Part 9

Indeed We have given you a manifest victory. That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past and future, complete His Favour upon you, and guide you on a Straight Path.

[Sarah Fath (48): 1-2]

And He said with respect to Misa and Hariin,

Oye = if, Seat IES ind “i and We gave them the clear Scripture, and guided them to the Right Path. [Surah as-Saffat (37): 117-118]

The Muslims have differed as to what Allah Willed from the

textual matters - matters of knowledge, belief and action while all of them are agreed that Muhammad is the truth and the Qur’an is the truth. If all of them were to have attained guidance to the Straight Path in totality then they would never have differed. Furthermore the majority of those who know what Allah has ordered disobey Him and do not follow His Way. If they were guided to the Straight Path in these matters then they certainly would have performed what they had been commanded to do, and left what they had been forbidden from. As for those whom Allah guided from amongst this nation until they became from the God-Fearing Friends of Allah, then the greatest reason for this was their supplicating to Allah with this supplication,

Ope hai bi Guide us to the Straight Path. [Sérab al-Fatihah (1): 6]

in every prayer along with the knowledge of theit continuous need of Allah that He guide them on the Straight Path. So due to their continually saying this supplication and their acknowledging their continuous need of Him they became God-Fearing Friends of Allah.

Sahl bin ‘Abdullah at-Tustori said,

There is not route between a servant and Allah closer to Him then need.

The one who has attained guidance in the past is in need of guidance in the future, this is the real meaning behind the saying of those who say that it means: ‘establish us and guide us to being firm upon the Straight Path.’ The opinion of those who say that it means: ‘increase us in guidance’ includes what has

‘(1.9 The Need for Beneficial Knowledge

preceded. But all that has been stated refers to His guidance to the Straight Path that is to be granted in the future, for indeed action in the future is upon knowledge that is not yet attained. And the person is not considered to be one who is guided until he acts according to his knowledge in the future, but it is possible that this knowledge not be there in the future, rather it could be removed from the heart, and if it still be there it is also possible that it not be acted upon. Therefore all of mankind is in dire need of this supplication, this is why Allah made it obligatoty upon them in every prayer and they are not in need of any other supplication as they are of this one. When guidance is obtained to the Straight Path then help, provision and all of the happiness that the soul seeks are obtained [from Allah]. Allah knows best.

[1.10 The Reality of the Life of the Heart]

Know that the life of the heart and other than it is not merely one of sensation, movement and intent, or merely one of knowledge and ability as assumed and intent, or merely one of know!- edge and ability as assumed by a group of investigators into the Knowledge of Allah and His power such as Abi al-Husain alBasri. They said:

He can only be considered to have Life as long as He Knows and is Able.

This is not the case, rather life is an attribute existing independently in the described, and it is a condition for the existence of knowledge, intent and the ability to perform actions out of choice. Life is also a necessary outcome of these - so every living thing has understanding, intention, and everything that has knowledge, intent and performs actions and performs actions out of choice is alive.

The noun ‘modesty’ is derived from ‘life’, so the heart that is alive - it’s owner is also alive - and it contains modesty which prevents it from performing evil and despicable actions, because in the modesty of the heart lies its immunity from these types of actions. This is why the Prophet (3g) said,

Modesty is from faith.'? and he said,

Modesty and bashfulness are two branches from amongst the branches of faith, and obscenity and

2 Sabib al-Bukhari (Eng, Trans. 8/89 no. 139], Sabih Muslims (Eng, Trans. 1/27 no. 57].

[1.10 The Reality of the Life of the Heart]

boasting are two branches from the branches of hypocrisy.

This is why the living being is clearly affected by despicable actions and he has an intent that prevents him from performing them in contravention to the one who is shameless because he is not alive and therefore has no modesty and therefore no faith that would restrain him from evil. So if the heart is alive and the person dies in its separation from the body, then the death of the soul lies in its separation from the body not in the fact that it, in and of itself, has died - with the meaning of life leaving it. This is why Allah the Exalted said,

we certs a ce eed oth Aran, GE Aa ca Lee

Do not say those who are slain in the Way of Allah: ‘they are dead’, rather they are alive... [seerah al-Bagarah (2) : 154]

ws be & Sos cvs) 3 EO eae {ae eee S Zz GG, epi cc AEA Think not of those who are slain in the Way of

Allah as dead. Nay they are alive... [seerah Al Tran (3) : 169]

Despite the fact that they have died are included in His sayings,

" Reported by Al-Tirmidhi and al-Baghawi in Sharh as-Sunnab [12/366], declared sabih by al-Hakim and hasan by al-Traqi.

Every soul shall taste of death... [seerah Al ‘Imran (3) : 185)

LAS Saye AON

Indeed you will die and they will die... [Sarah ax-Zumar (39) : 30]

ealasstis BIOL ep yg Fh od cA St ea’ OD 2 EIZSYi pS ie? He is the One Who gave you life, then will cause

you to die, then give you life. [Sarah al-Hajj (22) : 66}

Therefore the death that is affirmed is not the same as the negated death.

The affirmed death is the separation of the soul from the body, and the negated death is the leaving of life in totality from the body and soul. This is similar to the fact that sleep is the brother of death. Allah said,

ae ene (ans te carrera

It is Allah Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed.

[Sarah ax-Zumar (39) :42}

[1.10 The Reality of the Life of the Heart]

The Prophet (2) used to say when he awoke from sleep,

All praise is due to Allah Who gives us life after He had caused us to die and unto Him is the resurrec-

tion. 4

In another hadith,

A955 695 GE 855 gece B BOG gill d Lesin Ge Si,

All praise is due to Allah Who restored to me health

and returned my soul and has allowed me to re-

member Him.'*

When he lay down to sleep he said,

O Allah, verily You have created my soul, and You shall take its life, to You belongs its death and life. If You should keep my soul alive then protect it,

and if You should take its life then forgive it. O Allah I ask You to grant me good health. '°

™ Sahib al-Bukhari (Eng, Trans. 8/217], Sahih Muslim [Eng, Trans. 4/1422 no. 6549), Sunan Abs Dawud [Eng. Trans, 3/1402 no. 5031].

'’ Reported by Al-Tirmidhi [no.3401]. Ltis sabih , refer to Muhadbdbab ‘Amal alYawm wa Layla of Shaykh ‘Ali Hasan [pg 33] [Translator’s Note].

"6 Sahib Muslim [Eng, Trans. 4/1422 no, 6550] from the hadith of Ibn Umar.

Envy is a Sickness of the Heart

Some people said while explaining its meaning:

‘Envy (hasad) is a grievance that befalls one due to knowledge of the good condition of the wealthy.’

So in accordance with this it is not possible that the person upon whom the blessings have been bestowed be jealous of these blessings because this person has them and is accustomed to them.

A group of people said:

‘It is a desite to have the blessings removed from the one who is envied even if the one who is jealous does not attain the likes of these blessings.’

This is different from ghubja' (also meaning envy) because it

' Ghubta: envy, referring to the permissible form of envy where the envier wishes to have the same blessings as the envied but without desiring to see them removed from the envied. This is opposed to hasad, the blameworthy form of envy where the enviet wishes to see the blessings removed from the envied.

refers to a desire to possess the blessings bestowed upon the one who is envied but without the desire to see them removed from him.

[2.1 The Types of Hasad]

Strictly speaking, envy (Aasad) is hatred and disliking the good condition of the envied one. This of two types:

1) Unrestricted dislike of the blessings bestowed upon the envied. This is the type of jealousy which incurs blame, so when one hates something he is then hurt and grieved by the existence of what he hates, and this becomes a sickness in his heart such that he takes pleasure in removal of the blessings from the envied even if this does not result in any benefit to him except for the single benefit of having the pain that was in his soul removed. But this pain is not removed except as a result of his continuously watching the envied so that the jealous person finds telief when the blessing is removed, but then it becomes mote severe as is the case of the one who is sick, for it is possible that this blessing, or one similar to it, returns to the envied. This is why this second group said:

‘It is a desire to have the blessings removed,’

for indeed the one who dislikes the blessings bestowed upon other than him desires to see them removed.

2) That he dislikes the superiority of that person over him, and he desires to be like him or better, so this is jealousy and has been called ghubfa, and the Prophet (4) called it hasad in the hadith reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim from the hadith of Ibn Mas‘id and Ibn ‘Umar, (radiyAllahu ‘anhum), that he (38) said: