A Muslim Convert Once Before

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 sixth adab , which is submission and contentment in what the decree brings. He said, “Every breath you breathe emerges according to a Preordained Decree.”   “Breath” means a moment of time, the amount of which is the time it takes to exhale and inhale.   It is longer than the twinkling of an eye which is longer than an instant, which is the glance of the eye.   The Decree is the prior knowledge of things before they appear.   He Knows best their times, loci, amounts, and the number of individuals and their circumstances and the afflictions which befall them.   Human being, when we realise that our...

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. ).   When the heart enters the presence of purity and the place of intimacy, they are fine secrets and filled with gifts and lights.   Our shaykh indicated that by saying, “If it has not turned away in regret from its lapses, how can it hope to grasp the subtleties of secret knowledge?”   Hope is to desire something while striving to obtain the means to it.   Otherwise it is wishful thinking.   Fahm , grasping, is to obtain knowledge of what is desired.   The subtleties of secrets are the inscrutable parts of tawhid .   Tawbah is to turn away from every blameworthy attribute.   This is the tawbah of the elite.   Lapses are slips and errors.   Gra...