Risāla Al-Mufidu Lil-Mustafid (The Benefit for the Beneficiary)

Baba Afzal Kashani  

Page 47-49


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Q: Why is it that we frequently do not annoy people but people annoy us?
A: Perhaps you are not bothering the individual right now, but indeed you have bothered him in the past or have had the intention to disturb him in future!

It is also possible that the individual is not attempting to disturb you but instead disturbs your ‘nature’—this nature being your enemy—thus in turn this perturbed nature annoys you with such ease and enmity. (Translation?)

It is also possible that you may have viewed the actions of the Al-Haqq (Absolute Reality & Truth, Allah) as your and other individuals' own doings; this false-vision is what is making you suffer, for if you indeed saw all actions as those of Allah the Most Wise, the Most Generous, then no bother would have ever come to you.

Or it may be that you have considered your Self as someone great and important, therefore you indeed have annoyed your own self.

Indeed you have positive impressions of your Self and are totally ignorant and clueless of the Kibria’ (Greatness) of Allah! Beyond all doubts, the slightest move against your nature enrages you, for you have no idea ‘who you are’ and ‘how/why you are’. And yet, if you could empty your head from the Kibr (Arrogance), Mani (I-ness, Narcissism, Farsi) and ‘Ujb (Self-Admiration) you would not have been annoyed. Thus know for sure that:

All your bother and annoyance are due to the you-ness of you!

It is only you that bothers you! Forsake your own Self and all annoyance and bother will cease.

Comfort and suffering emerge due to the Wujud (Being-ness)! Once you no longer are, and your you-ness is replaced by Allah’s, then comfort and suffering are revealed to be nothing more than the Divine Attributes of Lutf (Gentleness) and Qahr (Severity) which emerge under the complete control and volition of The Divine Wisdom and Will.

Once you have reached this Maqam (Stationary state of the heart), you become independent of comfort and suffering; on the contrary,  and you view suffering as the wine of your Beloved Friend (Allah) and comfort as the strike of the sword of the enemies.

The best of creation (peace be upon him ) said: "No prophet suffered as I have suffered". This statement is a part of the Shariat (Prophetic Ways and Mannerism) designed to raise the awareness of the Muslims (to remain steadfast), and to warn the disbelieving enemies, that, in reality, the Prophet saw all happenings as coming from Allah and thus nothing bothered him. However as the recurring suffering plagued his nation by the will of Allah, the Prophet would redirect the suffering of his nation to his own self.

الجامع الصغير. الإصدار 3,22 - لجلال الدين السيوطي
المجلد الخامس >> باب: حرف الميم
7852- ما أوذي أحد ما أوذيت
التخريج (مفصلا): ابن عدي في الكامل وابن عساكر عن جابر
تصحيح السيوطي: ضعيف



The suffering of the prophets is the wrong-doings and evil of their nations, while their comfort is the good deeds and behavior of their nations. Had the Prophet been suffering and wounded of his own accord (like us ordinary folk and not as a prophet), then he would not have uttered the invocation: "O My Lord guide my nation, for  they are not thinking (right)".

زيادة الجامع الصغير، والدرر المنتثرة، الإصدار 2.05 - للإمام السيوطي
كتاب "زيادة الجامع الصغير"، للسيوطي >> حرف الهمزة
1319- إن الله لم يبعثني طعانا ولا لعانا ولكن بعثني داعيا ورحمة اللهم اهد قومي فإنهم لا يعلمون.
(هب) عن عبد الله بن عبيد بن عمير مرسلا.

And as the Qur’an states: "And for sure we know that you are bothered with what they say"[Surat al-Hijr 15:97], referring to what they say (of insults) about Allah and this religion. For the annoyance of the Prophet was due to the Shariat (Prophetic Ways and Manners) and to the wrongdoings of his nation, and not because of personal difficulties such as lack of provisions.

Therefore, we should not compare and equate our circumstances with those of the Mustafa (The Chosen, Muhammad), for his suffering was due to Allah’s commands and yours are due to your own nature!

On that account, suffering has two categories:

1.    Due to your own Self
2.    Due to Allah  

When the person reaches the Maqam (Stationary State of the heart) described above, only that which relates to the lack of Allah’s pleasure bothers him and nothing relating to his own Self annoys him.



Chapter

Know that there can come a time when no one annoys you and you do not annoy anyone; that is when you are content with a bite of food, a piece of cloth on your back and a shabby hut, living in this crafty deceptive world.  On that day you will sing to your self:

"The Sufi’s garment should be as such
A bite of food no matter where he resides

Most precious is the Sufi garment of men of high morals
Who are content with a single bite of the food of Luqmān"

Until such time when man shall avoid luxuries and excesses, it is impossible for him to avoid being annoyed and annoying others! The only solution is to become content with a bite of food, a patched up garment and a ruined little hut. and if unavoidable to allow for one Shaitan (What puts distance between the slave and Allah, devil) to be added to the latter, if the man possesses Solomon-like attributes, since subjugating the devils was Solomon’s way! Otherwise how could two devils be together? (Dara: The second devil is the evil inclinations of the Nafs (Self). Some Murids (Seekers of the Divine) have devils that must stay with them e.g. the alcoholic person who loves Allah but has to drink, the substance abuser who cries to Allah but his body has to consume the drugs, the person who has a position in a corrupt government or business where the corruption mixes evil with his life and provision. Or the victims of child or sexual abuse who have to endure these devils to roam around their lives; some other Murids, might have been exposed to spirits which stay with them for life, and they have no way but to accept their presence as long as they do not allow any control from them.)

And when this person is content with the scant food, rags to wear, a shabby hut and a subjugated devil, then he is the Solomon of his own time and life, at peace with people and people at peace with him.

And if he reaches this Maqam (Stationary state of the heart) his body is a Zahid (Ascetic) and a Abid (Servant of Allah, worshiper), since the body was created for the Ibadah (Servitude) and the worship of this body to leave people at peace from the evil of the tongue and the evil of the hand. This was the Fatwa (Instruction) of the Sahib-eh Shariat (The owner of the Shariat): "The Muslim is he who leaves the people at peace from his hand and his tongue!"

الجامع الصغير. الإصدار 3,22 - لجلال الدين السيوطي
المجلد الثاني >> [تتمة باب حرف الألف]
1292- أفضل المؤمنين إسلاما من سلم المسلمون من لسانه ويده. وأفضل المؤمنين إيمانا أحسنهم خلقا، وأفضل المهاجرين من هجر ما نهى الله تعالى عنه، وأفضل الجهاد من جاهد نفسه في ذات الله عز وجل
التخريج (مفصلا): الطبراني في الكبير عن ابن عمرو
تصحيح السيوطي: صحي

The Maqam of Najat (The station of salvation) from the Fire is the latter, and these are easy for the person for whom Allah made these things easy. 

End.













© 2007-2002,  Dara O. Shayda, Dr. Hind Rifai