Iqazh al-Himam fi Sharh al-Hikam, Chapter One, Part Three

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is taken from the first chapter of Iqazh al-Himam fi Sharh al-Hikam, a commentary on al-Hikam of Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari (q.s.), by Shaykh Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ajibah (q.s.). 

Striving for what is Guaranteed is completely blameworthy, whether by action or word to hasten obtaining it by supplication or something else.  Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari (q.s.) indicates that when he says, “If you make intense supplication and the timing of the answer is delayed, do not despair of it.  His Reply to you is Guaranteed; but in the way He Chooses, not the way you choose, and at the moment He Desires, not the moment you desire.” 

Intense supplication is to repeat a supplication for something needed in the same manner.  Supplication is asking, which is accompanied by adab on the carpet of servanthood in the Presence of the Lord.  That which demands the thing is intrinsic to its existence.  Despair cuts off desires. Know that One of His Names is al-Qayyum.  It is an intensive form derived from “qiyam” “establishment”.  Allah (s.w.t.) Undertook the Creation of all, from His Throne to His Earth.  The source of every manifestation has a limited time and known term.  Each has a known form and allotted provision. 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴعرَاف

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ۬‌ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَأۡخِرُونَ سَاعَةً۬‌ۖ وَلَا يَسۡتَقۡدِمُونَ (٣٤) 

To every people is a term Appointed: when their term is reached not an hour can they cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance (it in anticipation). (Surah al-A’araf:34) 

When our heart is attached to one of the needs of dunya and akhirah, then return to the Promise of Allah (s.w.t.) and be content with the Knowledge of Allah (s.w.t.) and do not be greedy.  There is fatigue and abasement in avarice.  Our shaykh’s shaykh, Mawlay Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad al-‘Arabi ibn Ahmad ad-Darqawi (q.s.), said, “People settle their needs with greed for them in them and yielding to them.  We settle our needs by asceticism in them and being distracted by Allah (s.w.t.) from them, thinking them to be of little importance.” 

If we must make supplication, let our supplication be for servanthood, not to seek our portion.  If we leave portions, they will come to us.  If seeking overwhelms us, and we seek something and then the time of giving is delayed for us, do not suspect Allah’s (s.w.t.) Promise when He Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ المؤمن / غَافر

... ٱدۡعُونِىٓ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡۚ ... (٦٠) 

… “Call on Me; I will Answer your (prayer) …” (Surah Ghafir:60) 

Do not despair of obtaining it.  Allah (s.w.t.) has Guaranteed to us that He will Grant what He Wishes of the good of dunya and the good of akhirah.  His Kindness to us may prevent that request since it is not right for us.  Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ash-Shadzili (q.s.) said, “O Allah, we are unable to avert harm from ourselves when we know what we know, so how can we not be incapable of that when we do not know what we do not know?” 

سُوۡرَةُ القَصَص

وَرَبُّكَ يَخۡلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيَخۡتَارُ‌ۗ مَا ڪَانَ لَهُمُ ٱلۡخِيَرَةُ‌ ... (٦٨) 

Your Lord does Create and Choose as He Pleases: no choice have they (in the matter) … (Surah al-Qaswasw:68) 

One of the commentators said of this ayat said this means that He Chooses the matter in which they have choice and He Answers us at that time when it is best and most beneficial for us, and then He Gives that at the time in which He Wishes, not at the time when we want.  He may delay that until the Abode of Generosity and Abiding, and it is “better and more enduring”. 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴعلی

وَٱلۡأَخِرَةُ خَيۡرٌ۬ وَأَبۡقَىٰٓ (١٧) 

But the Hereafter is better and more enduring. (Surah al-‘Ala:17) 

In a hadits, Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said, “Someone who makes supplication must be one of three: either his request will be hastened to him, or its Reward will be Delayed for him or a like evil will be Repelled from him.”

 

Shaykh Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Abu Bakr al-Qurayshi al-Mahdawi (q.s.) said, “The one who does not leave his supplication by his choice with pleasure in the choice of Allah (s.w.t.) for him is drawn in bit by bit.  He is one of those about whom it is said, ‘Fulfill his need, I dislike to hear his voice.’  It is by the Choice of Allah (s.w.t.), not by his choice for himself that he is Answered, even if he is not given to.  Actions are according to their seals.” 

So what is said about Fulfilling the Promise and Carrying Out what is Promised is clear to us, but in the manner in which He Wills and at the time He Wills.  In that, He Commands us to truthfulness and affirmation and Forbids us doubt and hesitation to thereby complete the opening of our inner eye and the delight of the lights of our secret.  Then Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah (q.s.) said, “If something that is Promised does not happen even though the time for it is set, do not doubt the Promise!  If you do, that will dim your inner eye and put out the light of your secret.” 

Doubting about a thing is to vacillate between occurrence and non-occurrence.  Dimming the inner eyes means to cover its rank.  The inner eye is the faculty which perceives meaning and the sirr is the faculty prepared for the firmness of knowledge and gnosis.  Know that the nafs, intellect, ruh and sirr are all the same thing, but they differ in what they perceive.  That which perceives appetites is the nafs.  That which perceives legal judgements is the intellect.  That which perceives tajalliyat and waridat is the ruh.  That which perceives realisations and fixed states is the sirr.  The place is the same. 

Putting out the light of a thing is to conceal it after it has appeared.  When Allah (s.w.t.) promises things on the tongue of Revelation or inspiration by a prophet, wali or strong tajalli, do not doubt that promise, murid, if we are true.  If the time is not specified, the matter has wide scope and the time may be long or short.  So do not doubt that it will occur, even if it takes a long time.  It took forty years for the realisation of the supplication of Musa (a.s.) and Harun (a.s.) against Pharaoh when he said: 

سُوۡرَةُ یُونس

... رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ ءَاتَيۡتَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَأَهُ ۥ زِينَةً۬ وَأَمۡوَٲلاً۬ فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِكَ‌ۖ رَبَّنَا ٱطۡمِسۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡوَٲلِهِمۡ وَٱشۡدُدۡ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ فَلَا يُؤۡمِنُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُاْ ٱلۡعَذَابَ ٱلۡأَلِيمَ (٨٨) 

… “Our Lord!  You have indeed Bestowed on Pharaoh and his chiefs splendour and wealth in the life of the present, and so, our Lord they mislead (men) from Your Path.  Deface, our Lord, the features of their wealth, and Send hardness to their hearts, so they will not believe until they see the grievous Penalty.” (Surah Yunus:88) 

If the time is specified and that does not occur at its time, do not doubt the truth of that Promise.  That may be connected to reasons and unseen preconditions which Allah (s.w.t.) has Concealed from that prophet or wali to manifest His Force, Might and Judgement.  Reflect on the case of Yunus (a.s.) when he informed his people of the Punishment as he had been told and then fled from them.  That was connected to their lack of Islam.  When they became Muslim, the punishment was Deferred for them.  The same is true of the case of Nuh (a.s.) when he said: 

سُوۡرَةُ هُود

... رَبِّ إِنَّ ٱبۡنِى مِنۡ أَهۡلِى وَإِنَّ وَعۡدَكَ ٱلۡحَقُّ وَأَنتَ أَحۡكَمُ ٱلۡحَـٰكِمِينَ (٤٥) 

… “O my Lord!  Surely my son is of my family!  And Your Promise is True and You are the Most Just of Judges!” (Surah Hud:45) 

So that coincided with the literal general meaning.  Then Allah (s.w.t.) Said to him: 

سُوۡرَةُ هُود

... يَـٰنُوحُ إِنَّهُ ۥ لَيۡسَ مِنۡ أَهۡلِكَ‌ۖ إِنَّهُ ۥ عَمَلٌ غَيۡرُ صَـٰلِحٍ۬‌ ... (٤٦) 

… “O Noah!  He is not of your family: for his conduct is unrighteous …” (Surah Hud:46) 

This is a hidden secret.  The prophets and great true men do not stop at the literal promise and so their agitation continues and they are not settled with other than Allah (s.w.t.).  Rather, they look at the vastness of His Knowledge and the effect of His Force.  Part of that is found in the words of Ibrahim (a.s.): 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنعَام

... وَلَآ أَخَافُ مَا تُشۡرِكُونَ بِهِۦۤ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ رَبِّى شَيۡـًٔ۬ا‌ۗ وَسِعَ رَبِّى ڪُلَّ شَىۡءٍ عِلۡمًا‌ۗ أَفَلَا تَتَذَڪَّرُونَ (٨٠) 

“… I fear not (the beings) you associate with Allah: unless my Lord Wills, (nothing can happen).  My Lord Comprehends, in His Knowledge, all things: will you not (yourselves) be Admonished?” (Surah al-An’am:80) 

And the words of Shu’ayb (a.s.): 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴعرَاف

... إِنۡ عُدۡنَا فِى مِلَّتِڪُم بَعۡدَ إِذۡ نَجَّٮٰنَا ٱللَّهُ مِنۡہَا‌ۚ وَمَا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّعُودَ فِيہَآ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ... (٨٩) 

“… if we returned to your ways after Allah has rescued us therefrom: nor could we by any manner of means return thereto unless it be as in the Will and Plan of Allah ...” (Surah al-A’araf:89) 

There is also the case of our Prophet (s.a.w.), on the Day of Badr, when he prayed until his mantle fell off, saying, “O Allah, Your Covenant and Promise!  O Allah, if this group is destroyed, there will be none left to worship you after today.” 

Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq (r.a.) said to him, “Enough, Rasulullah.  Allah will Fulfill His Promise to you.”  So the Chosen (s.a.w.) looked further than its lack of occurrence in spite of the outward promise while Sayyidina asw-Swiddiq (r.a.) remained with the literal.  Each was correct.  The Prophet (s.a.w.) had a wider view and more perfect knowledge. 

As for the case of al-Hudaybiyyah, the time of the Promise was not clear in it since Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ الفَتْح

... فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمۡ تَعۡلَمُواْ ... (٢٧) 

... For He knew what you knew not ... (Surah al-Fath:27) 

When Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq (r.a.) asked, “Did you not tell us that we would enter Makkah?” Rasulullah (s.a.w.) answered, “Did I tell you it would be this year?” 

“No,” he replied. 

Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said, “You will enter it and do thawaf in it.” 

My brother, clasp my hand on the basis of affirming what Allah (s.w.t.) has Promised us and a good opinion of Him and His friends, especially our shaykh.  Beware of concealing denial or doubt, so that that dims our inner eye and is a reason for its dulling and also for extinguishing the light of the sirr.  We might return back the way you came and destroy all that we have built, look for the best interpretation and cling to the best conclusion.  We already mentioned the words of the shaykh of our shaykh, Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.), “When we will something and it happens, we have one joy.  When it does not happen, there are ten joys.”  That was only due to the vastness of his investigation and firm gnosis of his Lord.