Making Deeds an Intimate Companion

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is an adapted extract of Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali’s (r.a.) Ayyuha al-Walad.  When Shaykh Abu ‘Ali Shaqiq ibn Ibrahim al-Azdi al-Balkhi (q.s.) asked his student, Shaykh Hatim Ism (q.s.), who became a great spiritual master, about the benefits of associating with him, he named eight. 

Of the first, he said, “O my teacher!  The first benefit is that I looked at the people of this world, and saw that everyone has an intimate companion.  But these intimate companions of the people are such that some of them are with them until their illness that brings death, some of them are with them until death, some of them are with them until they reach their graves, and after burial, all the intimate companions return from there.  None of their intimate companions go with them in their graves to live with them there and to provide their company.  I contemplated on this and said to myself that only that a good intimate companion accompanies them in the grave and lives with his lover, who will provide the company, who will illuminate the grave, who will be a partner on the Day of Judgement and its destinations.  I saw that the only intimate companion who has these qualities is my good deeds.  After this, I made my good deeds my intimate companion so that it goes with me in my grave, will provide me with its company, will become an illuminated candle in my grave, will be my partner in all stages of life Hereafter, and never ever separate away from me.”