The Divine Countenance

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is a transcript of a discourse delivered by Mawlana Wafi’ Muhammad. 

Allah (s.w.t.) Says, in Ayat al-Kursi; 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

... وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ‌ۖ ... (٢٥٥) 

His Throne does Extend over the Heavens and the Earth … (Surah al-Baqarah:255) 

If Allah’s (s.w.t.) Throne is outside our realm of understanding, it also means that His Divine Personality is incomprehensible.  We cannot really figure out or conceive how Vast Allah (s.w.t.) is.  Our mission in life is to try and realise we are always in front of our Lord, and He is Facing us.  He is Knowledgeable of our thoughts and actions.  Take for example, He Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقُ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبُ‌ۚ فَأَيۡنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجۡهُ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَٲسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ۬ (١١٥) 

To Allah Belongs the east and the west; whithersoever you turn, there is Allah’s Countenance.  For Allah is All-Embracing All-Knowing. (Surah al-Baqarah:115) 

Allah (s.w.t.), at all time, has His Attention on us, therefore we should be conscious that we are in His Divine Presence.  What we want in life is to realise that we are standing and facing our Lord and He is Facing us; and He is Pleased with us as well.  We need to strive to be conscious of this.  To this effect, Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ الکهف

وَٱصۡبِرۡ نَفۡسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّہُم بِٱلۡغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلۡعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجۡهَهُ ۥ‌ۖ ... (٢٨) 

And keep your soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face ... (Surah al-Kahf:28) 

The mission is life is not to get as much of the world as you can.  The true success in life is to get the Attention of our Lord.  Everything is in His Knowledge; He Sees everything; He is Assisting, Sustaining.  But He also Says if we remember Him, He Remembers us.  We can assume that it also means if we do not remember Him, He will be distanced from us.  He Allows out of His mercy, those who are disobedient, to go on just as He Granted Satan respite.  However, the wise will try to get His Attention by aspiring to know that they are always in the Presence of their Lord.  We want Allah (s.w.t.) to Look at us, to be Pleased with us and to Love us.  If we are ungrateful and disobedient, do we think He would want to Look at us? 

At this point, one may ask, “Why do we need to attach ourselves to the Divine Countenance of our Lord?”  Everything is Exists in His Divine Knowledge.  But why get close to His Countenance?  He Gives us the Answer: 

سُوۡرَةُ القَصَص

...‌ كُلُّ شَىۡءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجۡهَهُ ۥ‌ۚ ... (٨٨) 

… Everything (that exists) will perish except His Own Face ... (Surah al-Qaswasw:88) 

If everything in the skies and earth will be destroyed except His Own Face, do we think if we are attached to Him, we will be destroyed?   We want to be Saved and live on, therefore try to get close to the Divine Countenance of our Lord.  And how do we achieve this?  Allah (s.w.t.) Gives us the Answer: 

سُوۡرَةُ الرُّوم

فَـَٔاتِ ذَا ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ حَقَّهُ ۥ وَٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ خَيۡرٌ۬ لِّلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجۡهَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ (٣٨) 

So give what is due to kindred, the needy, and the wayfarer. that is best for those who seek the Countenance of Allah, and it is they who will prosper. (Surah ar-Rum:38) 

If you want to be in the Presence of the Divine and have Him Look at us and consequently Take Care of us; one way is to be generous to what Allah (s.w.t.) has Given us.  The true believer will give in the way of Allah (s.w.t.); without thanks or fame.  They give for the Pleasure of Allah (s.w.t.) with the intention that Allah (s.w.t.) would be Pleased with them as they carry on in His Presence.  And in so doing, their personalities would get brighter and brighter.  This is not achieved overnight.  We have to work hard for it.  And we have to also preserve with patience because one mistake can be like a black cloud that comes and blocks out the light of the sun.  We do not want to soil the brightness we are striving to attain; thus, we must constantly preserve with patience.  And rest assured that Satan would try to divert us from our mission. 

We aspire to get close to the Divine Countenance of our Lord.  We are taught the way of getting close because when we stand for swalah, the first thing we say is “For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him Who Created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah.”  We are not supposed to give attention to anything else but Allah (s.w.t.) at that moment.  And we speak to Him and glorify Him and beg of Him.  That is the realisation which we aspire night and day to experience.  Some may experience it in this world, like Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) did on the night of the Mi’raj.  He ascended in the Divine Presence of the Lord.  And Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is reported to have said, “Swalah is the mi’raj of the believer.”  Our mission in life is to aspire with our health, our wealth, our knowledge, with our everything to try to get close to our Lord and to feel ourselves in His Divine Presence.  He Looks upon us with Love and Compassion.  If this is achieved, we would have succeeded in life. 

We beg Allah (s.w.t.) to Help us and Guide us to control our nafs so it will help us to realise we are in the Presence of our Lord and to subsequently engage in those actions and thoughts that would lead to Him being Well Pleased with us, insha’Allah.