The Path Of Spiritual Struggle By the Sultan of Saints Pir of All Pir Hazrat Maulana Shaikh Syed Shah Abdul Qadir Al Gilani The first stage in spiritual struggle is for one to not be satisfied with his self and to believe in the description of his self that his creator and originator informed him of when He said: { Indeed, the soul commands to evil. } Sura (12) Yusuf: 53 He must also know that of the things that sever him and cut him off from Allah, the biggest of them is his own ego (nafs) fn6, and at the same time, it is the greatest thing that shall cause him to arrive unto Him. When the ego commands its owner to evil, it takes no delight except in acts of opposition and disobedience, yet after spiritual struggle is waged against it and it is purified, it becomes pleased and well pleasing and is not delighted in anything save acts of obedience, agreement, and intimacy with Allah (swt). When the servant uncovers the defects of his self (nafs) and is truthful in his pursuit to remove them, he will have no time to busy himself with the faults of other people and waste his life enumerating their mistakes. Know that he who spends his time enumerating the mistakes of others and is heedless of his own faults is an idiotic ignoramus. Abu Madyan (rahimahu-Allah) said: Regard not any fault but that acknowledged within you As a manifest, clearly apparent fault, though it be hidden fn7 And others said: Condemn not a person for doing an action To which you are equally ascribed He who blames something while at the same time doing it himself Has only demonstrated his own ignorance For this reason, they said: “Do not see someone else’s faults as long as you have your own faults – and the servant will never be free of faults.” When the Muslim comes to realize this, he will hasten to wean his ego from its lower desires and deficient day-to-day habits, and he will oblige it to implement acts of obedience and deeds that draw close (to Allah). Spiritual struggle is a step by step process that changes course according to the progress of the aspirant in his journey. In the beginning of his affair, he is to remove all of the acts of disobedience that relate to his seven body parts. They are: 1.The tongue 2.The ears 3.The eyes 4.The hands 5.The feet 6.The stomach 7.The private parts fn8 Afterwards, he should adorn his seven body parts with acts of obedience appropriate to each of them. fn9 These seven body parts are the windows into the heart that shall either be smeared and sullied with the darkness and grime of disobedience, thereby making the heart sick, or they shall be made clear to allow the light and illumination of acts of worship enter it. After waging spiritual struggle against his seven body parts, the aspirant should then focus on the inward traits, replacing his lowly character traits such as: pride, ostentation, and anger, with complete character traits such as: humility, sincerity, and forbearance. Since the path of spiritual struggle is a rugged one with numerous side paths and it is very difficult for the spiritual wayfarer to enter it alone, it is of practical significance for him to accompany a completed spiritual guide who knows the defects of the soul and knows the path of spiritual struggle and treatment. By keeping the company of a spiritual guide, the spiritual aspirant gains practical experience in the ways of purifying his soul, just as he obtains the sacred spiritual effulgence of the Shaykh who pushes him to perfect his own self and personality; raising him above the defects and evil traits. The Messenger of Allah was the spiritual guide of the highest rank and the greatest purifier who trained his noble Companions and purified their souls through his statements and spiritual state – as Allah described him: { It is He who sent a Messenger unto the unlettered ones, reciting unto them His verses, furifying them, and teaching them the Book and the wisdom, whereas before they were in manifest error.} Sura (62) al-Jumu’a: 2 fn10 When the spiritual aspirant keeps close company with his guide and surrenders unto him just as the patient surrenders himself to the physician, he shall find uprightness and benefit. When Satan injects the heart of the aspirant with the delusional idea that he is independent, and he becomes conceited and feels that he does not need to associate with his Shaykh, he will fail utterly and be debarred from the path, whereas he thinks that he is still on his journey, and he will be cut off whereas he thinks that he is arriving. Shaykh Isma’îl al-Haqqî (rahimahu-Allah) said in his Qur’anic exegesis: Many in the intermediate part of this path (meaning the Sufis) are afflicted with numerous pitfalls in their spiritual wayfaring. These pitfalls present themselves when their souls become bored of the spiritual struggles and tired of the spiritual rigors. Satan comes to them and whispers to them and their lower selves, fooling them into thinking that in their spiritual wayfaring, they have reached such a level that they are no longer in need of keeping the company of a Shaykh or submitting their affairs to him. As a consequence, they leave the company of the Shaykh and begin their pursuit in accordance to their egos, falling into the trap of failure and becoming the laughing stock of Satan.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:08:10 +0000
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