|
 One must
cultivate patience and perseverance if they are to travel upon the
spiritual path. The holy scriptures repeatedly speak of the trials and
tribulations facing the Prophets and Saints of all times. In this
discourse, Sheikh Din Muhammad Abdullah al-Dayemi reminds us that
life's lessons are the tools with which human beings grow - they are
Allah's Mercy.
In light of our most recent experiences, the
passing of our beloved Andy and Leah, I want to begin this talk by
introducing thoughts from our great Grand Sheikh, the noble Qutb
ad-Din, Abdul Qadr al-Jilani (ra). We are blessed to be among his
sacred company within our lineage. The following excerpt comes from his
famous work, Futuh al-Ghaib, which means "Revelation of the Unseen."
Abdul Qadr al-Jilani (may Allah be pleased
with him, sanctify his secret and may he be well blessed in our
lineage) has said: Allah is always testing Allah's believing servants
in proportion to their faith. Thus, if a person's faith is very great
and steadily increasing, the trial will be great as well. The trial of
a Rasuul (Messenger) is greater than that of a Nabi (Prophet). Because
faith is greater, the trial of a Prophet is greater than that of a
Badal (substitute). The trial of a Badal is greater than of a Waliy
(Friend). Each is tried according to faith and certitude. On the basis
of this, the saying of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him
peace):
"We, the Community of Prophets are the people
most severely tried
than any other according to the perfection of their faith."
Allah (Most Exalted) subjects these honorable
Masters to incessant testing, so they will always stay in Allah's
presence and never relax their vigilance, for Allah loves
them. They are the people of love, who love
the Lord of Truth, and the lover never likes to be far from the
Beloved. Affliction serves as a clamp for their hearts and noose for
their selfish natures, checking their tendency to drift away from their
true goal and to place their confidence and trust in others instead of
the Creator.
As this becomes a permanent condition for
them, their passions melt, their selves are broken and truth is
distinguished from falsehood. Then cravings, willful desires and the
appetite for pleasure and comfort in this world and the hereafter, all
retract towards the sphere of the self (nafs), while towards the sphere
of the heart come trust in the promise of the Lord of Truth (Almighty
and Glorious), cheerful acceptance of Allah's decree, satisfaction with
Allah's gifts, patient endurance of Allah's trials and a feeling of
safety from the evil of Allah's creatures. Thus, the power of the heart
is strengthened, and it acquires control over all the limbs and organs
of the body. Tribulation fortifies the heart and certitude, verifies
faith and patience, and weakens the self (nafs) and the passions,
because whenever suffering comes, and what it meets with in the
believer is patience, cheerful acceptance and surrender to the action
of the Lord (Almighty and Glorious), the Exalted Lord is pleased with
him and thanks him. Then he also receives help, additional blessings
and success. Allah (the Exalted) has said:
If you are thankful, I will give you more
(favors). ~ SURAH IBRAHIM 14:7
When the self (nafs) is moved to apply to the
qalb (heart) for satisfaction of some carnal appetite or indulgence in
some pleasure, and the heart agrees to this request without
authorization or permission from Allah (the Exalted), the result is
disregard for the Lord of Truth, polytheism and sinful rebellion. Allah
(the Exalted) will therefore condemn them both to disappointment,
trouble, subjection to other people, sickness and disease, injury and
disorder. Both the heart and the self will get a share of this.
If the heart will not give the self what it
wants, however, until it receives permission from the Lord of Truth
(Almighty and Glorious) through inspiration (ilham), in the case of the
Saints or explicit revelation (wahiy) in the case of the Envoys and
Prophets (blessings and peace be upon them), and acts accordingly in
giving or withholding, then Allah rewards them both with mercy and
blessing, well-being and contentment, light and wisdom, nearness to
Allah's Self, affluence, security from disasters and help against
enemies.
This you must know and remember it well! Be
ready for trouble, if you rush to respond to the self and to passion.
Far better to pause in such cases, and await the Lord's consent
(Glorious in Majesty), so that you may remain safe in this world and
the hereafter, if Allah (the Exalted) so will.
The language of the above passage may be
centuries old, stylized and poetic, however, as we reflect on the
events of life, no doubt we have experienced its truth.
It has also been revealed to us in the Holy
Qur`an:
Do men think that they will be left alone on
saying, "We believe,"
and that they will not be tested? ~ SURAH ANKABUT 29:2
We have all felt tested throughout our lives,
particularly when we didn't understand life's circumstances. We've felt
tested when things haven't gone the way that we thought they should,
nor could we understand why life wouldn't conveniently arrange itself
around us to meet our individual expectations.
We have all been tested through the trauma of
loss as it rips away our attachments. Qur`anic wisdom teaches us to
exercise faith and to remember that life delivers us perfect lessons.
As a matter of fact, Allah instructs us directly through the lessons of
life. I have said it before, "Life is a custom course work of lessons
designed perfectly for each of us." One of the Divine Names of Allah in
the Holy Qur`an is, "Ar-Rashiid," which means the Divine Guide, Divine
Teacher or Divine Instructor. The cosmic classroom is life, and we are
each given the student's lessons of our life's course.
We also know that in giving us life's course
work:
On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater
than it can bear.
~ SURAH BAQARA 2:286
However, it is certain that Allah will give
us the "burden" required at times to push us exactly to the edge of
what we think is our limit. The burden often pushes us to a place that
we thought we couldn't go, and pushes us beyond what we thought we were
capable of. We may have been sure that we were incapable of such
experience, that we certainly couldn't bear the burden. Then as life
continues, through the grace of devotion, surrender and submission to
the Path, we find ourselves strengthened and renewed. We actually grow
into something far greater than what we were before.
Look to the signs of nature. There is no need
to explain to the "worm" that if it spins a cocoon it will become a
butterfly. But, however, if the human ego were to try to logically
explain the process of becoming a butterfly to that caterpillar, its
mechanism would be wrapped up in the fear of death and the worry of the
unknown future of being a new butterfly. Similarly, if one is to be a
mighty oak tree, the secure leathery shell of the acorn seed cannot
exist for the mighty tree to be. The acorn must die, so that the tree
can emerge. Transforming in the cocoon, the caterpillar must die, so
that the butterfly can fly. Yet, when comparable life changes happen to
us, because of our attachments and conflicts, we feel sorely tested.
The greater our faith, amplified by the
profession of faith, the greater life's tests come. One's life is
tested to the limit of one's faith. If a person's capacity is only a
one ounce shot, life will give them the whole ounce. They will have to
expand into that. As one's capacity for holding Truth and Light
increases, life will give them more to fill their glass . . . becoming
2 oz., then 3 oz., then 4 oz, etc.
In the case of the Prophets as well as the
Saints, Sheikhs, Pirs (Persian: Masters), the Friends of God and all of
those that have come to replenish God's Message, their capacity for
holding is so much greater, therefore the tests of life are even
greater. As well, their capacities to digest and reconcile the
contradictions of life are even greater.
If you read between the lines of Sheikh Abdul
Qadr al-Jilani's discourse, you'll realize that one requires the
presence of a special faculty in order to understand life's process. It
is not an intellectual capacity. Brain power, with its intellectuality,
cannot figure out the meaning of life's tests, nor how to cope and deal
with them. There must be something else, another quality. Perhaps we
would call it an intuitional quality or a spiritual quality, a divine
quality. You will find that quality repeatedly recounted in the Holy
Qur`an as patience and perseverance. These qualities are not of the
mind at all; they are attributes of the heart. These qualities allow us
to align ourselves and come to peace with the Divine Will -that which
we, in slang, used to call "the flow."
In Qur`an Kariim, Allah is called by many
Names. Those Beautiful Names represent the Essence, Attributes and
Actions of Allah. One of those names, another name of God, is revealed
to us as Ya Sabuur, meaning Patience and Perseverance. Consider that
the name for God in our tradition is not only "God," but God's name is
also Patience and Perseverance. Webster's dictionary defines patience
as: 1) enduring pain and trouble without complaining; 2) calmly
tolerating delay and confusion; and 3) diligence and perseverance.
As the Holy Qur`an translates "Sabuur" as
patience and perseverance, so the wisdom of Webster defines "patience"
as a quality of perseverance, diligence and calmness that "tolerates
situations that are confusing" and that "endures pain and trouble
without complaint."
This a very high station to live up to! Yet,
the Qur`an and the dictionary alike give advice about how to be in
relationship with Allah. The Qur`an reminds us that Patience is a
Divine Quality, and that Patience is one of the "personalities" of God.
Surah Al-Nahl (The Bee), the 16th Surah of the Qu'ran tells us:
And do thou be patient for thy patience
is but from Allah. 16:127
The most noble Imam al-Bukhari reminds us in
the Sahiih Hadiith that Rasuul Kariim (saws) taught:
"Nobody can be given a blessing better
and greater than patience."
This world is continually throwing
contradictions at us, beyond our minds' ability to solve. Nobody can be
given a blessing better and greater than patience. Patience allows for
the calm tolerating of delay and confusion, and diligent perseverance
in enduring pain in all of the troubles of this material world. In
light of our loss, let us bring the subject a bit closer to home.
From Surah al-Ankabut, the 29th Surah of
Qur`an Kariim:
Every soul shall have a taste of death: In
the end to Us shall you be brought back. To
those
who believe and work deeds of righteousness, to them We shall
give a Home in Heaven - lofty mansions beneath which flow rivers - to
dwell therein for aye, an excellent reward for those who do good. Those
who persevere in patience, and put their trust in the Lord and
Cherisher. How many are the creatures that carry not their own
Sustenance? It is Allah Who feeds both them and you. For Allah hears
and knows all things. If indeed thou asked them: "Who has created the
heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon to Allah's
law?" They will certainly reply, "Allah!" How then are they deluded
away from the Truth? 29:57-61
We are constantly being deluded away from the
Truth. We are "deluded away from the Truth" by how we attach ourselves
to things and situations, and then attempt to force meaning onto them
in the ways we personally would like. However, if we ask ourselves the
same question, the surah asks, "Who is it that is providing Sustenance,
and Who is it that provides for the heavens and the earth and subjects
the sun and the moon to the law?" We would realize the answer. There is
One, Great Operating Principle in effect that moves the course of all
things. Allah causes all things to come into being, provides for the
sustenance of life, and in the end "every soul shall taste death."
Each movement in the manifest universe has a
beginning, middle and end, i.e., breath, heartbeat and human growth;
the rising of the sun, high noon and sunset, the phases of the moon
that bring it into fullness and then empty that fullness into emptiness.
In this circle of birth, life and death, the
Qur`anic passage advises us that our relationship to life's dealing
should be one of perseverance, patience and trust in our Lord, the
Cherisher. Trust in the whole process.
Patience and perseverance implies trust
because we are caused to rely on "something" that we believe is greater
than our small selves. We have been given eyes to see, for we have the
Divine Recitation of al-Qur`an, the example of enlightenment in the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saws) as well as having inherited an empowered
and blessed spiritual lineage that has been passed down through 14
centuries. We have the benefit of a living spiritual Teacher, and the
Message of Unity has been refreshed for us in our own midst. We have
the benefit of supporting each other in the love and the solidarity of
a Community - including all that a Community allows for in growth,
understanding, communication and cooperation.
Our eyes and ears have been opened, so to
speak, but still our patience and trust is tested as our attachments
are challenged. Remember the question asked of us in the Qur`an, "How
can they be deluded away from the Truth?" Here it is. Look at the
message. Don't be deluded away from the Truth! From Surah al-Baqarah,
Oh, you who believe, seek help with patient
perseverance and prayer:
for Allah is with those who patiently persevere. 2:153
This beautifully poetic line starts out and
then turns itself around. Seek help with patient perseverance and
prayer, for Allah is with those who patiently persevere. Of course!
Allah is with those who patiently persevere, because Allah is Ya Sabuur
which means patient perseverance. This is God's own attribute.
Say not of those
who are slain in the way of Allah: "They are dead."Nay, they are
living, though you perceive it not. Be sure we shall test you with
something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits
of your toil, but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere
-who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong and to
Allah is our return." (Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun.) They are
those on whom descend blessings from their Lord, and Mercy. They are
the ones who receive the guidance. 2:154-157
By the fruits of our toil (attachments), we
always want what we want. We want to have, we want to keep, and we want
everything to be the way we want. Stuck in our self-centeredness, we
forget the eternal process of a soul's growth in its spiritual
traveling. In the midst of our struggle and calamity, we must trust
that patience, perseverance and prayer provide an opening that allows
one to be rightly guided. The opening of the heart (intuition)
understands guidance. The heart, therefore, can "say not of those who
are slain in the way of Allah: 'They are dead.' Nay, they are living,
though you perceive it not."
Our life is very short. We are here only
temporarily in a very brief experience of teachings, tests and lessons.
We disappear very quickly! Allah (God) is before the before and after
the after, the first and last. Therefore, everything belongs to God,
comes from God, is sustained by God and destroyed by God. Patience and
perseverance lead us (rightly guided) that we might come to realize the
Force which directs the sun and the stars, the moon and the planets,
and the seasons. Everything has its appointed time. In order to
understand this, we must have patience.
It is extremely difficult to have patience in
the face of our life's story. The extremity of life's circumstances and
how those circumstances interplay with our personal attachments makes
patient perseverance incomprehensible. Our minds are limited by their
duality, the notions of right and wrong, good and bad, etc. As things
happen to us that we don't like, we lose patience and our perseverance
is challenged. The mind can't reconcile the painful feeling - end of
our experience.
Desiring the fruits from our toil of labor
makes us very short-sighted. We emotionally forget the previous
blessings of life when we are severely tested. We might not forget them
intellectually; we forget them emotionally. We get numb and can't feel
the pleasure of blessings any more. Contrarily, when we are in the
middle of some good pleasure, things going just the way we like, we
forget the hardship of tests. Then, even they don't exist for us
either. It is hard for our minds, when they are attached and steeped in
ego's duality, to have comprehension, the view of the whole.
Our life's lessons are like the teachings of
a topsy-turvy Hadrati Khidhr (the mysterious, sacred Prophet of the
Holy Qur`an). They try to teach us something, but the intensity of
life's experiences violate everything that we have come to know as good
and true. Our minds seek answers, like a Prophet Musa (as), but they go
into confusion as well.
Examine closely the primary quality of
clarity, that which allows confusion to disperse. It is beyond logic,
beyond rationality, beyond willpower. For true clarity there must be
the presence of something beyond will power, logic and rationality.
There has to be another presence that is not intellectual. That
presence is patience and perseverance. Patience and perseverance is
required for the situation to reveal itself, as well, patience and
perseverance is needed while you are trying to figure out the problem.
Even when you are frustrated that you can't solve a problem, it is
patience and perseverance that will give you the scope, the time and
new ways of accessing and looking at the problem. Let us pray for
Patient Perseverance.
From Surah al A'raf, The Heights:
And if there is
a party among you who believes in the Message with which I have been
sent, and a party which does not believe, hold yourselves in patience
until Allah doth decide between us: for Allah is the best to decide.
7:87
The Way in which we are to decide and proceed
through life is highlighted by this verse. When approaching things in
life, we have to employ patience because it is the faculty required to
empower our decision-making. This is reflected repeatedly in Qur`an. I
am giving you a message today in this khutbah (sermon), may Allah be
pleased with it -not unlike the messages that have been passed down
through Sheikhs of old as well as the Divine Messenger (saws).
And if there is
a party among you who believes in the Message with which I have been
sent, and a party which does not believe, hold yourselves in patience
until Allah doth decide between us: for Allah is the best to decide.
7:87
Allah will show you the reason for all
things. Allah will show you the Reality of the Message, over the course
of and at the end of your life. It has been proven, that for those who
are able, with faith, to exercise patience and perseverance as their
primary means of traveling, Allah provides the greatest capacity for
guidance. From the sacred teachings of the Prophet we have learned that,
During the days
of the initial jihad, the Holy Prophet (upon him be peace) named our
army, the "Cavalry of Allah": When we were struck with panic and when
panic overtook us, the Apostle of Allah (saws) commanded us to be
united, to have patience and perseverance and to be so when we fought.
The tremendous impact of the news that we've
experienced in the last few weeks, and the changes that it's put us
through, have created a feeling of panic, anxiety, pain, confusion and
all of those things that overtake a person when they are overwhelmed by
their battle (life's circumstances). If we are the "Cavalry of Allah",
then we must be ready and willing to go through our changes patiently
while staying united in Community.
This is the way we must fight the good fight
in our lives - to be united and to patiently persevere through whatever
it is that we have to learn and experience. In this way we are likened
to the Cavalry of Allah. The Holy Prophet (saws) taught us in Hadiith,
as recorded by Bukhari.
The real patience is at the first stroke of
calamity. When those things happen to us which we perceive as calamity,
we must remember that it is only the tearing away of attachments,
expectations and desires. At those times we are tested and discover
what real patience is about. Because the real patience is at the first
stroke of calamity, do we panic and become overwhelmed, or do we allow
that to fuel our effort to be united? It is the time to open ourselves
to greater possibilities. The realization of the greatest potential
will never come without first being tested and, secondly, without
patience, perseverance and faith.
As we increase in our faith, then our
capacity increases, and as our capacity increases, the test of our
patience increases. May we be able to pass those tests. May we be able
to realize the ayat (holy sign) as it has been said in Qu'ran:
If you are thankful, I will give you more
(favors).
May we be such servants of Allah that we turn
to and declare, "Allah no matter what, we are thankful. Please give us
more." Amin!
|