Iqazh al-Himam fi Sharh al-Hikam, Chapter Two, Part Six

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.). 

Then Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari (q.s.) mentioned the eighth adab, and it is that he spends it by Allah (s.w.t.), for Allah (s.w.t.), from Allah (s.w.t.), and to Allah (s.w.t.).  This is the station of truthfulness which is the core of sincerity and sincerity is the elite of the elite.  He said: 

“A goal you seek by your Lord: no delay here.

A goal you seek by yourself: not easy.

Delay is being held back and difficulty. The goal is what one seeks to achieve.” 

When we have a need related to this world or the Next and want for it to be satisfied quickly for us, then seek it by Allah (s.w.t.), and do not seek it by ourself.  If we seek it by Allah (s.w.t.), it will be easy for us and it will satisfied quickly.  If we seek it by ourself, it will be hard to satisfy it and it will be difficult.  That which we seek by our Lord is not delayed or withheld, and that which we seek by yourself is not easy or simple.  Allah (s.w.t.) Says, relating from Musa (a.s.): 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴعرَاف

قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِ ٱسۡتَعِينُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱصۡبِرُوٓاْ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ‌ۖ وَٱلۡعَـٰقِبَةُ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ (١٢٨) 

Said Moses to his people: “Pray for help from Allah and (wait) in patience and constancy: for the Earth is Allah’s to give as a heritage to such of His servants as He pleases; and the end is (best) for the righteous.” (Surah al-A’araf:128) 

Whoever seeks Help by Allah (s.w.t.) and is steadfast in seeking his need, the successful outcome will be his, and he is one of the ones who recognise Allah (s.w.t.). 

Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ الطّلاَق

… وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسۡبُهُ ۥۤ‌ۚ… (٣) 

 

... And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. ... (Surah ath-Thalaq:3) 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) told one of his companions, Sayyidina Suwayd ibn Ghaflah al-Kufi (r.a.), “Do not seek the emirate.  If you seek it, you will be entrusted to it.  If it comes to you without asking, then you will be helped in it.” 

The sign of seeking by Allah (s.w.t.) is asceticism in that matter and being distracted from it by Allah (s.w.t.).  When its time comes, it is by the Permission of Allah (s.w.t.).  The sign of seeking by the self is avarice and striving for it.  When it is hard for him, he is constricted and upset.  This is the criterion of the one who seeks by Allah (s.w.t.) and the one who seeks by himself.  If someone seeks his needs by Allah (s.w.t.), it is fulfilled in meaning, even if it is not satisfied physically.  If someone seeks his needs by himself, his efforts are disappointed and his moment wasted, even if his desire and need are satisfied. 

Here is a rule which the people of concern among the people of disappointment and the people of wilayah recognise.  Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ash-Shadzili (q.s.) said, “When Allah (s.w.t.) Honours a slave in his movements and stillness, He Sets Up for him slavedom to Allah (s.w.t.) and the portions of his nafs are Veiled from him in whatever is Decreed for him and he does not turn to them.  It is as if he were cut off from them.  When Allah (s.w.t.) Abases a slave in his movements and stillness, He sets up for him the portions of his nafs and Veils him from his slavedom, and so he is tossed about in his appetites.  Slavedom to Allah (s.w.t.) is cut off from him.  If any of it occurs for him outwardly, he says, ‘This is a door of wilayah and abasement.’  As for the greatest swiddiqiyyah and greatest wilayah, all portions and rights are the same for the one with insight because he is by Allah (s.w.t.) in whatever he takes or leaves.”  Imam Ahmad ibn Ahmad az-Zarruq (q.s.) quoted this in one of his commentaries. 

To conclude, all the actions of the gnostic are by Allah (s.w.t.) and all the actions of others are by the self.  If they had been by Allah (s.w.t.), then action by Allah (s.w.t.) obliges nearness, action for Allah (s.w.t.) obliges a reward.  The one who acts by Allah (s.w.t.) enters the veil in the witnessing of the lovers.  Action for Allah (s.w.t.) obliges the reward beyond the Door.  Action by Allah (s.w.t.) comes from the people of realisation, and action for Allah (s.w.t.) comes from the people of legality.  Action for Allah (s.w.t.) comes from the people of the Words of Allah (s.w.t.), “You Alone we worship.”  Action by Allah (s.w.t.) comes from the people of His Words, “You Alone we ask for Help.” 

Imam Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadzili (q.s.) said, “The difference between action by Allah (s.w.t.) and action for Allah (s.w.t.) is the difference between the dinar and the dirham.”  Success is by Allah (s.w.t.).  Whoever knows by Allah (s.w.t.), returns to Him in everything and relies on Him in every state.  He indicated this when he said, “A sign of success in the end: Turning to Allah (s.w.t.) in the beginning.”  Success in a matter is reaching the goal and goals are achieved when they are settled and he obtains what he desires of them.  The end of the matter is its achievement and its beginning is the first of it. 

Murid, when we direct our himmah to seeking something, whatever it is, and want to be successful in it, obtain what we desire, and for its end to be good and outcome praiseworthy, then return to Allah (s.w.t.) in the beginning of seeking it and strip away our strength and power.  Say, as the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “If it is from Allah (s.w.t.), He will Perform it.”  So do not be avaricious for it and do not be concerned with it.  Whatever Allah (s.w.t.) Wills will be and whatever our Lord does not will not be.  He also said, “If men and jinn were to join together to help you with something which Allah (s.w.t.) had not Decreed for you, they would not be able to do that.  If they had joined to harm you by anything which Allah (s.w.t.) had not Decreed for you, they would not be able to do that.  The pens are dry and the scrolls rolled up.” 

When we seek something and, in it, we depend on Allah (s.w.t.) and entrust the matter to Allah (s.w.t.), we will see what was in the prior knowledge of Allah (s.w.t.).  The sign of that is success in our end and the achieving of our goal, whether or not it is settled in the sensory, because what we desire is what Allah (s.w.t.) Desires, not what our nafs desires.  Our portions have been transformed into rights and we only desire what Allah (s.w.t.) has Decided.  Only look at what emerges from Allah (s.w.t.) and we will be annihilated to our portions and appetites. 

If we seek something by ourself, relying on our own strength and power, eager to achieve it and striving to obtain it, that is a sign of lack of achieving it and the disappointment of hope in that whose end is unsuccessful, even if it is achieved in the sensory.  We entrusted ourself to that and are fatigued because of it and are not helped in its affairs and goal.  All of this is sound and tested by both the common and elite.  This is a wisdom which completes what is before it and expands it.  Allah Knows best.  Then he completes this question by a comprehensive principle which affirms what is before it. 

A radiant beginning: a radiant ending.  The radiance of the beginning is entering into it by Allah (s.w.t.), seeking it by Allah (s.w.t.), and relying on Allah (s.w.t.), while striving in its means and being concerned with establishing the right of wisdom and showing adab with the Decree.  Striving in the means is immense according to the immensity of the goal.  The witnessing afterward is according to the striving: 

سُوۡرَةُ العَنکبوت

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُواْ فِينَا لَنَہۡدِيَنَّہُمۡ سُبُلَنَا‌ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ (٦٩) 

And those who strive in Our (Cause) ― We will Certainly Guide them to Our Paths: for verily Allah is with those who do right. (Surah al-‘Ankabut:69) 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴعرَاف

… إِنَّ رَحۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ (٥٦) 

… for the Mercy of Allah is (always) near to those who do good. (Surah al-A’araf:56) 

Shaykh Abu Zayd ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad ats-Tsa’alibi (q.s.) said, “Do not reckon it cheap.  He Sees it.  The food of the object of desire is dear.  What you harvest in the summer is only by the coolness of the nights.  If we see someone diligent in the beginning about seeking Allah (s.w.t.) and turning away from intimacy with Creation, absorbed in the service of his Lord and forgetting his own portions and passion, we know that his end will be radiant, his outcome praiseworthy and his goal Obtained.  If we see someone negligent in seeking his Lord and not leaving his nafs and passion, then we know that his claim is a lie and his end will be deprivation and his outcome will be disappointment, even if the Generous Giver will tend to him.  This is the in the path to reaching the presence of the Real.” 

As for the radiance of the beginning in seeking the needs of this world, stations, stages or eliteness, for example, it is by asceticism in that, turning away from it and being preoccupied with Allah (s.w.t.).  One of them said, “The stages are only obtained by asceticism in them.” 

Imam Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadzili (q.s.) said, “I and a friend of mine were worshipping Allah (s.w.t.) in a cave.  We used to say, “This month Allah (s.w.t.) will Give us an opening.  This week Allah (s.w.t.) will Give us an opening.’ 

A man stopped at the mouth of the cave and said, ‘Peace be upon you.’ 

We returned the greeting to him and asked, ‘How are you?’ 

He climbed up to us and asked, ‘What is the state of someone who says, ‘This month Allah (s.w.t.) will Give an opening.  This week Allah (s.w.t.) will Give an opening’?  There is no opening and no success.  Did we not worship Allah (s.w.t.) as He Commanded to us?’ 

Then He was absent from us.  We understood how we had taken.  So we criticised ourselves and Allah (s.w.t.) Gave us an opening.”  Something similar is mentioned in at-Tanwir fi Isqath at-Tadbir. 

So anyone who seeks eliteness is the slave of the elite and misses his portion from Allah (s.w.t.) until he turns in repentance.  Anyone who worships Allah (s.w.t.) will obtain his portion of slavedom and will obtain eliteness without him turning to it or seeking it.  Allah Knows best. 

Then these matters are radiant at the beginning, and the sign of the radiance of the beginning is that they are inward matters, like reliance on Allah (s.w.t.) and returning to Him, or great yearning and longing.  Their effect, however, must appear in the outward.  He indicates this and says, “Everything that is stored away in the warehouse of invisible secrets has to appear in the visible world of outward manifestation.”  Storing away is to put something in a place in order to preserve it.  The invisible secrets are the inward, and what is meant by “secrets” are the hearts and spirits.  The visible world of outward manifestation is the outward limbs. 

Whatever Allah (s.w.t.) has Stored and Placed in the hearts of good or evil, light or darkness, knowledge or ignorance, mercy or harshness, miserliness or avarice, generosity and open-handedness, constriction and expansion, wakefulness or negligence, recognition or lack of recognition, or other praiseworthy or blameworthy qualities, the effect of that must appear on the limbs in adab, discipline, stillness, tranquility, gravity, spending, pardon, levity, anxiety, anger and others states of the hearts and actions of the vessel.  Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

… تَعۡرِفُهُم بِسِيمَـٰهُمۡ ۗ … (٢٧٣) 

... You shall know them by their (unfailing) mark ... (Surah al-Baqarah:273) 

And He Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ الفَتْح

…‌ سِيمَاهُمۡ فِى وُجُوهِهِم … (٢٩) 

... On their faces are their marks, ... (Surah al-Fath:29) 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “If someone conceals a secret, Allah (s.w.t.) will Clothe him in its cloak.” 

The actions of the limbs follow the states of the hearts.  Whoever stores recognition of his Master in the secret of his unseen does not seek from anyone else.  Whoever stores ignorance of his Lord in the secret of his unseen is connected to what is other than Him.  That is how it is with the states of the outward.  They follow the states of the inward, as he already said, “Different states have different outcomes.  This accounts for the variety of types of action.”  So the asirrah, features, indicate the sarirah, secret, and the words describe the speaker.  Whatever is in us appears on our mouth.  Every vessel leaks that which is in it.  What occurs to the heart has its effect on the faces.  Allah Knows best. 

The greatest thing that can be stored in the invisible secrets is gnosis of Allah (s.w.t.).  It is of two kinds: gnosis of the proof and gnosis of eye-witnessing.  He indicated the difference between them, and said: 

“What a difference!  This one is Guided by Him.  That one seeks information about Him.

The one Guided by Him gains direct knowledge of the Real and verifies the matter from its actual Source.

Seeking information about Him comes from not having reached Him.

This must be the case because when was He Absent so as to make it necessary for you to seek information about Him?

When was He distant so that you would need tracks to lead you to Him?

In ‘what a difference’, this form is only used for ideas, not for physical things.” 

Know that when Allah (s.w.t.) Wanted to Manifest the Secrets of His Essence and the Lights of His Attributes, by His Power He Manifested a handful of His Pre-Eternal Light.  Power Demanded the Manifestation of Its Effect and the witnessing of Its Lights, while Wisdom Demanded the lowering of their veil and Manifestation of Its Curtains.  When Power Completed Its Light in the places of Manifestation in phenomenal being, then Wisdom Lowered the Cloak of Protection on them, and all phenomenal being became lights in a concealing veil. 

Then Allah (s.w.t.) Divided Creation into two categories and Separated them into two groups.  One group is Singled out for His Power: He Made them the people of His Wilayah, Opened the door for them, and Removed the veil for them.  So He Let them Witness the Secrets of His Essence and did not Veil them from it by the effects of His Power.  Another group, He Allotted for His Service and He Made them the people of His Wisdom.  He Lowered the veil of illusion on them and Withdrew from them the light of wisdom and understanding.  So they stopped with the outward of shells and did not witness the inward light due to the intensity of the Manifestation.  Glory be to the One Who Concealed His secret by His Wisdom, and Manifested His Light by His Power! 

The people of love, who are the people of wilayah and gnosis among the people of witnessing and eye-witnessing, are guided by light to the existence of veils and so they only see light, and they are guided by the Real to the existence of Creation and they only find the Real.  They are Guided by His Power to His Wisdom, and they find His Power to be the Source of His Wisdom and Wisdom the Source of His power.  So by witnessing the Real, they withdraw from seeing Creation since it is impossible to witness Him and witness something else with Him.  As for the people of service among the people of wisdom, they seek information by the manifestation of the veils to the existence of light and by Creation to the existence of the Real.  They are Withdrawn from Him in the state of His Presence and they are Veiled from Him by the intensity of His Manifestation.  One of the gnostics said, “Allah (s.w.t.) Affirmed the creature for common people and so by it they affirmed the Creator.  He Affirmed Himself to the elite and by Him they affirmed Creation.” 

What a great difference there is between the one who is Guided by Him to the Manifestation of His Effect and the one who seeks information about His Existence by the Manifestation of His Effect.  That is because the one who is Guided by Him recognises the Real, and it is the Real Existence which Belongs to the One Worthy. That is Allah (s.w.t.), the Necessary of Existence, the Worshipped King.  He affirms the business, which is the timelessness of Real Existence from the existence of its source, which is the basic timeless pre-eternal Jabarut, the one who recognises Allah (s.w.t.) until He becomes necessary in his view, then recognises that Existence Belongs to Allah (s.w.t.), and negates the existence of other than Him.  He affirms His Timelessness First and Last.  We could say that he recognises the Real, and it is basic existence of the One Who Deserves It, Allah (s.w.t.), and affirms the business, which is secondary existence, from the Existence of its Source, connects it to Its Source.  Then the branch is connected to the root and all becomes basic Jabarut.  It is possible that it means the same, or implies that he recognises Real Existence for the One Who Deserves It and to affirm that matter from its Source, as when we say, “I recognise this Judgement and affirm by it the One Who is its Source”, and Allah Knows best. 

As for one who seeks information about him, it is because he is far from Him in the state of his nearness to Him and absent from Him in the state of his presence with Him.  Illusion has distanced him.  His absence is lack of understanding.  When was He absent from him so that he would need to seek information about Him, since: 

سُوۡرَةُ قٓ

… وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنۡ حَبۡلِ ٱلۡوَرِيدِ (١٦) 

… for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein. (Surah Qaf:16) 

When was He distant so that illusory tracks are that which lead to Him when: 

سُوۡرَةُ الحَدید

… وَهُوَ مَعَكُمۡ أَيۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ‌ۚ … (٤) 

... And He is with you wheresoever you may be. ... (Surah al-Hadid:4) 

Since the effect of power is its source, so the Attribute is not separate from the Described since it only has Substance by It and no Manifestation except from It. 

It will come later in al-Munajat: “My Allah!  How can one seek information about You through something which is in need of You for its own existence?  Does other-than-You manifest what You do not have so that it could manifest You?  When were You absent so that You would need a proof to indicate You?  When were you distant so that traces would lead to You?”  Allah Knows best. 

Then for those who are Guided by Allah (s.w.t.), Allah (s.w.t.) Expands for them the arena of knowledge and Opens for them the storehouses of understanding as opposed to those who seek information about Him.  Allah (s.w.t.) Stinted them in the provision of knowledge by the existence of the veil of illusion.  He indicated that when he said: 

“As for those who have reached Him: ‘He who has plenty should spend out from his plenty.’

As for those who are traveling to Him: ‘it is he whose provision is restricted.’” 

As for those who have reached Him, because when their spirits escape from the constriction of phenomenal beings to the space of witnessing and eye-witnessing, or we could say, when their spirits rise from the world of forms to the world of spirits, or from the world to the Mulk to the world of the Malakut, then the arena of the provision of knowledge is Expanded for them and the storehouses of understanding are Opened to them.  They expend jewels of hidden knowledge from the vastness of their wealth and rubies of the Protected secret from the storehouses of their treasures.  So they have an expanded sphere and ride the steeds of rhetoric and eloquent speech.  How swift is wealth that comes to the one at whom concern is directed!  How immense is the opening of the one who is attended to!  Allah (s.w.t.) has men such that anyone who looks at them achieves a happiness after which he will never be wretched.  They are the people of the secret and the state. 

As for those who are travelling to Allah (s.w.t.), it is because they remain in the constriction of phenomenal beings and are imprisoned in the world of forms in the prison of the illusion.  None of the storehouses of understanding are opened to them.  They are busy in the jihad of themselves and the toil of purifying their hearts, constricted in knowledge and restricted in all forms of understanding.  If they find in the journey, they arrive and move from the constriction of beings and travel and prance in the meadows of knowledge and they win what they hope for and are enriched after they were weary.  They return from the path.  Or else they fall short and are ruined and lost. 

If we want for the knowledge of tastes to be expanded to us, then disconnect ourself from the business of provisions.  As long as we work for the treasure of others, we will never excavate our treasure.  So disconnect ourself from the material and be in need of Allah (s.w.t.) and gifts will overflow on us from Allah (s.w.t.). 

سُوۡرَةُ التّوبَة

۞ إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلۡمَسَـٰكِينِ … (٦٠) 

Alms are for the poor and the needy ... (Surah at-Tawbah:60) 

If we want Expansion of gifts to us, then have sound poverty and need. 

Then he mentioned the reason for the expansion of knowledge for those who arrive rather than the travellers.  It is that the travellers have not stopped at the witnessing of lights.  They have passed through to the light of lights and that is not the case of the travellers.  They stop with the lights and are in need of them and owned by them.  He said: 

“Those travelling to Him are Guided by the light of turning their faces toward Him.

Those who have arrived have the lights of face-to-face encounter.

The former belong to lights, but the lights belong to the latter because they belong to Allah, and are His Alone.

Say: ‘Allah’ then leave them plunging in their games.” 

The lights of turning the faces are the lights of Islam and faith, and the lights of face-to-face encounter are the lights of ihsan.  We could say the lights of turning the faces are the lights of outward and inward obedience and the lights of face-to-face encounter are the lights of reflection and looking.  Or the lights of turning are the lights of the shari’ah and thariqa’ and the lights of face-to-face encounter are the lights of the Reality.  Or we could say that the lights of turning are the lights of striving and endurance and the lights of face-to-face encounter are the lights of witnessing and direct speech. 

The clarification of that is that Allah (s.w.t.) Wants to Connect His slave to him first by the light of the sweetness of outward action, which is the station of Islam so that he is Guided to action and annihilated in it and tastes its sweetness.  Then he turns to Him by the light of the sweetness of inward action, which is the station of faith with sincerity, truthfulness, tranquility, intimacy with Allah (s.w.t.) and being alienated from other than Him, and so he is Guided to it and annihilated and tastes its sweetness and is firm in watchfulness.  This light is greater than the first and more perfect. 

Then he turns to Him with the light of the sweetness of witnessing and it is the action of the ruh, and it is the first light of face-to-face encounter.  So he is overwhelmed by astonishment, bewilderment and intoxication.  When he awakens from his intoxication, becomes sober after his attraction, is firm in witnessing and recognises the Worshipped King and returns to baqa’, then he is for Allah (s.w.t.) and by Allah (s.w.t.).  He has no need of the light by his witnessing the light of lights because he has become the light itself and has become a master of the lights after he was mastered by them by his need of them before he reached their source.  When he arrives, he becomes the slave of Allah (s.w.t.), free from what is other than Him.  His outward is slavedom and his inward is freedom. 

The end result is that as long as the murid continues to travel, he is Guided by the lights of turning and needs them so that he can travel by them.  When he reaches the station of witnessing, he obtains the lights of face-to-face encounter and so he does not need anything because he is for Allah (s.w.t.), not for anything less than him.  The travellers, who are those traveling to lights by their need of them, and so they rejoice in them.  Those who have arrived have the lights because they are enriched beyond need by Allah (s.w.t.).  They are for Allah (s.w.t.) and by Allah (s.w.t.), not for anything except Him. 

Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi (q.s.) said, “Do not make the people of the outward an argument against the people of the inward,” because the sight of the people of the inward is fine and their weaving delicate.  Only they understand their indication.  May Allah (s.w.t.) Give us the benefit of them and Join us to them.  Amin. 

This is the end of Chapter Two and, to sum up, it mentions that the adab and signs of the gnostic.  There are eight types of adabihah.  The signs are four: returning to Him in everything, relying on Him in every state, withdrawal into Him from everything, and being Guided by Him to everything and the expansion of the provision of knowledge, opening the storehouses of understanding, reaching the face-to-face encounter of lights, and withdrawing from them by witnessing of the One, the Conqueror.