بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلۡفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللهِۖ وَٱللهُ هُوَ ٱلۡغَنِىُّ ٱلۡحَمِيدُ
١٥:فاطر
O mankind! Ye are the poor in your relation to Allah. And Allah! He is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise.
Faatir:15
The blessed first ten days of Dhul Hijjah have passed, but not without leaving an imprint. It is in this month - especially so when the pilgrims are adorned in the apparel of the deceased - that it is evermore obvious how impoverished we are before our Lord. Although entirely dependent on Him, we fail to readily acknowledge our lack of influence in meeting our elementary needs let alone anything else. Sure enough another reminder has come, and it is up to us to act on it.
I have been remembering my dreams quite vividly of late. A few days ago I savoured one throughout the day, but this morning was quite the contrary. It was one in which I was sure that the wrath of Allah was upon me and thus I found myself making istighfaar. If my destruction was ordained, then my delayed istighfaar would likely have been in vain as was the case with nations that only sought refuge in their Lord after bearing witness to the punishment that they were promised for their lies and evil ways. I woke up too soon to find out the reality of my situation, but my accelerated heart rate was a reminder that dreams are sometimes a thing to consider.
Some of us may have not seized the gifts that these last ten days offered. Perhaps we even neglected to take our share of the bounties that were showered upon this world in Ramadhan. Nonetheless, we must know that we have until our deaths before all hope for reform is lost. The challenge, obviously, is that the timings of our deaths are unknown and our lives are in vain and utterly pathetic when they are void of beseeching our Lord's mercy and continuously turning to Him.
If we reflect on our lives, we will note that He gives us whatever it is that we sincerely seek. Eventually, in some form or another, He grants us those desires. So why do we not hope for the desire of being close to Him? Why do we not hope to worship Him and praise Him as is most appropriate for our existence? To acknowledge our lowliness before Him is to understand the signs of His unfathomable greatness that are constantly before us.
Simply speaking, we need to find sincerity in our hearts and ask. He gives us every excuse for His mercy, undeserving as we may be, and He gives us every opportunity to draw close. But we need to ask of Him, and we need to strive in His way.
The companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, would ask Allah for every single need. They would even ask Allah for salt that might be within arm's reach. Why? Because they knew that everything, without exception, is from Him, and He is the only provider. Unlike many of us, they did not put their hopes in the means, but they took solace in the Source. Allah. La ilaaha illa Hu.
When you ask of anything, ask Him. No specific day is is the best day to turn to Allah and seek His forgiveness and good pleasure, though some days and times (like tahajjud) support such beautiful endeavours.
As the sacred month of Dhul Hijjah continues, intend to make aright the wrongs in your life and heart, and let gratitude be your adornment before death becomes your companion.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌۖ أُجِيبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِى وَلۡيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِى لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡشُدُونَ
١٨٦:البقرة
And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright.
Al Baqara:186
Updated 28/11/11
I'm hesitant in sharing this here because it could be counterproductive if misunderstood. Nonetheless, it is a weighty gem worth reflecting on and seeking further clarification about from our scholars.
Your asking Him is a charge against Him. Your asking for Him is [due to] your absence from Him. Your asking for other than Him is due to your lack of modesty in front of Him. Your asking from other than Him is due to being far from Him.
- Hikam #21 of Ibn Ata-illah
A commentary of the above hikam states:
There are four ways the servant asks and all of these are faulty:
(1) asking from Allah,
(2) asking for Allah Himself,
(3) asking for other than Him, and
(4) asking from other than Him.
[As for the first], asking for something from Him is an accusation (charge) against Him. If the servant put his trust in Allah to send him his needs without asking, he would not demand anything from Him.
[As for the second], asking for Allah Himself is [a sign] of being absent from Him, since the person already in His presence does not ask [for Allah].
[As for the third], asking for other than Him shows a lack of modesty on the part of the servant. If he were modest in front of Him, he would withdraw from what He dislikes such as asking for other than Him. Not mentioning other than Allah nor preferring anything over Him are among the types of modesty that He has a right to.
Finally, asking from other than Allah is due to the servant's remoteness from Him. If he were close to Him, others would be far from the servant and he would not ask anything from them.
Therefore, all asking is faulty according to those who declare Allah's oneness and know Him, regardless of whether this asking is concerned with the Truth or creation. However, the exceptions are asking in order to keep good manners with Allah, to do so as an act of worship, to follow Allah's command [al-Qur'an 40:60], and to express one's need and poverty. In these cases, asking Allah has no fault in it.
١٥:فاطر
O mankind! Ye are the poor in your relation to Allah. And Allah! He is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise.
Faatir:15
The blessed first ten days of Dhul Hijjah have passed, but not without leaving an imprint. It is in this month - especially so when the pilgrims are adorned in the apparel of the deceased - that it is evermore obvious how impoverished we are before our Lord. Although entirely dependent on Him, we fail to readily acknowledge our lack of influence in meeting our elementary needs let alone anything else. Sure enough another reminder has come, and it is up to us to act on it.
I have been remembering my dreams quite vividly of late. A few days ago I savoured one throughout the day, but this morning was quite the contrary. It was one in which I was sure that the wrath of Allah was upon me and thus I found myself making istighfaar. If my destruction was ordained, then my delayed istighfaar would likely have been in vain as was the case with nations that only sought refuge in their Lord after bearing witness to the punishment that they were promised for their lies and evil ways. I woke up too soon to find out the reality of my situation, but my accelerated heart rate was a reminder that dreams are sometimes a thing to consider.
Some of us may have not seized the gifts that these last ten days offered. Perhaps we even neglected to take our share of the bounties that were showered upon this world in Ramadhan. Nonetheless, we must know that we have until our deaths before all hope for reform is lost. The challenge, obviously, is that the timings of our deaths are unknown and our lives are in vain and utterly pathetic when they are void of beseeching our Lord's mercy and continuously turning to Him.
If we reflect on our lives, we will note that He gives us whatever it is that we sincerely seek. Eventually, in some form or another, He grants us those desires. So why do we not hope for the desire of being close to Him? Why do we not hope to worship Him and praise Him as is most appropriate for our existence? To acknowledge our lowliness before Him is to understand the signs of His unfathomable greatness that are constantly before us.
Simply speaking, we need to find sincerity in our hearts and ask. He gives us every excuse for His mercy, undeserving as we may be, and He gives us every opportunity to draw close. But we need to ask of Him, and we need to strive in His way.
The companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, would ask Allah for every single need. They would even ask Allah for salt that might be within arm's reach. Why? Because they knew that everything, without exception, is from Him, and He is the only provider. Unlike many of us, they did not put their hopes in the means, but they took solace in the Source. Allah. La ilaaha illa Hu.
When you ask of anything, ask Him. No specific day is is the best day to turn to Allah and seek His forgiveness and good pleasure, though some days and times (like tahajjud) support such beautiful endeavours.
As the sacred month of Dhul Hijjah continues, intend to make aright the wrongs in your life and heart, and let gratitude be your adornment before death becomes your companion.
١٨٦:البقرة
And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright.
Al Baqara:186
Updated 28/11/11
I'm hesitant in sharing this here because it could be counterproductive if misunderstood. Nonetheless, it is a weighty gem worth reflecting on and seeking further clarification about from our scholars.
Your asking Him is a charge against Him. Your asking for Him is [due to] your absence from Him. Your asking for other than Him is due to your lack of modesty in front of Him. Your asking from other than Him is due to being far from Him.
- Hikam #21 of Ibn Ata-illah
A commentary of the above hikam states:
There are four ways the servant asks and all of these are faulty:
(1) asking from Allah,
(2) asking for Allah Himself,
(3) asking for other than Him, and
(4) asking from other than Him.
[As for the first], asking for something from Him is an accusation (charge) against Him. If the servant put his trust in Allah to send him his needs without asking, he would not demand anything from Him.
[As for the second], asking for Allah Himself is [a sign] of being absent from Him, since the person already in His presence does not ask [for Allah].
[As for the third], asking for other than Him shows a lack of modesty on the part of the servant. If he were modest in front of Him, he would withdraw from what He dislikes such as asking for other than Him. Not mentioning other than Allah nor preferring anything over Him are among the types of modesty that He has a right to.
Finally, asking from other than Allah is due to the servant's remoteness from Him. If he were close to Him, others would be far from the servant and he would not ask anything from them.
Therefore, all asking is faulty according to those who declare Allah's oneness and know Him, regardless of whether this asking is concerned with the Truth or creation. However, the exceptions are asking in order to keep good manners with Allah, to do so as an act of worship, to follow Allah's command [al-Qur'an 40:60], and to express one's need and poverty. In these cases, asking Allah has no fault in it.
2 comments:
MashaAlla, good reminder on how to suppilcate...here's a beautiful dua by shaikh muhammad al-yaqoubi:
Invocations to Allah on how to supplicate Him
Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi
O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You what is Yours lest I misbehave.
O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking for what You did not decree to happen; lest I transgress my boundaries.
O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from supplicating You while I am in a state that is unpleasant to You lest I be rejected.
O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from calling upon You in a time when You do not allow it, lest I be prevented.
O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You for what You did not predestin for me.
O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You for what You predestined for others.
O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You for what has already been decreed to happen from pre-eternity and has been determined regardless of my actions.
If I do, it is only in obedience to You, and for supplicating and beseeching You; not to object or suggest, and not to hasten the execution of Your decree or make it happen.
O my Lord! I supplicate You only to show my state of powerlessness and to remind myself of its inherent flaws; as You my Lord love the servant who supplicates in a state of humility and need, but do not love the servant showing sufficiency and will.
O my Lord! I ask You while I am aware that You predestined my supplication, just like You predestined Your grants.
O my Lord! I ask You while I am aware that You made it appear that my supplication is the cause of Your grants, only to allow me to witness the course of Your action in what is being done; and to allow me to see with my heart the transcendence of Your Attributes in motion and stillness.
O my Lord! I ask You while I am aware that You predestined my supplication inasmuch as I am aware that You predestined not to grant it in order for me to come back to You with full submission; and to acknowledge that You are the Omniscient and the Wise; and to witness the oneness of Your Authority and Dominance over the world of things and the world of spirits; and to allow my heart to witness all Your Attributes.
O my Lord! I ask You and call upon You to obtain the honor of being included amongst the ones You call to You; and to attain the quality of servitude when You call me "O my Servant" when I am before You; and to get the pleasure of hearing Your address to me when You say, "I am answering your call." So, my Lord, make all my supplications to You a door for me to get to You, and a key for bringing me close to You, and a ladder for me to climb the steps of servitude to You.
O my Lord! I ask You for guidance in all my affairs, as You have recommended; and ask You of Your boundless Bounties as You commanded while I am aware that the Pens have been put aside, and the books have been closed. My aim is to bring my intellect out of reflecting upon what it wants to reflecting upon what You want; and in hope of changing the course of my actions from what You do not like to what You like; so that time is saved and I stand in full submission before You. Since bringing about what You do not want belongs to the realm of impossibility, thinking about it brings exhaustion and busying with it is a cause of distress. Out of Your wisdom and justice, You hid the secrets of the inaccessible knowledge from most people; and out of Your Mercy and out of Your Bounty, You revealed signs of the inaccessible knowledge to an elite group of Your servants; yet You revealed the secrets of Divinity in what You hid, and concealed the Lights of Lordship in what You revealed.
O my Lord! make me, when, upon supplication, I receive the grants, rejoice that Allah guided me to ask for what was decreed; and do not make me when seeing the grants rejoice that Allah answered my call and gave me what I asked for. Make us rejoice for being guided to ask of You what You have permitted to happen from pre-eternity; and do not make our rejoicing limited to the favours You just granted us. The guidance You grant to Your servant, to direct him to ask for what You like is a bounty that You bestow only upon those You select, while others become attached only to the gifts given to them upon their supplications, which makes the gifts a veil detaching them from You and pulling them towards the created beings.
Our Lord! Pour on us the various aspects of Your bounties and mercy; and make us a target of the manifestations of Your Wisdom; and include us in the people You love, regardless of what You decree upon us; and of the people who are attached to You, whatever You bring to us. As he who knows You does not need others; and he who seeks You will travel through all orbits.
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