10 Eylül 2009 Perşembe
THE FORTY-SECOND DISCOURSE On the two conditions of the self
The spirit of man can be in two conditions and there is no third
one: the state of happiness and the state of trouble. When it is in
trouble, there is anxiety and complaint and displeasure and criticism and
finding fault with God, the Mighty, the Exalted, lacking in patience and
cheerful submission and reconcilement; on the contrary, there is the
displaying of bad manners, the sin of associating the creation and worldly
means with the Creator, and finally unbelief. When it is in comfort, it is a
victim of greed and insolence and predominance of low desires and
enjoyments. Whenever it gratifies a desire it wants another and belittles
what it already possesses of blessing; then it finds fault and defect in these
blessings and asks for one better than these and brighter as well, out of
what is not in its lot, and turns away from what is allotted to it and thus
involves the man in a long series of troubles; and it does not feel
contented with what is in its hands and what is allotted to it and lands into
distress and in places of destruction in the midst of a long series of trouble
which has no end either in this world or in the hereafter, as it has been said:
"Verily the most distressing of punishment is seeking what is
not allotted."
Thus when he is in trouble it does not desire anything except its
removal, and forgets all pleasures and desires and delightful things and
does not ask anything of these. Then when he is blessed with an easy and
comfortable life, he returns to arrogance and greed and disobedience and
recalcitrant turning away from obedience to his Lord and plunges in his
sinful occupation. He forgets the misfortune in which he had lately been
and the calamity to which he had been a victim.
So he is hurried back to a state worse than that in which he was
with various kinds of calamities and troubles as a punishment for what
he had perpetrated and committed and for major sins, in order to keep
him away from these and restrain him from sinful acts in future, after it
was found that ease and comfort would not reform him but that his
safety lay in calamities and difficulties.
If he had observed good manners when the calamity was removed
from him and had held fast to obedience and thankfulness and cheerful
acceptance of his lot, it would have been better for him in this world
and the hereafter. Then he would have obtained an increase in the
comforts of life and the pleasure of God and a happy life and
resourcefulness and pleasure.
So whoever desires safety in this world's life and in the hereafter he
should cultivate patience and cheerful submission and avoid
complaining against people and obtain all his necessities from his Lord,
the Mighty, the Glorious, and make it an obligation to obey Him, and
should wait for ease and be exclusively devoted to Him, the Mighty, the
Glorious. He, in any case, is better than those besides Him in the whole
of His creation.
More often than not, the deprivation caused by Him is a gift, His
punishment a blessing, His calamity a remedy, His promise a cash, His
credit is an existing state, His word is a deed. Undoubtedly, His word and
His commandment, when He intends to do anything, is only saying to it
"Be," and it comes into being. So all His actions are good and based on
wisdom and expedience, except that He keeps the knowledge of
His expedience hidden from His servants and He is alone in this. So it is
better and proper for the servants to be in a state of cheerful submission and
resignation and to be engaged in service to Him by carrying out His orders
and observing His prohibitions and being resigned to His allottment and
by discarding such occupations as pertain to the nourishment of the
creation — because this privilege is the source of all allottments and the
point of their coming into force and their basis; and to be silent on why,
how, and when (of happenings) and to refrain from ascribing a fault to
God in all His actions and inactions. This statement derives its validity
from a hadith narrated by Abdullah Ibn Abbas who is quoted by Ata Ibn
Abbas. Ibn Abbas is reported to have said:
"I was riding behind the Prophet of God (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) when he said to me, My boy, guard the
obligations to God, God will look after you; guard the obligations
to God, you will find Him in front of you."
So when you ask from God, and when you seek assistance,
seek it from Him. The pen is dried after writing down all that is to happen
and if the servants of God strive to benefit you with anything which God
has not decreed for you, they will not be able to do it and if all the servants
of God strive to harm you with anything which God has not decreed for
you, they will not be able to do so. So if you can act on the
commandments of God with sincerity of faith, do it; and if you are unable
to do so then surely it is better to be patient on what you dislike but there
is much good in that. Know that the help of God comes through patience,
and comfortable circumstances, with distress, and that difficulty is
accompanied by ease. So it behoves every believer that hq should make
this hadith a mirror for his heart and its internal and external garment and
its motto, and should act on it in all his actions and moments of pause so
that he may remain safe in this world and the hereafter and may receive
honour in both of them by the mercy of God, the Exalted.