A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ One of the great Sufi a’immah who was also known as a muhaddits , preacher, and Maliki jurist, Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) is the author of al-Hikam , Miftah al-Falah , Qaswd al-Mujarrad fi Ma’rifat al-Ism al-Mufrad , Taj al-‘Arus al-Hawi li Tadzhib an-Nufus , ‘Unwan at-Tawfiq fi Adab ath-Thariq , the biographical Latha’if fi Manaqib Abu al-‘Abbas al-Mursi wa Shaykhihi Abu al-Hasan , and others.  He was Shaykh Shahab ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn ‘Umar al-Mursi’s ( q.s. ) student and the second successor of the Sufi founder, Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ash-Shadzili ( q.s. ).   Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) was one of those who confronted Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah ( r.a. ) for his excesses in attacking those of the Sufis with whom he disagreed.  Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) never referred to Shaykh...

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’s beginning shines, his ending also shines,” Imam ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi ( r.a. ) wrote, “This is another way of saying something similar to what has just passed.  The shining of the disciple’s beginning is through his returning to Allah ( s.w.t. ) in his important affairs and relying on Him in his misfortunes.  The shining in his ending is reaching closeness to Him and coming into His Presence.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi ( r.a. ) wrote that the virtue of dzikr is not confined to saying, “ Laa ilaha illa Allah ”, “ al-Hamdulillah ”, “ Allahu Akbar ”, or other similar words.  Rather, every servant who acts according to the obedience of Allah ( s.w.t. ) is a dzakir of Allah ( s.w.t. ).  This is what Shaykh Abu Muhammad Sa’id ibn Jubayr ( r.a. ) and other scholars have said.   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) said, “The assemblies of dzikr are the assemblies of halal and haram .”

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, “Perhaps your state is bad, but appears to you to be good because your companion is even worse than you,” Imam ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi ( r.a. ) wrote, “This hikmah notes the greatest of the calamities that can enter the heart of the person who goes against what we have previously mentioned - who goes ahead and accompanies someone whose state is lower than his.  This calamity is to find the state one is in agreeable, which causes the person to be pleased with himself by seeing its presumed well-being.  As we mentioned before, this act is the root of all evil.”

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, “Light reveals, insight judges, and the heart approached or turned away,” Imam ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi ( r.a. ) wrote, “These three differing terms are used to convey three distinct ideas.  Light helps remove the veil from unseen spiritual things until they become clear and are viewable.  Insight helps to judge the correctness of what is viewed.  Finally, the heart can approach by acting by what insight sees or it can draw back by not acting by what insight sees.”

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, “He only makes spiritual experiences come over you so that with them you may come to Him,” Imam ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi ( r.a. ) explained, “A spiritual experience is what comes to the heart concerning Divine Knowledge and spiritual subtleties to purify the heart and cleanse it until it is fit for entering Allah’s Presence.  This is because the Divine Presence is unreachable by hearts made turbid by created things and stained with the filth of others.  Thus, He Only Made the spiritual experience come to you so that you may with it come.”

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,   “How can it be imagined that something could veil Him while He Manifests everything? How can it be imagined that something could veil Him while He Appears through everything? How can it be imagined that something could veil Him while He is Evident in everything? How can it be imagined that something could veil Him while He is Apparent to everything? How can it be imagined that something could veil Him while He is the Manifest before the existence of everything? How can it be imagined that something could veil Him while he is more Evident than anything? How can it be imagined that something could veil Him while He is the One alongside Whom is n...

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, “How shall Divine Light shine upon a heart whose mirror is stamped with the impressions of Created things?  Or how shall it travel to Allah ( s.w.t. ) while chained in its lusts?  Or how shall it wish to enter the Presence of Allah ( s.w.t. ) while uncleansed from the impurity of forgetfulness of Him?  Or how shall it hope to understand subtle secrets while having not repented from its mistakes?”   Imam ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi ( r.a. ) expounded, “It is impossible to bring two mutually exclusive opposites together.  Such as trying to unify movement and stillness or light and darkness.  These things that the author has mentioned are oppo...