Repaying the Divine Trust

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.) said, “In thariqa’, there are three levels of giving.  The first level is to think that we are giving something to the shaykh.  The second level is to realise that we are giving in the way of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), and the third and highest level is to realise that what we are giving does not actually belong to us.  It was given to us as a Trust with the understanding that we are to be a custodian over that Trust until the day it is to be returned to its true Owner. 

Everybody’s Trust is Perfectly Balanced by the Creator, and He will not call us to account for what we do not have.  Some people may say, ‘O, well I do not have money to give,’ but then, their trust was not that.  Everybody has to give a pound of gold.  It might be a pound service, a pound food, a pound of actual gold, or a skill that we have but everyone has something that they promised on the Day of Promises. 

Then notice how Allah (s.w.t.) Takes it from us anyway - an appliance breaks suddenly and has to be fixed, or we get a traffic ticket or some other unexpected expense.  Either way that Trust must be given back, but to have it Taken from us is a much lower level than to give it freely.  If we want to receive our spiritual Trusts, we must give.  The awliya’ teach us how to reach Allah’s (s.w.t.) Satisfaction, and those who have reached that reality.  Those who have achieved the stations of ar-Rashidin wa al-Mahdiyyin, achieved them because they gave everything that came to them.”