The Sincere Do Not See Their Acts

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi (r.a.) wrote Sharh al-Hikam ‘Atha’illah, a commentary on Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari’s (q.s.) Hikam. 

Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari (q.s.) wrote, “He has Cut Off those travelling to Him and those who have Reached Him from seeing their good actions and spiritual states.  As for the travellers, it is because they have not realised sincerity with Allah in them.  As for those that have reached Him, it is because He has Made them absent from them by their gazing towards Him.” 

Imam ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi (r.a.) wrote, “Allah Blessed both of the above mentioned parties by Cutting them off from seeing their actions and states.  Doing so, He has Made them remain with Him and not with other than Him.  He has Done such with those that have reached Him with their accord and with the travellers without their accord.” 

سُوۡرَةُ الرّعد

وَلِلَّهِ يَسۡجُدُ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ طَوۡعً۬ا وَكَرۡهً۬ا … ۩ (١٥) 

Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth do prostrate themselves to Allah (acknowledging subjection) ― with good― will or in spite of themselves: ... (Surah ar-Ra’ad:15) 

Imam ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi (r.a.) also wrote, “He has Cut Off those that have reached Him from seeing their actions and states by Making them witness Him in the presence of His closeness.  Whoever sees Him does not see anything other than Him along with Him since it is impossible that a person see Him and also gaze at other than Him. 

Similarly, He has Cut Off those travelling to Him from seeing their actions and states by Making them acknowledge their insincerity and egotistic claims in them.  So, the travellers are always accusing themselves of not fulfilling the rights of their good actions or not purifying their spiritual states.” 

Shaykh an-Nahjawri (q.s.) said, “Among the signs of the person whom Allah has Taken Charge of in his states is that the person see shortcomings in his sincerity, unmindfulness in his remembrances, decrease in his truthfulness, latitude in his spiritual struggles, and lack of care in showing his need for Allah.  So, he considers all of his states displeasing and increases in neediness to Allah to bring him to his goal until he becomes annihilated from other than Him.” 

Shaykh Abu ‘Amr Isma’il ibn Najid (q.s.) said, “No one has a pure standing in servanthood until he sees all of his actions as being a show for people and all of his states as being false claims.” 

Shaykh Bayazid Thayfur ibn ‘Isa al-Bisthami (q.s.) said, “If only a single verbal declaration of Allah’s Oneness would become pure from me, I would not worry about anything afterwards.” 

A narration from Shaykh Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Musa al-Wasithi (q.s.) alluded to these two states.  Shaykh al-Wasithi (q.s.) entered Nisabur and asked the companions of Sidi Abu ‘Utsman al-Hasani (q.s.), “What did your shaykh used to enjoin you to do?” 

They answered, “He used to enjoin us to stick to acts of obedience while seeing shortcomings in them.” 

Shaykh al-Wasithi (q.s.) replied, “He enjoined you with pure fire worship.  He should have instead commanded you to be absent from your works by seeing the One Who Makes them come about.” 

Imam Abu al-Qasim ‘Abd al-Karim ibn Huzan al-Qushayri (q.s.) commented on this, “Shaikh al-Wasithi  only wanted to save them from possible self-pride in actions.  He did not mean to invalidate the act of seeing shortcomings or to break one of the proper manners.”