinks. That is, he does not eat food with greed, gluttony, or a heart that is heedless of Allah. Because a bite eaten with heedlessness causes more heedlessness, and a bite eaten by remembering Allah causes more togetherness with Him.”

Mawlana Khalid al-Bagdadi, Risala-i Khalidiyya

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From Whom Is the Kismet?

Imam Sha'rani, one of the great scholars and Sufis of Egypt, says the following:

“A murid cannot meet a kamil murshid (a true guide in tasawwuf and tariqah) unless he is an eminent person in the sight of Allah Almighty. If he had not been a distinguished person in the sight of Allah, He would not have brought him together with that perfect person who would bring him to His presence. O murid! Surrender to your murshid so that you can be safe and get a lot of spiritual benefits.”

Sha'rani, al-Anwaru'l-Qudsiyya

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Reasons for Deprivation

Imam Qushayri, one of the great scholars and Sufis, stated that a murid who wants to achieve progress spiritually must first be loyal and honest; he said that this is a must for the education he receives to be on solid ground. He then explained:

“The great awliya of this path said:

– Those who take this path have been deprived of reaching the rida of Allah Almighty because they have lost the methods that are the basis of the path.

I heard my Master Abu Ali Daqqaq (quddisa sirruhu) say:

– The first things that a disciple needs to step on this path are:

• To correct the creed between himself and Allah Almighty; to have a true and sound iman

• To have a pure heart, free from hollow assumptions and doubts

• Staying away from deviant thoughts, beliefs, and bid'ahs (bad innovations)

• Acting on knowledge based on solid evidence.”

Qushayri, Risala

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Meal Prepared in Rage

The leader of the Naqshbandiyya tariqah, Shah-i Naqshband (quddisa sirruhu) went to a place called Gadyut. A darvish offered him food. Shah-i Naqshband said the following to the darvish:

  – It would not be right for me to eat this food, for it was kneaded with anger and baked with the fire of wrath. If a person uses his spoon with heedlessness, anger, and an upset heart while preparing a meal, there will be no good or blessings in that meal. The devil and the nafs find a way in with such a meal. Besides, what barakah can come from a meal prepared under such conditions? The essence of good and auspicious deeds comes from the halal bite that is eaten with peace. If you want to achieve spiritual peace at all times and especially during prayer, you must make sure that what you earn is halal.

Haja Ahmad bin Ibrahim Siddiqi, Shah-i Naqshband

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