Servitude and Liberty

The fundamental problem of mankind, unfortunately, is his tendency to obey his nafs and assume he has attained freedom. This is akin to a child who strays from his family and wanders off aimlessly. At first, the child wanders off without a care in the world, and does what he pleases but, before too long, he realizes he is lost and begins to weep as he scurries back and forth. Whether lost in a secluded forest or in the middle of a crowded city, his heart is plagued with fear.

A child not yet aware of what is right and wrong will inevitably realize he is lost but a seemingly mature adult may not fully recognize the perils to which he is headed or the disconnection from his roots that letting himself fall into the deceptively comforting arms of obliviousness subjects him to. He will succumb to his nafs and ultimately sacrifice his reasoning to itas well. For the wisest course of action the human intellect can envision is to submit one’s will to the Creator, from Whom there is no escape and to Whom all will eventually return.

Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran:

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Adh-Dhariyat, 56)

Our Holy Book, which explains the duties to which we are bound in this life with this statement, goes on to explain what we will face in the hereafter:

"And when your Lord appears with rows upon rows of angels, and Jahannam (Hell), on that day, will be brought forward, it will be the day when man will realize the truth, but from where will he take advantage of such realization. He will say, “O Would that I had sent ahead (some good deeds) for (this) my life!

So no one can punish like He will punish that day, nor can anyone shackle like He will shackle.

 (As for an obedient man, it will be said to him:)

“O content soul! Come back to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing. So, enter among My (special) servants, and enter My Paradise.” (Fajr, 22-30)

Servitude requires one to recognize to Whom he belongs, submit his will to Him and avoid disobeying His commandments. A servant recognizing his Lord means professing his undiminished faith to Him. He must observe the requirements of servitude as much as his resolve allows but, nevertheless, surrender himself to his Lord unconditionally and unreservedly.

The first stage of submission is iman. Iman, by definition, is the total acceptance of and affirmation of something. When man attains iman he finds the true meaning of why he was created; he recognizes and acknowledges his Creator. Iman also means safety and security. Therefore, those who have iman will have chosen safety over fear, inner peace over sadness.

After iman, the next stage in the transformation of man into a servant of Allah is Islam. Islam means to submit, to surrender, to obey. That is to say, a Muslim is he who has submitted his will to Allah Almighty, follows in the path of His Prophet, fully accepts the faith that was revealed to him with total sincerity in his heart, and has acknowledged it as such verbally.

As the messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said in a hadith: “Surrender and find peace” (Bukhari) This submission, however, should be through deep and heartfelt sincerity.

Nineteenth-century Islamic scholar and Sufi, Shaykh Abdurrahman-i Takhi (quddisa sirruhu) declared, “The most difficult of all is to express the sincerity on which your salvation depends. The mere verbal expression, ‘I have submitted’ is not enough for the righteous devotee. Words and essence should be as one.” (Isharat)

In addition to submitting to Allah, one must also conform to other wasilahs (intermediaries) to stay on the course of the righteous. Allah commands in the Quran:

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” (An-Nisa, 59)

Having faith in the Messenger of Allah is an absolute requisite because faith in Allah requires one to have faith in His Messenger as well. Servitude is through the rightful guidance of the Messenger of Allah for he is sent as an emissary and as an example for all mankind.

In the ayah above, Allah commands us to obey those who are charged with authority among us, essentially to provide justice and security for people in this world. In his well-known hadith, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) explains the role of those who rule and those who are being ruled as: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.”

To walk a clear path illuminated with the light of righteous guidance, we must submit ourselves, as advised by the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in his hadith, “Surrender and find peace” to the path outlined by murshids who are strong in istiqamah, conviction, and faith. Shaykh Abdurrahman-i Takhi (quddisa sirruhu) reminds us: “If a person could show true obedience to his murshid, he would truly be free of all tribulations and attain inner peace.”

Renowned 16th-century Islamic scholar, Hanafi jurist, and Naqshbandi shaykh Imam Rabbani (quddisa sirruhu) says the following:

“Someone who has found a murshid should submit himself to him just as a deceased submits himself to the ghassal (washer who washes dead bodies before burial). Firstly, he must purge himself of his ego and be one with his murshid. This, in turn, will lead him to the station of fanafillah, allowing him to succeed in submitting to the will of Allah and His commands with all of one’s being.”

Unity and peace in this world can only be achieved through submission. If everybody acts selfishly and insists on having things their way, there will be unmitigable discord even amongst siblings. And in such a conflictual setting, there can be no peace, no harmony. 

Those who submit themselves to Allah the Almighty both in body and spirit will be free from all servitude, other than to Him, and will truly be free. Those who have surrendered to their desires will, however, be a slave to themselves, no matter how free they may feel for a brief span of time. In other words, they will be a slave to their desires, a servant to their gluttony, and a sentry to their materialistic wants. This is not a life of distinction and freedom but one of contempt, a life of slavery. The only true liberty is in that which is eternal, in attaining freedom in the divine presence of Allah and ultimately freeing oneself from one’s own existence and that of all fleeting, tenuous worldly attractions.

Let us conclude with an anecdote. One day Abu Hazim (quddisa sirruhu) was asked:

“What is your worldly wealth?”

“There are two things. One is to be content with whatever Allah has ordained for me and to have complete faith in Him. And the other is to remain unbeholden to people,” he answered.

Hearing this answer, the ones asking the question said in a mocking tone:

“But you are poor and destitute.”

To this remark, Abu Hazim (quddisa sirruhu) gave a reply of staggering wisdom:

“How can I be poor and destitute when all that is between the heavens and the earth are the domain of Allah the Exalted and I am His rightful servant!”

With His tawfiq and inayah.

Sheikh Sayyid M. Mübarek Elhüseyni