Question:
Assalaamualaykum
Forgive me, I have this thoughts in my mind for about 1 year.
Where are the creatures will? If there are Allah’s will, so where are the creatures (human) will? If someone do the bad things, although he tried not to, but finally he can not avoid to do bad things, is that also Allah’s will? Or is it because the ignorance of that person?
I feel ashamed, because I most of the time keep falling to my ego, my nafs. I feel ashamed too, because my tests are nothing compare to anbiya wal mursaleen.
And the worst, I am complaining about my tests. I am afraid, I am a very weak person afraid that I am not ready yet.
Please pray for me sayyidi, pray so I can keep Allah in my heart. Nor the ego, or nafs.
Wassalaamu’alaykum
Answer:
Wa `alaykum salam,
Insha-Allah, Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani is praying for you. There is a similar question on Pre-destination that you may read.
Step by Step Progress
Our method is the method of step by step progress to a noble goal. And if you can act upon even 1% of all the practices that are recommended, it is alright, but 0% is no good. 100% is for saints, but as we are beginners, 1% is alright for us. We must try our best to ensure that we take our first step — even if it be a small and hesitant one.
Using the Will Power
We have been given one of the Divine Attributes: the will power. It has not been granted to any other creature. It is a Divine Attribute, but He has granted a part of it, asking us to use it as much as possible.
Don’t think that your will is over His Will. Don’t forget that you are weak creatures. Don’t forget that you are servants. The servant’s will cannot be over his Lord’s Will. We have been given a will power, but for what? In our life we have goodness and badness; you can use your will for the goodness or the badness.
Your will is like the engine of a train. When it arrives to the station, or when it departs from it, it will give a sign of direction, and the track will stay opened. That is your will. You can choose between going to Madrid or to Valencia; it is your choice. But you must give the signal.
Make the sign if you want to go to the mosque or to the cathedral or to the synagogue. If you want to go to the university, the track towards the university will open. If you sign towards the bar, the theater, or the disco, there is where you will end. If you give and prepare a good signal, you will end to the terminal of the good people. Then don’t worry about your destiny. But if you go with the group of shaitans, you will finish in the cemetery, in prison, in the hospital, or in the mental house.
I am not teaching you these things that you already know. I am only activating your will power, your goodness, and your intention to follow the good ones, not shaitan and his fellows.
To Carry Difficulties Without Leaving the Practice
“There is an unchanging method in Islam,” says our Grandsheikh. “Whoever tries hard and carries difficulties in the way of Allah Almighty and His Prophet must be given his reward. While he is carrying his heavy load of worship and does not leave his practice, there may come, at any time, a private mercy for that servant, taking him from here and putting him in his station in the Divine Presence.”
A man once intended to go to Hijaz (area of Saudi Arabia containing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina). He loaded his supplies on his back and set out on foot. He walked as far as he could until his strength was used up, and he could go no further. And yet his intent remained alive. Do you think your Lord would leave His servant in the desert like that?
That man remained patient, though with no hope for himself and no power to help himself. At that time, Allah looked out for him; a private mercy opened for that servant. A camel appeared coming along that way. His Lord sent that servant to Hijaz.
This is our example. If a man carries difficulties for the sake of Allah, his Lord does not leave him. His Lord will pick up those difficulties and give that servant absolute rest and happiness. If a man asks for mercy without carrying difficulties, he is a man seeking wheat in the fall without planting or plowing in the spring. We must carry difficulties for our Lord, and then He will give us everything: endless enjoyment and happiness, eternally.
To Be Patient
Our Grandsheikh was saying about trials: every day they are coming afresh and the murid must be ready and careful each time for that trying, that his faith may become real faith. Everyone may improve his station. For one still under his ego’s rule, he will be tested by that which his ego will never like, from everything — family, friends, work, and neighbors — may come to you what you don’t like.
The way of development is the way of patience. There is no quick development. One must be agreeable to all happenings to and around himself. That is the sign of development, to endure people’s troubling you. It is not important to fly in the sky or to walk on the sea or to be seen in several places at once or to dream good dreams. Important in our way is to be patient, resisting every wave of evil like a mountain in a storm, not being pushed back. That is development. Or like the ocean, not becoming dirty from the rivers pouring into it. People with extraordinary powers may fly, but may in the end lose their faith when Iblis (shaitan) rushes on them. We must be able to endure every harm from everyone.
Our Grandsheikh says:
“We must be awakened for everything coming contrary to our liking and be ready to tolerate it. This is the real station of faith.”
Three times a day a Sheikh looks to his murids, but not with a looking to give them pleasure; instead, they are looking to send something to the murid that he will never like. Are you patient or giving up?
When you are patient, your heart is given satisfaction, and a light comes on your real eyes and is coming more faith. At each opportunity, you may advance or come down.This time is particularly filled up with unliked things, the world full of evils and devils.
The Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said:
“To keep religion in this time is more difficult than to keep fire in one’s hand.”
We must be patient. Allah gives to those enduring unliked things endless reward. It is the way of real faith, like the way of Prophets and Awliya, to endure the badness of people.
[Excerpts from book one, Sufi Spiritual Practices for Polishing of the Heart
by Mawlana Shaykh Nazim].
Also, please view There Is No Will between Master and Servant suhbat by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani.
Staff
