A Muslim Convert Once More

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Being denied only causes you pain since you do not understand Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Reason for withholding.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “The knowers of Allah are more fearful in happy expansion than in sad contraction.  Few are those who limit themselves to proper manners in happy expansion.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “The goal of the knowers of Allah ( s.w.t. ) is to be true in His servanthood and to fulfill the rights of His Lordship.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “The portion of the lower self in acts of disobedience is plain and known while its portion in acts of worship is hidden and secret.  And treating a hidden disease is difficult.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “What He Opens Up to their hearts and Send Forth of His Intimacy during worship is enough of a Reward for the worshipers.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “If He were not apparent in the physical world, eyesight would not have grasped it.  If His Attributes were to become Manifest, the physical world would vanish.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in Hikam , accepting material benefit from people is deprivation and being denied material benefit from Allah ( s.w.t. ) is grace.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “He Blessed you first by Creating you and then by Continuously Keeping you existent.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “He has made apparent everything since He is the Hidden.  And He has Folded up the Existence of everything since He is the Apparent.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Let the fact that He is Trying you soften the pain of trials.  The One from Whom the trials have come is the same as the One Who Wants the best for you.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “There is no end to your blame if He Leaves you to yourself and there is no end to your praise if He Displays His Generosity on you.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “The physical world is on the top surface a façade and beneath is a cause for caution.  The lower self is tricked by its façade while the heart is cautious of what is beneath.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Spiritual experiences are almost always surprises so that the slaves do not lay claim to them from their own preparations.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Perhaps the hearts can prematurely stop, with spiritual lights like the lower selves veiled by the coarse physical world.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Perhaps, He let you see the unseen metaphysical world but veiled you from seeing the secrets of His servants.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Were it not for His Beautiful Covering, no action of yours would be fit for Acceptance.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Finding fruits from works in this life is a sign of their acceptance in the next life.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Perpetual worshippers and the externally abstinent are estranged by everything since they are absent from Allah in everything.  If they saw Him in everything, they would not be estranged by anything.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “The most ignorant of people is he who leaves what he knows for certain in exchange for what people only guess about.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “The best state is not in your requesting of Him.  The best state is that you be given excellent manners.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Two Blessings are necessarily universal for all created things: the blessing of being first Created and the Blessing of continuous subsistence.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Sent Divine Support is in accord with your level of preparedness and spiritual illuminations are in accord with the purity of your innermost being.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “He Knew that you would not be able to practice patience concerning Him.  So, He, made you witness what is Apparent of Him.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “The best thing you can ask Him is what He Asks of you.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “He who is ungrateful for Blessings exposes himself to losing them while he who is grateful ties them down.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Do not complain to your Lord about a delay in Answering your requests.  Rather, blame yourself for side-stepping proper manners.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “When He Grants you obedience and Frees you of need from it, know that He has Showered His Blessings on you externally and internally.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “How will normal laws break for you when you have not broken from yourself your habits?”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “When He Opens the door of understanding to you, His Withholding becomes His Giving.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “When you request a Compensation for your action, you are asked to prove that you are true in it.  And it is enough for a person to remain safe.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Not everyone whose specialness is proven has finished His Training.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “When He Makes you feel you do not fit in with people, know that He Wants to open for you the door of intimacy with Him.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “You are free from what you have no hope for and a slave for what you are avid.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari  ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “He has ordered you in this world to regard Creation and He will unveil to you in the next world the perfection of His Entity.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Disobedience followed by feeling low and in need is better than obedience followed by pride and arrogance.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Need is your intrinsic attribute and external causes only remind you of such.  Intrinsic need does not go away by incidental causes.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “People praise you for what they think is in you.  So, blame yourself for what you know is in you.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Divine Covering is of two types: a cover from disobedience and a cover in disobedience.  The common people ask Allah ( s.w.t. ) for the latter fearing that their rank in the eyes of people may fall.  The elect people ask Allah ( s.w.t. ) for the former fearing that their rank in the eyes of the King and the Truth may fall.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “When the Truth knew that you get bored, He Made worship of multifarious colour.  And He Knew about your binges of worship; so, He Prevented you from it at certain times - so that your concern would be to establish prayer and not just pray.  Not every person praying has established prayer.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) write, in his Hikam , “It is enough of a Reward for your obedience that He Chose you to perform the act.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( k.w. ) said, “Be more concerned about the acceptance of an action than you are of the action itself.   No action is small which is done with God-consciousness.   How shall an action which is Accepted be small?”  

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Whoever thinks that His Gentleness is separate from His Decree is only shortsighted.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “Whoever worships Him for gain or to ward off punishment has not fulfilled the rights of His Attributes.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “When He Causes your tongue to supplicate, know that He Wants to Give you.”  

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “You need His Forbearance more when you obey Him than when you disobey Him.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “It is not feared for you that the path becomes confusing.  It is feared for you that your whims overtake you.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “The lower self takes its portion from happy expansion while it has no enjoyment in sad contraction.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “If you want to know your rank with Him, look to what He has established you in.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Hikam , “If you want power that does not go away, do not try to get power  that goes away.”