Fighting in the Cause of Allah (s.w.t.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is extracted from “A Sufi Understanding of God’s Ordaining of Fighting” by, Shaykh Abu Muhammad Ruzbihan al-Baqli (q.s.), and translated by Dr. Alan A. Godlas. 

The following is a commentary on: 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

كُتِبَ عَلَيۡڪُمُ ٱلۡقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرۡهٌ۬ لَّكُمۡ‌ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكۡرَهُواْ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا وَهُوَ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّڪُمۡ‌ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّواْ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ۬ لَّكُمۡ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ (٢١٦) 

Fighting is Prescribed for you and you dislike it.  But it is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a thing which is bad for you.  But Allah Knows and you know not. (Surah al-Baqarah:216) 

Subhanahu, God, Akhbarah, Declared, that muqawamah, combating, the self and mukhalafah, opposing, it is difficult for its swahib, possessor.  But in the dzawb, melting, of each khuluq daniy, vile trait, in the fires of self-exertion there is the opening of one of the treasures of the truths; treasures of firasat, intuitive perceptions; karamat, ennobling miracles; munajat, intimate conversations with God; unveilings; and witnessings; because the self is the al-hijab al-kulli, universal veil. 

The self veils the heart from witnessing the malakut and from ru᾽yat, perceiving, the lights of the jabarut.  Sunnatullah, God’s Way, has been Madha, Set Down, to the effect that whoever opposes his self and his caprice has indeed followed istanna mahajjat al-mutsla’, the ideal way, adraka, reached, mamalik al-‘ulyah, the highest realms, risen to the degrees of unveilings, and arrived at the places of ma’arij, ascent, of the witnessings; because opposing the self is being in accord with the heart. 

Whoever is in accord with one’s heart becomes intimate with the sa῾adat al-kubrah, greatest well-being, and attains manzilat al-‘ala, the highest station, because whoever has basharah, direct contact, with the lights of the heart has indeed had direct contact with Amr al-Haqq, God’s Command.  Whoever adraka, reaches, God, al-Haqq, by means of the quality of Ilham, Divine Inspiration, his sirr, mystery, makes direct contact with the light of wisdom; whoever adraka, reaches, the light of wisdom abswarah, perceives, the light of his gnosis; whoever perceives the light of his gnosis ῾ayana, observes, the truth of the whole by the whole and has indeed grasped the trustworthy handhold, which is witnessing his Mawla, Lord. 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ‌ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَىِّ‌ۚ فَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَا‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (٢٥٦) 

Let there be no compulsion in religion.  Truth stands out clear from error; whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks. And Allah Hears and Knows all things. (Surah al-Baqarah:256) 

So where is this station and degree in contrast to the hawajis, concerns, of the huzhuzh al-bashariyyah, shares of humanness, and in contrast to the self’s huswul, achievement, during its tawaqan, craving, for the precious nafa’is, qualities, of ash-shawah, lust?  Rather, the al-amr al-mu῾azhzham, exalted matter, consists of fighting the self, qam῾, restraining, its lusts, and qal῾, extirpating, its attributes from it, so that it may become muthma᾽innah, tranquil, and sakinah, peaceful under Qadha᾽ al-Haqq, God’s Disposal, and so that the heart remains free of its wasawis, suggestions, and perceives the world of the malakut by means of the light of baswirah, intuition; just as Jibril (a.s.) said to the Prophet (ṣ.a.w), “Were it not for the fact that Satan hovers over the hearts of the children of Adam, they would look into the malakut.”