[senas1]

there were a few points that were put on this board i like to comment on. firstly i am well aware of the fact that a women consent is required in islam for a marrige to happen. but if we consider that a lot of muslim women are really living in sin, since they had no choice but to consent because their family wished them to or they were too young to know what they really wanted so it wasn't really "informed" consent. NEW PARAGRAPH yes! in western culture kids start to date quite early (my nephew is just 4 and he has already found himself a little girlfriend at his daycare) i am not going to say that i agree with it. there are a lot of things that seem quite shallow to me in western culture, one is the sort of tmovie's that makes it seem uncool to keep you're virginity till you're in you're mid to late twenties. but the fact that there is higher divorce rate in the west compared to the east is not because relationship in the west are more shallow. in iran for example a child belongs to the father (they say this is islamic), women who choose to seperate from their husband can loose the custody of their child, besides their is no future for them after divorce. we have family friend in Iran who got married when she was only 11, she left her husband a few month afterward but she was pregnant, she is 27 now unmarried and was lucky enought her ex did not claim the custody of their daughter. she has worked hard, now she has been assked by her male co-workers that either she should get married or she would loose her job. that is why divorce rate are so much lower in a lot of islamic states. NEW PARAGRAPH someone asked me on this forum to not mix culture and Islam, but a lot of cultures claim they are following Islam ruling. for example covering one's hair, or stonning and so on. so if i do mix them up please don't think i am trying to accuse Islam, i am simply asking wether it is islam, and wether it is right?

[senas1]

dear Muhammad Ibrahim NEW PARAGRAPH i will not pretend i know much about anything. i am at the stage of learning, that is why i am here asking about Islam. i never said the western life is perfect. yes there is probably a lot of abuse against women in the west. i don't have data to support my claim but i feel much safer walking at night in Melbourne than i felt walking during daylight in Iran. NEW PARAGRAPH i feel i am the one who has to apologise to you for offending you, i have no intention of insulting Islam, yes i am sure they are good man who believe in Islam like my father, and they are good ones that do not believe in Islam like my mentor who happens to be Jewish. i don't just question Islam, believe me i question any religion or ideology. you probably sooner or later realise that i don't actually have an opinion, i think it could be because when i was growing up in iran and learnt about the Islam they taught me i readily agreed with everything without questioning, if people said islam says this, then it had to be so. but when i came to the west (if u can call Australia that) i started realising that a lot of what i believed was wrong and i have been very causious to believe in anything too strongly. the west is not perfect not even close too, but what society is. NEW PARAGRAPH you say that prophet muhammed was perfect! but then perfect might have a different meaning to you than it does to me?!

[senas1]

dear Muhammad Ibrahim NEW PARAGRAPH i will not pretend i know much about anything. i am at the stage of learning, that is why i am here asking about Islam. i never said the western life is perfect. yes there is probably a lot of abuse against women in the west. i don't have data to support my claim but i feel much safer walking at night in Melbourne than i felt walking during daylight in Iran. NEW PARAGRAPH i feel i am the one who has to apologise to you for offending you, i have no intention of insulting Islam, yes i am sure they are good man who believe in Islam like my father, and they are good ones that do not believe in Islam like my mentor who happens to be Jewish. i don't just question Islam, believe me i question any religion or ideology. you probably sooner or later realise that i don't actually have an opinion, i think it could be because when i was growing up in iran and learnt about the Islam they taught me i readily agreed with everything without questioning, if people said islam says this, then it had to be so. but when i came to the west (if u can call Australia that) i started realising that a lot of what i believed was wrong and i have been very causious to believe in anything too strongly. the west is not perfect not even close too, but what society is. NEW PARAGRAPH you say that prophet muhammed was perfect! but then perfect might have a different meaning to you than it does to me?!

[venus_zany]

So, what's your definition of perfection?

[venus_zany]

Harun Yahya-a great Islamic Scholar/Scientist

[venus_zany]

About Custody Laws

"Islam's custody laws should have no bearing on your decision to embrace Islam. If we look at Islam through the prism of laws and regulations, with no understanding of the spirit behind those laws, then it is easy to believe that Islam is harsh. Please don't become disillusioned. There are many ways of looking at Islam. It is better to look at this faith in the spirit of the love, mercy, and compassion it has engendered in the lives of countless men and women.

Generally, when there is a divorce, babies and small children are given over to the mother. However, this does not mean that the father retains no visitation rights. He is certainly allowed to be with his children. Furthermore, when boys reach the age of seven and girls reach the age of nine, the father gains custody. Also, the children are allowed to choose who they would prefer to live with, so they are also given a say in the matter. And, bear in mind that the operative principle here is that the child lives with the parent who is best able to provide for his physical, educational, and spiritual needs. In some cases, this may be the mother. In others, it's the father."---Shaykh Zaynab Ansari

"The general rules of custody don't apply to every particular situation; rather, they are very context-dependent and the consideration of who is objectively more likely to take care of the material and religious upbringing of the child better is very important.

This is why it is imperative (before taking matters to secular court or the like) to take individual cases to reliable scholars of understanding and wisdom."---Shaykh Faraz Rabanni

[venus_zany]

The first thing that every married Muslim must realize is that one's spouse is first and foremost another Muslim. He/she is one's brother and sister in Islam. Therefore, at minimum all rights that fall upon a Muslim due to the general brotherhood of Islam are also due to one's spouse. It is a sad situation for a Muslim brother or sister to respect their Muslim brothers and sisters outside of the house but for the situation in the house to degenerate into less even than that minimum standard of respect and kindness inside the household. Therefore the first step is for every Muslim to open some of the books about respect, manners (adab) and courtesy towards other Muslims and to realize that all of those principles apply to their partner in their house. The Prophet (sas) stressed this when he said:'

"Laa yu'minu ahadukum hattaa yuhibbu li akheehi ma yuhibbu li nafsihi."
"No one of you has believed until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." Bukhari & Muslim

Clearly, husband and wife have even greater rights and obligations toward each other due to the great and important contract which ha been transacted between them and on which basis they live together. In the Qur'an, Allah states that if a husband wishes to divorce one wife and marry another that he may not take back any of the dowry which was given no matter how large it was. Then, Allah says:

{Wa kaifa ta'khudhoonahu wa qad afdhaa ba'dhukum ilaa ba'dhin wa adhadhna minkum meethaaqan ghaleedhan.}
{How could you take it once you have entered unto one another and they (the women) have taken from you and awesome covenant.}An-Nisaa:21

Because of this "awesome covenant", rights and obligations between husband and wife should not be looked at coldly or legalistically. Spouses should strive to make other happy and take into consideration the needs, abilities and weaknesses of the other. Since in most cases, neither spouse is completely fulfilling their obligations, they should both realize and acknowledge their own shortcomings.

The Prophet (sas) in particular advised the husbands to treat their wives in the best way - perhaps due to their greater authority in the household and their greater strength. This is clear in the following hadith:

"Khairukum khairukum li ahlihi wa anaa khairukum li ahliy."
"The best of you is the best of you to their family and I am the best of you to my family."

"Istawsoo bi an-nisaa'i khairan fa innahunna khuliqa min dhila'in wa inna a'waja shai'in fiy adh-dhila'i a'laahu fa in dhahabta tuqeemuhu kasartahu wa in taraktahu lam yazal a'waja fastawsoo bi an-nisaa'i khairan."
"I entreat you to treat women well for they have been created from a rib and the most crooked part of a rib is the upper part. If you insist on straightening it, you will break it. If you leave it, it will remain crooked. So, I entreat you to treat women well."Bukhari

Actually, both spouses usually fail to some extent in fulfilling their obligations. Therefore, before criticizing the other or being harsh with the other due to some shortcoming, each one should look first to themselves and realize what wrong they may be doing.

Common Rights Between the Two

There are some rights which each of the two spouses has over the other. These include:

1. The right to enjoy each other.
2. The right to inherit from each other.

Rights of the Wife/Obligations of the Husband

Allah said in the Qur'an:

{Wa lahunna mithlu alladhiy 'alaihinna bi al-ma'roofi}
{And for them (women) similar to what is upon them according to what is right.} Al-Baqarah:228

Commenting on this verse, Ibn Katheer wrote that the spouses have similar rights upon one another and each must do his or her best to fulfill the other's rights

The rights of the wife over the husband:

1. The dowry
2. Support
3. Kind and proper treatment
4. Marital relations
5. Not to be ill-treated (such as physical or mental abuse)
6. Privacy
7. Justice between multiple wives
8. To be taught her religion
9. Defense of her honor

The rights of the husband over the wife are:

1. Being head of the household
2. To be obeyed in all that is not disobedience to Allah [f: with the limits mentioned: the wife must obey the husband in anything lawful, related to their marriage, as long as there is no harm or contravention of the Shariah in it, or the taking of others' rights (including her own, such as her right to dispose of her own property as she wishes)].
3. Marital relations
4. That she not allow anyone in the house of whom he disapproves
5. That she not leave the house without his permission
6. To be thanked for his efforts

[venus_zany]

The reason a Muslim wife is required to ask for her husband's permission before leaving their house, and letting someone in, is because this way there wont be any doubts, arguments or insecurities.
Neither the husband or wife are allowed to "chill" with friends of opposite sex.

[venus_zany]

"A warning for men.

Jabir (radhiallaho anho) narrates that the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) also gave these instructions in his sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage. "Fear Allah regarding women; for you have taken them (in marriage) with the trust of Allah. (Mishtat)

This warning establishes the sanctity and inviolability of women's rights. In this teaching men have been cautioned that although they are guardians of women, they should not exercise this responsibility without concern and fear of accountability to Allah. They should be mindful that Allah is a witness between them and their wives and it is through His commandment and permission that women have been made lawful for them through marriage. Women are therefore in Allah's protection. If the husbands are cruel they are guilty of breaching their trust with Allah. How big an honour this is for women and how stern is the warning for their guardian husbands, that they should remember that women are in Allah's protection. (Ma 'Arif al-Hadith)

The wife is therefore entrusted to the man on a sacred pledge to which Allah is a party. Islam teaches that in this union the function of the woman is not only for the gratification of physical drives. On the contrary she is viewed as the most qualified partner of man in shaping the character of family and society for the realisation of the ultimate aims of human existence.

Advice for men

The Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihi wasallam) has said: O people, your wives have a certain right over you and you have certain rights over them. Treat them well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. (Tirmidhi)

Fair dealings and good behaviour is necessary towards everyone, but the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihi wasaliam) the mercy for all mankind, emphasised it especially towards women.

Kindness to the wife, an aspect of faith

A'isha, (radhialiaho anha) reported Allah's messenger as saying, "Among the believers who show most perfect faith are those who have the best disposition, and are kindest to their families." (Tirmidhi)

Note: A'isha (radial ho anha), the Holy Prophet's wife, is one of the most famous women in Islamic history. She was gifted with an outstanding intelligence and memory and is considered to be one of the most reliable narrators of ahadith

Sharing domestic work with the wife.

The Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) has said; "Helping wives (in their domestic work) earns (men) the reward of charity." (Kanz)

Narrated Al-Aswad (radhiallaho anho): I asked A'isha (radhiallaho anha), "What did the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) do at home? " She said, "He used to work for his family and when he heard the call for the prayer, he would go out." (Sahih al-Bukhari)

This demonstrates the great inducement to care for women by sharing their domestic chores."

Do you still feel there is a gender bias in Islam?

[venus_zany]

The Fundamental Equality of Men and Women in Islam

The Qur'an emphasizes that men and women are equal in their essential physical and metaphysical nature. We read in that regard, "We have surely ennobled the descendants of Adam." [1] This ennoblement of the human being precludes any claims to gender superiority, or any feelings of inferiority based on physical, or metaphysical composition. Such feelings underlie schemes of gender-based oppression, and have no place in Islam.

We also read in the Qur'an, "We have surely created the human in the best of molds." [2] Again, this process of human creation is not gender specific. It includes men and women. As human beings, they have both been created in the best of molds, and their respective ability to fulfill their human potential hinges on factors which have nothing to do with their physical differences.

Islam also emphasizes that both men and women are equal in their servitude to God. Neither gender is a greater or lesser servant of the Divine, even though that servitude may vary in some minor details. For example, women are ordered to cover their hair, while husbands are ordered to spend for their wives' maintenance. In the modern human-centric worldview, both of these orders would be considered manifestations of oppression; of women in the first instance, of men in the second. However, as Muslims we understand that these are simply two varying manifestations of servitude. We further understand that "God does not desire to oppress His servants in any way." [3]

Furthermore, men and women are rewarded equally for their righteous deeds. God says in the Qur'an, "And your Lord replied, 'I shall never cause the deeds of any of you to be lost, male or female, you are of each other." [4] This verse, and those immediately following it, advocate that women and men are equal in their religion, human worth, the rewards they receive for their worship, and the recompense for their worldly struggles. Imam Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi summarizes these meanings in his commentary on these verses:

There is no difference in God's response [to their supplications], nor in the recompense received by the male and the female [for their righteous deeds], as long as they are equal in steadfastly maintaining the obedience of God. This indicates that virtue in religion is based on deeds and not accidental attributes. The fact that some people are male or female, or from lowly or lofty lineage has no bearing in this area. [5]

A related verse mentions that this fundamental equality also pertains in terms of their susceptibility to the punishment of God as a consequence of transgression. God says, "Whoever does wrong will be recompensed accordingly. And whoever does good, male or female, as long as they are believers, they will enter Gardens, provided for therein without stint." [6]

Even if one believed that men are "better" than women, that belief has no meaning in practical terms, as a particular woman can be better than a particular man, based on her deeds and actions. Similarly, the generality of women can be better than the generality of men  in a particular time and place. The great grammarian, Ibn Hisham al-Ansari, elucidates this point in his explanation of the use of the definite article in the Arabic language. He says:

The definite article is for demarcating a category. Hence, your saying, "The man is better than the woman," if you do not mean by that statement a particular man or a particular woman. Rather, what you mean is that the [former] category in and of itself is better [than the latter]. It is not correct to say that every single man is better than every single woman, because reality contradicts that. [7]

Hence, there is no basis in Islam, if it is properly understood, for any woman to believe that she is inferior to any man. The deeds of the individual are what distinguishes him or her. One whose deeds are best, be he male or female, is best. As God proclaims, "The most noble of you with God is the most pious." [8]

Endnotes

[1] Al-Qur'an 17:70

[2] Al-Qur'an 95:4

[3] Al-Qur'an 40: 31

[4] Al-Qur'an 3:195

[5] Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi, at-Tafsir al-Kabir, (Beirut: Dar Ihya at-Turath al-'Arabi, 1417/1997), vol. 3, p. 470.

[6] Al-Qur'an 40:40

[7] Ibn Hisham al-Ansari, Qatr an-Nada wa Ball as-Sada, ed. Muyiddin 'Abdul Hamid (Sayda, Lebanon: al-Maktaba al-'Asriyya, 1421/2000), p. 135.

[8] Al-Qur'an 49:13

Source: Zaytuna

[Aslan]

I would recommend that you do some research on Tasawwuf. That is the heart of Islam and is very interesting(well to me).
InshAllah i'll post some things of it here.

[Aslan]

Try this site out:
http://www.sunnah.org/tasawwuf/jihad001.html
It is important that you reflect on this paragraph:

 Abu Yazid [al-Bistami], may God be well pleased with him, said: I was for twelve years the blacksmith of my ego (haddadu nafsi), then for five years I became the mirror of my heart (mir'atu qalbi), then for a year I looked at what lay between the two of them and I saw around me a visible belt [i.e. of kufr = the vestimentary sign of a dhimmi]. So I strove to cut it for twelve years and then looked again, and I saw around me a hidden belt. So I worked to cut it for five years, looking to see how to cut. Then it was unveiled for me (kushifa li) and I looked at creation and saw that they were all dead. So I recited the funeral prayer over them."

[senas1]

thanks for the reply, it is quite long and dense so i need to read it carfully before questioning it. but just out of curiousity is it possible for husband and wife to negotiate or rathe swap their rights, if they not happy with what they get. so for example as a women (if i was a muslim) i don't care the right to dawry but i rather be the head of the houshold, could i negotiate it. and what if my husband doesnot approve of my family to come to our house, or perhaps we have a child that he disaproves of and has disowned (say he/she left Islam, is gay, or has chosen to study something other than what the father wishes), am i still not allowed to let them in our house?

[senas1]

i had to ask, one of a husband's right is to be obeyed, right? i understand the limitation, but i have a quite personal question. my father wass in jail for two years before his death (he was executed). my oldest sister husband didn't want her to visit him. (she wasn't very good muslim) she tried to visit him behind her husband back, but ofcourse she couldn't do so as much as she liked (ofcourse he admits he was wrong, but what use does it do now). was he breaching his right, was she really a not good muslim for disobeying him?

[mibrahim]

i had to ask, one of a husband's right is to be obeyed, right?

if your question is are women to worship their husbands ? The answer is no. Only Allah alone is fit for lordship. So if her husband was doing something wrong - the wife has a right to stand up against it. Because the Qur'an says not to transgress limits. As Muslims we stand up against injustice with proper ijtiha and ijma (logical thinking) -  How does one know if he/she is making the right decision ? Do isthikhara i.e a special prayer which helps to make a corret decision. If your sister and her husband are firm believing muslims as you said they were they would do this before making such a radical decision.

[NaylaH]

Salaam,
sorry to hear your story as you have lost your father, however dont you think your dad has left/did leave you with such blessing of ISLAM in your heart..!?
he read the shahadah in your ear as a blessing, so you can turn to Allah swt when you are alone or confused, i greatly advice you to sit down and search within your heart your imaan. you'l find ISLAM (peace) inside you. once this is done, brother answer to all your problems are set free.
jazakhallah khair

[senas1]

thanks all fofr you'r ehelp i had a big discussion with my brother about islam, and i realise the way i was trying to understand Islam was wrong. i came to the realisation that perhaps the laws that Islam has are not timeless, and they were appropriate for a certain culture (to correct the attitude of people in a certain culture) but what is timeless is the spirit or the reason why those laws came to existance. perhaps there is no need for a married person not to "chill out" with friends of opposite sex (most of my friends are males, i am more comfortable with male friends rather female friends, and plan to keep my friendship with them even if i get maried to a muslim) as an example. while my opinion about why that law came about is quite subjective and not bassed on hisgtorical information, what this law tells me is to gain and respect the trust of my partner. NEW PARAGRAPH>>>>>> sorry i am going off without a direction! religion is a spirtual thing a heavenly science, and i was trying to understand it without considering the limitation that this life has. (suddenly the beutiful quate that Ahlus sunnah put in regarding Abu Yazid [al-Bistami] makes more sense) i do not regard myself a muslim (and i am not sure if i ever will), i have to learn about the spirit of Islam first, and to do that there are some demons in me that i have to face. [/H] but thankyou again.

[Aslan]

I strongly condemn your suggestion that Islam is limited to a culture!!!
Tell me, what is the point of getting married if you still follow your desires and stay with other men??
For me, Islam has given me so much peace, even when so many people(mostly non-Muslims) have hurt me.
But Islam turned everything around, such miracles happened, such wonders. You don't udnerstand/

[Aslan]

Also, Islam is the first religion which gave rights to women, and the blacks and slaves!!! Before Islam, they all used to bee treated like dogs!!!
The daughters would be buried!!!
As for the 2 genders mixing, it is against Islam because it leads to enormities i.e. grave sins, these sins validate the point of marriage!!!
Thats why the path to these enormities are cut off, so anything that leads to them is cut off!!!
Imagine, if you have girlfriends or boyfriends, and your spouse found out!!! How would he or your children react!!! It would damage society gravely in many ways.
Thats why intermingling of different genders is not allowed in Islam.
The Holy Prophet said this about the rights of women in Islam:

Prophet Muhammad's
Last Sermon

This sermon was delivered on the Ninth day of Dhul al Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat.

After praising, and thanking Allah, he said:

"O People, listen well to my words, for I do not know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Treat others justly so that no one would be unjust to you.

Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (riba), therefore all riba obligation shall henceforth be waived*. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no riba and that all the riba due to `Abbas ibn `Abd al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived.

Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabi`ah ibn al Harith ibn `Abd al Muttalib.

O Men, the Unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to forbid that which Allah has made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve in number. Four of them are sacred, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Sha`ban. Beware of the devil, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. It is your right and they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste...

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, perform your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your financial obligation (zakah) of your wealth. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and you will answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or messenger will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I am leaving you with the Book of Allah (the Qurân) and my Sunnah (the life style and the behavioral mode of the Prophet), if you follow them you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people."

See this article on the status of women on Islam:

http://www.livingislam.org/n/wmnc_e.html

And since Tasawwuf is the heart of Islam, its definition and aim is this:
( tasawwuf ) is a knowledge through which one knows the states of the human soul, praiseworthy or blameworthy, how to purify it from the blameworthy and ennoble it by acquiring the praiseworthy [qualities], and to journey and proceed to Allah Most High, fleeing unto Him [by taking a spiritual path - tarîq ].
   Its fruits are the heart's development, knowledge of God - Allah - through direct experience and ecstasy [ie. true experience of the Divine], salvation in the next world, triumph through gaining Allah's pleasure, the attainment of eternal happiness, and illuminating and purifying the heart so that noble matters disclose themselves, extraordinary states are revealed, and one perceives what the insight of others is blind to.

[muhammadabubakr]

I begin writing this post in the blessed name of Allahu ta'ala, Who pities all human beings by creating and sending them useful things in the world; Who forgives, as a favor in the Hereafter, those Believers who have deserved Hell, and Who creates all creatures, keeps them in existence every moment and protects them against fear and horror. Salams be to those good people whom He has selected and loved!

Not a single one of us can satisfy you with his own words as we; ourselves do not have that strong a faith as we should have had. So why not we all understand together what the people of reality declare about all the uncertainties you and we have in our minds. Why not heal our hearts with the words dipped in the ultimate medicine. May these words help cure the disease in our hearts. Ameen.

It was in the guesthouse, on Sunday the 9th of Dhu'l-Qa'da, A.H. 545, that the Shaikh Abd-ul-Qadir Al-Jilani (may Allah be well pleased with him) said:

"The believer [mu'min] takes his rations, while the unbeliever [kafir] takes his pleasure. The believer takes his rations because he is on a journey. He is content to use a tiny fraction of what he owns, while investing the greater part in the hereafter. Apart from giving himself a traveler's allowance, based on what he can carry, he keeps all his property in the hereafter. His heart and his aspirations [himma] are all there. His heart is concentrated there, indifferent to this world. He forwards all the merit of his acts of worship to the hereafter, not to this world and those who belong to it. If he has some tasty food, he donates it to the poor, knowing that in the hereafter he will have something even better to eat. The goal of the aspiration [himma] of the experienced ['arif] and learned ['alim] believer is the door of his nearness to the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He), and that his heart should get there in this world, before the hereafter. Nearness to the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He) is the goal of the steps taken by the heart and the secret journey of the innermost being.

I see you [going through the motions of the salat-prayer:] standing upright [qiyam], sitting on your heels [qu'ud], bowing from the waist [ruku'], and falling in prostration [sujud], as you lose sleep in weary vigil. But your heart never moves from its place, never leaves the home of its being, and never changes its familiar habits. Be honest in your quest for your Master (Almighty and Glorious is He); your honesty [sidq] may enable you to dispense with a lot of exhausting effort. Peck open the egg of your being with the beak of your honesty, and knock down the walls of your devotion and attachment to creatures with the pickaxes of sincerity [ikhlas] and your affirmation of Unity [tawhid]. Break the cage of your appetite for things with the hand of your abstinence from them. Fly away with your heart until you alight on the shore of the ocean of your nearness to your Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He). Then the sailor of Preordination [as-sabiqa] will come to you. He will have with him the ship of Providence [al-'inaya], and so he will take you across to your Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He).

This world is an ocean, and your faith [iman] is its ship. This is why Luqman the Wise [al-hakim] (may Allah's mercy be upon him) said: "O my dear son, this world is an ocean. Faith is the ship. The sailor is your obedient worship [ta'at]. The shore is the hereafter."

O you who persist in sinful disobedience! Coming to you very soon are blindness and deafness, old age and poverty, and the hardening of people's hearts toward you. Your possessions will all be gone because of losses, confiscations [musadarat] and thefts. Be sensible. Repent to your Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He). Do not make idols of your possessions and put your trust in them. Do not become attached to them. Evict them from your hearts. Keep them in your houses and your pockets, and with your servants [ghilman] and your agents [wukala']. Be ready for death. Diminish your appetite and reduce your expectations.

Abu Yazid al-Bistami (may the mercy of Allah be upon him) is reported as having said: "The experienced believer [al-mu'min al-'arif] seeks nothing of this world and nothing of the hereafter from Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). All he seeks from his Master is his Master [innama yatlubu min Mawlahu Mawlahu]."

O young man! Return with your heart to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). One who is repentant [ta'ib] to Allah is one who is returning [raji'] to Him, and His words (Almighty and Glorious is He): "Repent unto your Lord," (39:54) i.e., "Return to your Lord," mean: "Turn back and surrender everything to Him." Surrender your own selves to Him, and cast them down in submission before His decree, His destiny, His commandment, His prohibition and His transformative workings [taqlibat]. Cast your hearts down in submission before Him, without tongues, without hands, without legs, without eyes, without "How?", without "Why?", without argument and without contradiction, but rather with agreement and confirmation. Say: "The commandment [al-amr] is true. Destiny [al-qadar] is true. Preordination [as-sabiqa] is true." If you are like this, your hearts will surely be repentant unto Him and witness Him directly. They will not take a liking to anything, but rather feel distaste for everything beneath the heavenly Throne [al-'arsh] down to the surface of the earth. They will flee from all created things, and remain separate and cut off from all temporal phenomena [muhdathat].

No one knows how to behave correctly with the Shaikhs unless he has served them and become aware of some of the spiritual states [ahwal] they experience with Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). The people [of the Lord] have learned to treat praise and blame like summer and winter, like night and day. They regard them both as from Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), because no one is capable of bringing them about except Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). When this has become real for them, therefore, they do not place their confidence in those who praise them, nor do they fight with their critics, and they pay no attention to them. Their hearts have been emptied of both love and hate for creatures. They neither love nor hate, but rather feel compassion.

What benefit can you derive from knowledge without sincere belief [sidq], since Allah may allow you to go knowingly astray? You acquire learning and do the salat-prayers and keep the fast, all for the sake of people, to get them to be well disposed toward you, to lavish their goods on you, and to sing your praises in their homes and their social gatherings. Suppose you do get all this from them; when death comes to you, and torment and anguish and terror, you will be cut off from them and they will do nothing to help you. The goods you got from them will be consumed by others, while you must suffer punishment and face the final reckoning. O deserter! O outcast! You are one of those who are "toiling, weary" (88:3) in this world, and weary tomorrow in the Fire [of Hell].

Worshipful service ['ibada] is a skilled craft, and its experts are the saints [al-awliya'] and the sincere Abdal [spiritual deputies] who are brought close to the presence of the Lord of Truth (Glorious and Exalted is He). Those scholars who put their knowledge into practice are the deputies [nuwwab] of Allah upon His earth, and of His Envoys [rusul]; they are the heirs of the Prophets [al-anbiya'] and the Messenger [al-mursalun]. Not you, O deluded fools, O you who are preoccupied with tongue-wagging and legalistic knowledge [fiqh] of the outer [az-zahir], accompanied by ignorance of the inner [al-batin].

O young man! You do not amount to anything. Islam [submission to the will of Allah] has not become a fact for you. Islam is the foundation upon which everything is built. The profession of faith [ash-shahada] has not become completely real for you. You say: "There is no god but Allah [la ilaha illa'llah]," but you are lying. In your heart there is a whole collection of gods [aliha]. Your fears of your ruler [sultan] and of your local governor [wali] are gods. Your reliance on your earned income and your profit, on your power and your strength, on your hearing and your sight and your energy, all these are gods. Your ways of viewing creatures as the source of injury and benefit, of giving and withholding, are also gods. Many people talk about these things with their hearts, while making it appear that they are talking about the Lord of Truth (Glorious and Exalted is He). Their mentioning the Lord of Truth (Glorious and Exalted is He) has become a habit for their tongues, not for their hearts. When they are challenged on this score, they fly into a rage and say: "How can such things be said of us? Are we not Muslims?" Tomorrow the shameful facts will be disclosed, and things kept hidden will be revealed.

Woe unto you! When you say: "There is no god [la ilaha]," it is an absolute negation [nafy kulli], and "except Allah [illa'llah] " is an absolute affirmation [ithbat kulli]. You are asserting this as true of Him, not of any other than Him, so whenever your heart relies upon anything other than the Lord of Truth (Glorious and Exalted is He), you are making your affirmation falsely, for the thing you have relied upon has become your god [ilah], regardless of outer appearances. It is the heart that is the believer [mu'min], that is the monotheist [muwahhid], that is sincere [mukhlis], that is devout [mutaqqi], that is pious [wari'], that is abstinent [zahid], that is convinced [muqin], that is experienced ['arif], that is effective ['amil], that is the leader [amir] while all the rest are its troops and its followers.

When you say: "There is no god but Allah," speak first with your heart and then with your tongue. Trust in Him and rely on Him, to the exclusion of any other than Him. Devote your outer [zahir] to the law [hukm] and your inner [batin] to the Lord of Truth (Glorious and Exalted is He). Leave good and evil to your outer, and concentrate on your inner together with the Creator of good and evil. When someone knows Him directly ['arafahu], he submits to Him. His tongue grows weary in His presence. He behaves humbly toward Him and toward His righteous servants. His cares, his grief and his weeping are multiplied. His fear and his dread increase, as well as his sense of shame and his remorse for previous shortcomings. He becomes intensely wary and afraid of losing the direct experience [ma'rifa], the knowledge ['ilm] and the nearness he has attained, because the Lord of Truth (Glorious and Exalted is He) is:

Doer of what He will, (11:107) and: He shall not be questioned as to what He does, but they shall be questioned. (21:23)

He fluctuates between two prospects. Looking back over his negligence, his impudence, his ignorance and his indulgence in pleasure, he melts with shame and fears chastisement. Then he looks toward the future, wondering whether he will be accepted or rejected, whether he will be stripped of all he has been given or allowed to keep it, and whether on the Day of Resurrection he will be in the company of the believers or that of the unbelievers. This is why the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said:

I am the one amongst you who knows Allah best, and I am the one amongst you who fears Him most.

The most extraordinary and rare of all those who have real experience ['arifin] is one who receives safe conduct [amn]. What has been preordained for him is read out to him, so he knows his refuge and how he will come to arrive there. His innermost being [sirr] reads what is destined for him on the Preserved Tablet [al-lawh al-mahfuz]. Then it informs his heart of this, telling it to keep it a secret and not to make it known to the lower self [nafs].

The first stage of this business is Islam, compliance with the commandments and avoidance of the prohibitions, and patient endurance of misfortunes. Its final stage is the renunciation [zuhd] of everything apart from the Lord of Truth (Glorious and Exalted is He), and an attitude of indifference toward gold and dirt, praise and blame, gifts and the withholding of gifts, Paradise and the Fire [of Hell], blessing and suffering, affluence and poverty, and the presence and absence of creatures. When this has been fully accomplished, there is Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) beyond it all. Then comes the appointment by Him to leadership [imara] and authority [walaya] over creatures. All who see one so appointed will derive great benefit from him, because of the awesome dignity [haiba] and radiance [nur] of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) with which he is invested.

Our Lord, give us in this world good, and good in the hereafter, and guard us against the torment of the fire! (2:201)"

Reference:

Al-Fath ar-Rabbani (The Sublime Revelation)

The above discourse was delivered by the Shaikh, the Imam, the most learned scholar, the pious abstainer, the dutiful worshipper, the knower by direct experience, the avoider of excess, the Shaikh of shaikhs, the proof of Islam [hujjat al-Islam], the axis of the human race [qutb al-anam], the upholder of the Sunna, the suppressor of heretical innovation, the crown of those who know by direct experience, the love of those who tread the spiritual path, the pillar of the Shari'a [the Law of Islam], the mainstay of the Haqiqa [the Experience of Reality] and the signpost of the Tariqa [the Spiritual Path], the chief of the saints, the leader of the pure, the lantern of those who travel the spiritual way, the guide, the captain of those who are devoted to their duty, the lamp of the people of devotion and purity, Shaikh Muhyi'd-Din Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Qadir, son of Abu Salih Musa al-Jili the grandson of 'Abdu'llah the Hermit. May Allah sanctify his spirit and illuminate his mausoleum. May He gather us at the Resurrection as members of his company, and may He grant that we die in the embrace of his affection. May He allow us to enjoy the benefit of his blessed grace and of his spoken words, both in this world and in the hereafter.

Ameen!

Allah Hafiz