Virtues of the righteous
CHAPTER 14
Love
Know that the essence of love is sympathy, an inclination in a person’s nature towards something or someone because it (the object of love) brings pleasure to the one who is in love. True love of a servant for the Lord appears only after his heart is cleansed of all spiritual impurity (murkiness), for the love of the Almighty is of the quality of all-consuming fire. And the sign of such love is the doing away of passions and attachments to both worlds. And a sign of Allah’s love for His servant is the love of the servant for Allah. Allah’s love for a servant is His will (iradah) to endow him with abundant favours and good deeds by bringing him closer to Him and bestowing on him high spiritual states and degrees. God’s will is an attribute that takes on different names according to the different acts to which it is connected. If it is connected to universally bestowed blessings, it is called ‘mercy’ (rahmah) and if it is connected with particularly bestowed blessings, it is called ‘love’ (mahabbah).
Know that those in love with Allah are divided into three categories: ordinary people, the chosen and the especially chosen [1]. Everyone will love whoever loves Almighty Allah greatly. The whole Muslim community is of unanimous accord that love of Allah and of the Prophet ﷺ is an individual duty of each and every believer.
The Messenger of Allah ﷻ said, “When Allah loves one of His servants, He says, “O Jabril, I love such and such a person, therefore love him too!” Then all the inhabitants of heaven will love him and all the inhabitants of the earth will accept him.” The Prophet ﷺ also conveyed the words of the Almighty, “If I look in the heart of a servant and do not find in it love for the worldly, I fill his heart with My love.» The Prophet ﷺ also said, “A sign of love for Allah is love for His remembrance.”
Statements about love
1. The love of a servant for Allah is in his glorification of Him, trying to gain His contentment, having little patience in being separated from Him, finding no comfort in anything other than Him and (experiencing intimacy in his heart by making) continual remembrance of Him.»
2. It is said that to love Allah means to hasten to fulfill the obligatory and additional forms of worship, as well as to strictly distance oneself from disobedience. This is affirmed by the words transmitted by the Prophet ﷺ from Almighty Allah, “A servant best draws near to Me by performing the obligations (fard) I have enjoined on him. He continues to draw near to Me by means of supererogatory (Sunna) acts of worship until I love him. For him whom I love, I become his ear, his eye, his hand, and his support.»
3. They also say, «Love is a state of a servant that does not decrease with hardships and does not increase with kindness.»
4. «Love is a fire in the heart that consumes everything except the Beloved’s wishes.»
5. In interpreting the words of Allah (meaning), «Worship Allah and do not attribute partners to Him,» the theological scholar Mujahid commented that they mean, «Do not love anyone but Allah.»
6. One of those who knew Allah (`arifun) related the following from the Almighty, “O My servant, I have created all for your sake - and you I have created for Myself. But you have not occupied yourself with what was created for you and have betrayed Me to oblivion. When blessings distract you from the One who bestowed them on you, you do not express due gratitude for them. This is why every blessing that distracts you from Me is a curse and every boon that distracts from Me is a tribulation.»
In short, there is danger in claiming to love Allah. Therefore, Fudayl explained, “If you are asked, ‘Do you love Almighty Allah?’ remain silent. This is because, should you answer negatively, you lapse into unbelief. And should you answer in the affirmative, you do not possess the qualities of those who love Allah. Therefore, fear the wrath of Allah.” One of the theological scholars said remarked, “There is no bliss in Paradise higher than the bliss of the people who know and love Almighty Allah and there is no torment in Hell that is more severe than the torment of the one who claims knowledge and love for Allah and none of that is possessed.”
CHAPTER 15
Sincerity
The essence of sicerity
Know that sincerity (ikhlas) is purifying one’s actions of any awareness of fellow creatures. Sincerity is the opposite of showing off. If a person has not committed a deed for show, this means that he was sincere. The performance of ostentatious deeds (riya’) is a person’s striving to occupy a place in the people’s hearts through demonstrating (or disclosing) his good deeds and qualities. For example, this is when someone wants people to take notice of his worship and other good deeds. According to an authentic tradition Almighty Allah said, «Sincerity is a secret taken from My secret, which I have placed as a trust in the hearts of servants I love.»
Know that sincerity in relation to Allah is demonstrated in deeds, words and property. And each degree has its own preconditions for the followers of the oneness of God (monotheism). These are: that we do not attribute neither any benefit and harm nor any solution and fixing to any of creation and not to utter such words and expressions such as «I», «with us», «our» and «according to us» - except as a metaphor or out of forgetfulness. For to correlate whatever may occur with people’s will is considered a hidden attribution of a partner to the Almighty (shirk). Almighty Allah said (meaning), «Worship Allah and do not attribute any partner to Him.» (Sura An-Nisa, ayah 63) The word «any» is here stressed to indicate no exception.
A murid asked for the forgiveness of sins from his Lord, saying, “O my Lord, forgive me! Truly, You have promised forgiveness to everyone who did not attribute any partner to You and You know that I never attributed to You a partner.» Then he heard a secret voice asking, «Even on the day they brought milk?» The murid then felt ashamed, for he remembered that one day he was brought milk to drink and he said, «I am afraid that the milk will harm me.» Allah considered these words as shirk, for the murid linked harm and milk. Reflect on this.
Remedy against ostentation
Know that someone who wants to be completely rid of this quality (i.e. performing acts for show) needs a perfect spiritual guide (sheikh kamil) whose choice is exhausted in his sheikh’s choice. This is necessary so that the spiritual mentor may lead him along the unseen path and bring him to the presence of Almighty Allah. This is because a person who has not embarked on this path (i.e. the path of the tariqah) does not rise in degree in his worship but rather is just marking time with his nafs and other creatures. But if he entered the path of tariqah and reached the state of sincerity then he will realise that only Almighty Allah is the true Creator of all a person’s deeds. And then there will be no other choice for him but to admit that only figuratively and metaphorically are the deeds he performs associated with his own self and his will. And then he will begin to perceive the parts of his body as instruments that someone else controls and makes move. He will realise that Almighty Allah moves the parts of his body, nourishing them with strength and support. The Messenger of Allah ﷻ said, «I fear for nothing for my community, except for hidden polytheism - and this is the performing of deeds for show.»
Treatment for ostentation is a difficult matter, for this quality is meshed with the human heart and rooted within it. The cause of the difficulty of treatment is that a person, as he has grown up and matured among people, has seen them manifesting it among themselves by adorning each other and praising each other.
[1] That is, ordinary Muslims, muridin and sheikh-mentors.
