A Muslim Convert Once More

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Imam Ahmad ibn Ahmad az-Zarruq ( q.s. ) said, “The gnostics have three signs.  The first is turning away from what other than the One they recognise in every state and by every aspect.  The second is turning to Him by abandoning portions and carrying out rights.  The third is pleasure with Him in whatever He Decrees.”

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 Illuminated the exteriors with the light of His Actions and Illuminated the interiors with the light of His Attributes.  For this reason, the external lights fade and set while the lights of the hearts and innermost beings do not set.  It is said, the Sun of the daylight sets at night but the sun of the hearts does not go away.”

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 see a slave whom Allah has long Established in regular worship, do not undervalue the gift his Master has Given him if you do not see on him the mark of the knowers of Allah nor the glow of the lovers of Allah.  For if it were not for Sent spiritual help, he would not have been able to worship.”

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 were not to reach Him until after all your bad traits vanish and your claims disappear, you would never reach Him.  Rather when He Wants you to reach Him, He Covers your traits with His Traits and Makes you reach Him with that which is from Him to you and not that which is from you to 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 formal prayer is a place for intimate conversation, for intense purification, for expansion of the fields of innermost beings, and for the shining of bright lights.  He Knew your weakness; so, He Decreased their number.  But, He also Knew your need for them; so, He Increased their spiritual worth.”

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 One Who Accompanies you does so knowing your faults full-well.  This is none other than your Master, the Generous.  The best companion is He Who Seeks you with His Companionship and does not seek to get something from 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 , “Allah ( s.w.t. ) is High above that He Deals with a slave in cash and Rewards him only with a promise of credit.”

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 not requested from you anything like your feeling a hard pressed need.  And there is no quicker way to get Divine Gifts than feeling low and in need.”

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 Gives you happy expansion so that you will not get accustomed to sad contraction and He Gives you sad contraction so that you do not stay with happy expansion.  And He Extracts you from both of these states so that you may be for Him and nothing else.”

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 the light of certainty shone for you, you would see the next life so close to you that you need not travel to it.  And you would see the beautiful things of the world being shattered by their inevitable end.”

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 externally abstinent are praised, they enter sad contraction as they see the praise as coming from people.  When the knowers of Allah are praised, they enter happy expansion as they see the Praise coming from the King and the Truth.”

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 , “Glory be to the One Who had Hidden the secret of being special with the cover of coarse humanness and has become Manifest with His Tremendous Lordship by obligating servanthood.”

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 Gives, He Makes you witness His Benevolence and when He Withholds, He Makes you witness His Coercion.  He is Making Himself known to you and approaching you with gentleness in both states.”

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 Hidden the lights of the innermost beings with the coarse human exteriors so that they would not lose their value by being made plain and by being popularly mentioned.”

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 only made the next world the domain for Rewarding His believing slaves because this world cannot fit what He Wants to Give them and He Considers them higher than to Reward them in a domain that will not remain.”

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 when Given to, you enter happy expansion and when Withheld from, you enter sad contraction, use this as a proof for your parasitic nature and lack of truthfulness in your servanthood.”

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 knower of Allah is not he who when he motions finds the Truth closer to him than his motion.  Rather, the knower of Allah is he who does not have a motion due to his being annihilated in His Existence and vanished by His Witnessing.”

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 knower of Allah often is shy from asking his Master to relieve his need sufficing himself with His will.  So, why would he not be shy from asking His Creation for his needs?”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi ( r.a. ) wrote, in the introduction to his book of Prophetic dzikr , “It is befitting for him who finds out about some supererogatory action that he perform it even if only once, so that he will be counted among those who practiced it.”

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 stretch your hand to take something from people unless you see that the Giver through them is your Master.  And in such a state, take what is in agreement with knowledge.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   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.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   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.”

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.”  

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 .   Regarding Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari’s ( q.s. ) statement, “Whoever wishes that something other than what Allah has brought about happen in the present time, has not left ignorance a bit,” Imam ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi ( r.a. ) wrote, “When Allah ( s.w.t. ) Establishes the servant in a situation among the situations, which shari’ah does not blame, he should stick to good manners by choosing to remain in it and be pleased with it.  He should also be attentive of Allah by guarding over the situation's proper manners.  Let him be in accordance with Allah’s Desire for him until He is the One Who Takes him out of it.”   Sidi Abu ‘Utsman al-Hasani ( q.s. ) aid, “For forty years, Allah has neither kept me in a

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 sees the secrets of the servants and does not try to imitate Divine Mercy, his seeing such is a trial for him and a reason for misfortune to befall 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 real miracle folding of the Earth is that the span of your worldly life is folded up and you see the next life closer to you than your own self.”

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 you see answering all questions he is asked, describing all events he sees, and mentioning everything he knows, recognise from these actions his ignorance.”

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 fall into a misdeed, do not despair of attaining continuous obedience with your Lord.  It may be the last misdeed Decreed 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 , “Glory be to Him Who does not guide to His friends except whom He Wills.  And He does not make any one reach His friends except he who He Wishes to make reach 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 , “He has Forbidden you from claiming that which is not yours of what people own.  Would He then allow you to lay claim to His Attributes while He is the Lord of the worlds?”

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 ask to be Rewarded for an action which you do not create.  It is enough of a Reward for your actions that He Accepts them.”

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 believer is praised, he becomes shy in front of Allah ( s.w.t. ) that he be praised with something he does not see in himself.”

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 sad about missing acts of obedience without rising to perform them is a sign of delusion.”

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 wants to Display His Bounty on you, He Creates and Ascribes it to 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 , “If you want Him to open for you the door of hope, look towards what He has Sent you.  When you want Him to open for you the door of fear, look towards what you have sent 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 , “Whoever does not approach Allah ( s.w.t. ) by the Gentle Acts of His Grace is Drawn to Him by the chains of tribulations.”

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 affirmed through His Affirmation and it is Wiped Out in relation to the Oneness 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 , “Cling to the Attributes of His Lordship and become realised in the attributes of your servanthood.”

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 are praised for what you are not worthy, praise Allah for what He is Worthy.”

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 follow His Command externally and Gives you complete surrender to Him internally, He has Given you a Tremendous Blessing.”