Virtues of the Righteous

The venerable master and one of those who knew Allah, Qutb Ahmad al-Husayni , writes in the book “Al`iqd alnafis”, «Almighty Allah told the Prophet Musa , “If you see that poverty has befallen you, then say: ‘welcome, this is a sign of people who are devout!’ And if you see that the worldly has come near by you, then say: ‘this is a sin that has already befallen me as punishment in this world!’” In a hadith it is said, «Satisfaction with the trivia of the worldly is an inexhaustible treasure.» One of the righteous observed, “In our opinion, satisfaction with trivia is when a person notices no difference between well baked and under baked barley bread. And he also eats only as much bread as he needs for his body to be able to perform his daily prayers.”

Righteous predecessors considered a man to be a fool for mourning his dead child but not for suffering from the loss that he could receive from Almighty Allah. It is as if such a person is saying, «I am crying over that which has distracted me from my Lord.»

He should on the contrary - have rejoiced in the death of his son, turning completely to his Lord, for the Almighty took from him what distracted this slave from Allah. Verily, children, wives, servants and friends will not lament after you when you die. For they lament only for that which they do not receive from you. Therefore, be ahead of them in your weeping and say to yourself, “It is fitting for me to lament because of my neglected share from Allah even before they (wife, children) cry over me.”

When Almighty Allah wants to make someone His beloved (wali), He will make all the worldly hateful for this slave.

In a hadith it is said, «When the worldly enters into the society of people, it assuredly causes enmity and hatred among them.»

Indeed, all the worldly is worth not even the little wing of a mosquito before Almighty Allah. He who understands this will not praise those who have known Almighty Allah for their renunciation of worldly life. For that which all ascetics have rejected is merely a tiny piece of that little wing that has fallen to their lot and which is not even visible due to its insignificant minuteness. And praising one who is endowed with detachment from such insignificant, useless things is actually exalting the worldly. It appears that the righteous who have attained closeness to the Lord say, “Those that love the worldly will not be given the capacity to approach Almighty Allah until a slave discards and tramples on his portion of the mosquito’s little wing. But none of those in love with worldly life venture to do this.”

Imam al-Sha`rani said, “They have taken a vow from us that we will see the contemptibility of this insignificant world and will strive to settle in the eternal world. For you, my beloved brother and dear friend, it is no secret that the inhalations and exhalations of our breaths are numbered and that there will be no more and no less.

And this world is arable land for eternal life. And one who is inactive at the time of sowing will be very despondent at harvest time. Almighty Allah said (meaning), “A person is designated only that which his zeal has earned.” (Sura An-Najm, ayah 39).

Regarding portion and sustenance, Almighty Allah also said (meaning), “There is not a single living being on earth which walks, crawls or flies through the air, whether it is small or large, male or female, sick or healthy, whose sustenance Almighty Allah does not assume Himself.” (Sura Hud, ayah 6). To strive and exert effort for the acquisition of that what is guaranteed to us by Allah, and to do nothing and be lazy in acquiring that which is authorized for us, is great stupidity.

Let it be known to you with certainty that a person who is solicitous of the affairs of his nafs is like one who looks and cares for a snake which then kills him. And a person who addresses himself to worldly life, having turned away from the matters of eternal life, is like a dog who has set upon stinking carrion.”

Essence of renunciation of the worldly life

Former righteous people have well realised the essence of renunciation of the worldly (zuhd) and have established its various degrees. It is said that when Abu Yazid al Bastami was asked about asceticism and how he began to detach himself from worldly possessions, this great righteous man answered, “Asceticism does not have even a single degree.»

And when al Bastami was asked to clarify what he meant by this, he answered, “Because I was in ascetic seclusion for three days, and on the fourth day came away. On the first day, I renounced this world and everything that is in it. On the second day, I renounced the eternal world and everything in it. And on the third day I renounced everything except Almighty Allah.”

Asceticism does not mean that you should lack worldly possessions. However, the meaning of renunciation is that while possessing worldly goods you do not leave a place in the heart for them. This is how the righteous predecessors understood the essence of renouncing worldly life.

They said, “O murid, leave as much worldly property for yourself as suffices not to have to ask people for something, but do not transgress the limits, rejecting the worldly entirely.”

Imam al Sha`rani said, “From us they have taken a vow that we do not renounce the way of the worldly completely. Our asceticism must be the same as that of the truly knowing slaves of Almighty Allah. We must strive to direct our hearts filled with love only to our Lord and only then take some worldly goods. And this is all because Almighty Allah showed great mercy by subjugating to us everything that is in the heavens and on the earth. And if we did not need that which is in the heaven and on the earth, there would be no sense in showing mercy which subordinates to us all goods.»

The righteous often drew attention to the fact that the presence in the heart of a slave of anything of the worldly presents danger. Therefore, they showed incredible zeal in order to warn murid of the consequences of love of the worldly. As an example, we give a few profound statements of the righteous.

Abul Hasan Ali ibn al Mazin said, “If you praise a person and begin to consider him as among the special righteous (siddiq [1]), this will not mean anything to Allah as long as there is even a grain of love for the worldly in that person’s heart. I swear by Allah, of those who have entered the tariqa no one has fallen into spiritual ruination except those who in their souls there has remained even some sweetness for wealth.”

Sheikh Al Shazali noted, “Almighty Allah does not love a slave until he hates the worldly and those who are busy pursuing it, and also as long as slave does not renounce the goods of both worlds, and the love for them. Almighty Allah has a hatred for everyone who loves the worldly. Therefore, a murid is obliged to let go of the worldly both from hands and heart.”

The righteous Abu Rabi al Wasiti said, “I asked Dawud to make out a will for me, to which he replied, “Practice fasting from the worldly and make death the breaking of the fast. Flee from people as you would from wild animals.” Yahya ibn Ma`az said, «Fear everything that is not predestined for you and then reject all you have.»

[1] A person who has achieved a high degree of knowledge of Almighty Allah.

From the book “Virtues of the righteous” by sheikh Ahmad-Afandi Mufti Dagestan