Virtues of the righteous
From Imam ash-Sha`rani they said, “Everyone who is engaged in worship has made something other than Allah as his goal which was not authorized by the Almighty.
People can be divided into several categories in this regard:
1. Those who, through their knowledge, deeds and other good acts, strive to occupy a certain place in people’s hearts, to gain fame and reputation and to have spread in prestige.
2. Those who, through their knowledge and deeds, strive to raise their degree and yearn to be endowed with the ability to perform miracles (karamat), to discharge the affairs of the world, to walk on water, to fly through the air and to unveil the hidden.
3. Those who do not pursue any worldly goals through their knowledge and deeds, but strive only to gain entry to Paradise, beautiful paradisiacal virgins and other rewards of eternal life.
4. Those who, through their knowledge and deeds, strive to be saved from the fire of Hell and the fear of accounting and punishment on the Day of Judgment. And also to be saved from torment and affliction that Almighty Allah has prepared for people in the next world.
5. Those who, through their knowledge and deeds, strive to draw closer to Almighty Allah and to attain His satisfaction and love for Him.
However, there are those who have no other intention in their knowledge and deeds except to worship Allah as He is truly deserving of worship. Such a person does not rely on his own power and strength but performs all his deeds sincerely in the fear of Almighty Allah. He does not see that he has fulfilled even one iota of the duties that he was entrusted with in the manner in which he was commanded. Only after this, does a murid begin to approach the level of sincerity of the chosen people, each atom of whose worship is equated with a thousand years of worship of those people of the previous five categories. In the book “Ibriz” it is noted, “All that you have done for the sake of rewards and blessings are acts for other than Almighty Allah.”
Absolutely devoid of benefits are the deeds of people performed not for Almighty Allah’s sake but for their own selfish goals and interests. Such deeds only distance one from Almighty Allah for they contradict the essence of His ordinances. The Almighty did not say, “Perform deeds for the sake of your own goals and for doing so I will bestow great rewards on you.” On the contrary, Almighty Allah said (meaning), «Worship Me with sincerity and I will endow you with blessed recompense.» Therefore, our intentions regarding all of our deeds should be only for the sake of Almighty Allah, for His exaltation and His greatness.
How despicable and ignorant a servant is, if he believes that his deeds earn benefits and rewards, although he knows that the deeds committed by him do not bring him benefits even as minute as a single hair! We ourselves and our deeds were created for Almighty Allah, therefore how can we hope to gain benefits for these deeds created for Him and not merely relying on His grace and mercy? However, complacency in relation to Allah blinds insights. May Allah save us from this!
Know that the cure for ostentation (riya’) and self-admiration (`ujb) is to increase the remembrance of Almighty Allah (dhikr). A sheikh-mentor, who has reliable authorisation do so, instills this dhikr in the heart of the murid (talqin) until the true oneness of God (tawhid) – monotheism - appears in his heart and until he sees all his deeds as the creations of Allah only. In these deeds, nothing but his name belongs to the servant.
Our Sheikh `Abdurrahman al-`Asawi said, “A person will not be freed from committing deeds for show until he reaches a level in which he sees that there is no mover but God.” This happens when a murid reaches perfection. Allah knows best!
Subtleties of hypocrisy
Among the subtleties of hypocrisy is worship with the intention of getting closer to the presence of God Almighty, for that is like working for a wage. This illness is one of the hidden faults and its possessor may ascend to nearness to the presence of God Almighty, whereupon it is said to him, “Return, because you are not one of its people. Its people are those who worship God in compliance with His command and in fulfillment of the duty of His right, the Almighty.”
The nuances of hypocrisy also include the abandoning of work because of people. The righteous Fudayl stated, “Abandoning good works for the sake of men is hypocrisy (riya’), and to perform them for the sake of men is polytheism (shirk). Through sincerity (ikhlas) God absolves you from both.»
Performing deeds for show also includes ceasing to engage in the jocularity permitted by the Lord when someone comes with whom you feel uneasy. Fudayl said, “If they told me, ‘Truly, the ruler of the faithful is now coming to you’ and I adjusted my beard, I would be afraid that my name would be written down among the hypocrites.” Such aspects of performing deeds for show include bowing one’s head and displaying excessive reverence when an important person enters.
Know, O Muslims, that the possessor of sincerity does not care about people’s words, does not feel offended in his heart with slander and does not admire nor rejoice in praise. So be at heart with Allah and exert every effort to avoid negligence and be better for creation, expand in living for your family and for yourself and seek the lawful where it is found.
Master Ibrahim al-Matbuli said, “When Almighty Allah created people, He asked them, “Who are you?” They replied, «Your servants who love You.» The Almighty said, «Think over what you are saying, because those who love Me cannot be taken from Me by anything and cannot be deterred even by swords and calamities.» The people said, «Test us as You will.» Then the Almighty created for them the blessings of worldly life. Nine-tenths of them went after the worldly and only one-tenth remained. Allah addressed the latter, “Who are you?” They answered, «Your servants who love You.» The Almighty said, “Think over what you are saying, because you who love Me cannot be taken from Me by anything and cannot be deterred even by swords and calamities. You, indeed, have seen your companions and how they chased after the things of the world.” They said, «Test us as You will.» Then Allah created Paradise for them and adorned it for their eyes. And nine-tenths of those remaining went to Paradise. Then Allah asked the rest, «Who are you?» They replied, “Those who love You.” The Almighty said, “Think over what you say, after all you saw your companions.” They said, «Test us as You will.» Then the Lord tested them with one among a gamut of afflictions. They showed fortitude and withstood. And this Allah also endowed them with. Then the Creator said to them, “You are My true servants, you neither pursued the blessings of worldly life nor Paradise nor fled from adversity. Testify, O My angels, that I am pleased with these who are close to Me.»
