Dalael-us-Suluk
THE FINAL WORD
I t is our firm conviction that devotion to the will and purpose of ALLAH is contingent upon the respect of His commandments and kindness towards His creation, as declared by Him:
Lo! ALLAH is with those who keep their duty to Him and those who are doers of good. (16:128)
T he best among the virtuous acts is the constancy in those deeds which manifest His Glory and earnest endeavour to benefit His creation. In the realm of His servitude, non-Divine ties are nearer to idolatry. That is why the people of the Path call it covert polytheism. For them, there are two stages: the beginning and the end. The first symbolises engagement in Divine servitude, and the other freedom from dependence on means and entrusting everything to the Causer of all causes. This is called ‘trust in Him’.
T hese two stages have been described in the Qur-an in these words:
So worship Him and put your trust in Him. (11:123)
I n fact, this is a word of caution that no one can claim to possess perfect faith until he overlooks causation and reposes full trust in the Causer. This is because mundane love and celestial bliss do not go together, an increase in one will cause corresponding decrease in the other; worldly achievements require wholehearted attention. It is not possible to attain felicity of the life of the Hereafter without clearing the heart of all non-Divine impulses and reserving it wholly for His love, which cannot co-exist with worldly love. To get totally engaged in worldly affairs is the attribute of those destined to perdition, many Ahadith and sayings of the Companions support this contention.
A human being, in his earthly existence, is like a trader, whose mission is to acquire eternal bliss in exchange for His obedience. It is obvious that the sole object of man’s creation is His worship, as declared by Him:
I created the Jinn and mankind only that they might worship Me. (51:56)
W orship aims at attainment of His Love, as elaborated in the Hadith: “When My slave seeks My nearness through supplemental acts, I start loving him.” Naturally, the heart abrim with His Love, will be held by Him in high esteem. The spokesman of the heart is the tongue which, in turn, is authenticated by the organs of the body, both having their respective purifiers.
W hen a person confesses, “I surrender to the will and purpose of ALLAH”, he claims the presence of ALLAH’s Love in his heart. But he must corroborate his claim by his conduct. Now if he spends his life and his wealth in the way of ALLAH and purifies his deeds by divorcing all non-Divine love, he substantiates his confession. Only then can his name be put on the roll of His lovers and he joins the group of those near to Him. Towards this truth, points His declaration:
Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, “We believe,” and will not be tested with affliction. (29:2)
The wisdom of the devout differs from the love of a mystic: One is afraid, and the other fond of the Hereafter.