LESSONS / Compilations

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَ الصَّلاَةُ وَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِينَ

SHUKR - THANKS

“Taâ’lâ has singled you out for His ni’mahs, so you should offer shukr to Him alone…

…He is Al-Ma’bûd, so associate none shariks with Him; He is the Absolute Qâdir and the samâ and earth are in His grasp, so don't believe that He has any shariks; He is Al-Mun’im so offer your shukr to none but He; and He is your Khâliq, so don't imagine that He has any shariks.” Signs of Miraculousness ( 179 )

 

Question: We give a price to people who are tray-bearers. I wonder, what price does Allah, Who is the true owner of the goods, want?

The Answer: Yes, the price the True Mun’im wants in return for those valuable ni’mahs and goods is three things.

One is dhikr, another is shukr and the other is tafakkur. "Bismillah" at the beginning is dhikr. "Alhamdulillah" at the end is shukr. In the middle, thinking and understanding that those precious ni’mahs, which are wonders of art, are the miracles of Qoudrah and the gifts of Rahmah of Al-Ahad, Who is Samad, is tafakkur. How foolish it is to kiss the foot of a poor man, who conveys a precious gift of a sultân to you, and not recognise the owner of the gift; so praising and loving the things that outwardly give the ni’mah and forgetting the True Mun’im is a thousand times more foolish than that. O nafs! If you do not want to be such a fool, give in the name of Allah, take in the name of Allah, begin in the name of Allah and act in the name of Allah. Wassalâm!

 The First Word

 

“KNOW, O FRIEND, that you were created from non-existence. Then, your Originator favoured you by elevating you from the lowest level of existence to the level of being a Muslim human being. Whatever you received and whatever happened between your first movement and your present state is a ni’mah on you. From each favour, a fruit and a colour are attached to you. You are like a necklace or a cluster on which the beads or grains of ni’mah have been strung, an index of Taâ’lâ’s ni’mahs. Existence requires a real and effective cause (‘illah); non-existence does not. You will be asked how you attained so many ni’mahs while obtaining a full, perfect existence from the level of being a particle to death, how you deserved them, and whether you offered shukr for them. No one asks a stone why it has not become a tree or a tree why it has not become a person.” Al-Mathnawi al-Nuri (190)

 

Also, do not say, "I am nothing. What importance do I have that the universe should purposefully be subjected to me by an Absolute Hakîm, and a universal shukr would be required of me?"

Because, for sure, you are nothing regarding your nafs and form, but regarding duty and rank, you are an attentive spectator of this majestic universe, a speaking tongue possessing balâghat of these beings full of hikmah, an intelligent reader of this book of ‘âlam, an astonished supervisor of these creatures offering tasbîh and a respectful foreman of these artful creatures performing ‘ibâdah.

Yes, O man! Regarding your vegetable physical being and your animal nafs, you are a minor particle, a despicable particular, a poor creature and a weak animal that you are shaken amidst the terrifying waves of the flowing beings. But by being perfected through the tarbiyyah of Islam illuminated with the nûr of îmân comprising the light of the love for Allah, regarding humanity and in your being an ‘abd, you are a sultân; within your particularity, you are a universal; within your smallness, you are an ‘âlam and within your despicableness, you are a supervisor of such great rank, who supervises an extensive sphere, that you can say: "My Rabb, Who is Rahîm, has made the world a house for me. He made the sun and moon lamps for my house, and the spring, a bunch of flowers, and summer, a table of ni’mah and the animals, my servants. And He has made plants the ornamented provisions of my house.

In Short: If you heed nafs and shaytan, you fall into the asfal sâfilîn. But if you heed Al-Haqq and the Qur'an, you rise to the a’lâ ‘illiyyin and become a beautiful form (Ahsan Taqwîm) of the universe.

The Twenty-Third Word/Fourth Subtle Point

 

Man is a weak animal in terms of action, deed and material labour; he is an impotent creature. The sphere of his disposal and ownership in this respect is so narrow that it is as far as his hand can reach. Domestic animals even, which gave their reins to man, have taken a share of man’s weakness, impotence and laziness that if they are compared with their wild counterparts, a great difference is seen. (Like domestic goats and cattle, and wild goats and cattle). But such a man, in terms of passivity, accepting, du'â and entreaty, is an honoured traveller in this caravanserai of the world. And he became the guest of such a Karîm that He opened His infinite treasuries of rahmah to him. And He made His infinite unique creatures with art and His servants subject to man. And He opened such a large sphere for this guest's stroll, promenade and benefit that half of its axis — that is from the centre to the outer sphere — is as far as his eyes can see, it is rather as long and broad as the imagination can reach.

Thus, by relying on his ananiyyah and making worldly life his goal, if man works for some temporary pleasures amidst struggling for livelihood, he gets drowned within an extremely narrow sphere. All equipment, senses and subtle faculties given to him will complain about him and testify against him and sue him at the resurrection. If he knows himself to be a guest and spends the capital of his life within the sphere of permission of Al-Karîm Whom he is the guest, he works well for a long, eternal life within such a broad sphere, takes a breath and rests. Then, he can rise until a’lâ ‘illiyyin. Moreover, all equipment and senses given to man will be pleased with him and testify in favour of him in the âkhirah.

Yes, all wondrous equipment given to men is not for this insignificant worldly life, but rather they were given for an eternal life of great significance. For, if we compare man with animals, we see that man is very rich regarding equipment and senses. He is a hundred times more than the animals. Regarding the pleasures of life of the world and in his animal life, he falls a hundred times lower. Because in each pleasure he receives is the trace of thousands of pains. The pains of the past and fears of the future and the pain of each pleasure's fade spoil his pleasure and leave a trace on it. But animals are not like that. They receive pleasure without pain and enjoy without sorrow. Neither the pains of the past hurt them nor the fears of the future frighten them. They live with ease; they rest and offer shukr to their Khâliq.

That is to say, if man, who is created in the form of Ahsan taqwîm, restricts his thought to the life of the world, he falls a hundred times lower than an animal like a sparrow, although he is a hundred times higher than the animals regarding his capital. I explained this haqiqah in another place through a comparison. It is related to this, so I shall repeat it. It is as follows:

By giving ten pieces of gold to one of his servants, a man commanded him “Order a complete set of clothing from a particular cloth to be made!” He gave a thousand pieces of gold to the second one, put in the servant's pocket a note on which certain things were written and sent him to a bazaar. The first servant bought excellent clothing of the finest cloth with ten pieces of gold. Acting madly, looking at the first servant and not reading the account-note put in his pocket, the second servant gave a thousand pieces of gold to a shopkeeper and asked for a complete set of clothing. The unjust shopkeeper gave him a complete set of clothing of the most flimsy fabric. Then the wretched servant came to the presence of his lord and received severe punishment and suffered terrible torment. Thus, one who possesses an iota of conscience would understand that a thousand pieces of gold given to the second servant were not to buy a complete set of clothing, but rather for some important trade.

In just the same way, each of the ma’nawî equipment in man and subtle faculties of man has expanded to a degree a hundred times greater than that of the animals. For example, there is no comparison between the equipment and senses like man’s eye, which perceives all degrees of beauty, and his sense of taste contained in the tongue, which distinguishes all varieties of the particular tastes of foods, and his mind, which penetrates all subtleties of haqiqahs, and his heart, which yearns for every sort of perfection, with the extremely simple senses of the animals which have unfolded only one or two degrees. There is only this difference that a particular sense of the animals develops more in a particular function — exclusively to that animal —. But this development is particular.

The mystery for man's wealth regarding equipment is this: because of the mind and thought, man's senses and feelings have greatly unfolded and expanded. And numerous various feelings were born because of the multiplicity of the need. And his sensitivity has become of extremely various sorts. And because of the comprehensiveness of his fitrah, he has become the source of desires turned towards numerous aims. And due to his having numerous duties of fitrah, his faculties and equipment have produced great expansion. And since he has been created on a fitrah able to perform every sort of ‘ibâdah, he has been given a disposition which comprehends the seeds of all perfections.

Thus, this wealth regarding equipment and abundance of capital to such an extent were certainly not given to obtain this unimportant temporary worldly life. Rather, such a man's fundamental duty is to proclaim his impotence, poverty and fault in the form of ‘ubûdiyyah by seeing his duties turned towards infinite aims, and to witness the tasbîhât of beings with his universal eye by observing them, and to offer shukr by seeing the help of Ar-Rahmân within the ni’mahs and to do tafakkur the miracles of the Qoudrah of Ar-Rabb on the creatures with art by looking at them with an eye receiving the lesson.

The Twenty-Third Word/Third Subtle Point

 

Furthermore, there is the well-known meaning of hamd: the display of the attributes of Kamâl1 .

How this is achieved: Allah Subhânahu created man and made him a comprehensive summary of the universe and an index of the book of the ‘âlam, which comprises eighteen thousand ‘âlam, and lodged in his essence a sample from each, in which is manifested one of the Names of Taâ’lâ.2 If man spends all of what is bestowed on him in the way of that for which they were created, for the purpose of performing shukr al-‘urfî which is a sort of hamd, and obeying the Sharî’ah which removes the rust of nature, each of those samples opens a mishkât3 and a window to the ‘âlam which they belong to, and becomes a mirror to the attribute that manifests in that ‘âlam and the Name which manifests there. In this way, with both rûh and material, man becomes a summary of al-‘âlam ash-shahâdah and al-‘âlam al-ghayb, and manifests what is manifested on them. Through offering hamd man becomes a place of manifestation for the Ilahî attributes of Kamâl.  This is implied by what Muhyi al-Din al-'Arabi said in explanation of the Hadith:كُنْتُ كَنْزًا مَخْفِيًّا فَخَلَقْتُ الْخَلْقَ لِيَعْرِفُونِى 4 That is, I created creation to be a mirror in which I might observe My Jamâl.

Signs of Miraculousness

 

“KNOW, O FRIEND, that the greatest denial for ni’mahs (kufr an-mi’mah) is not offering shukr for ni’mahs that are common to all (like hearing and sight), constant (like light and fire), and abundant and encompassing (like air and water). One can offer shukr to Allah for his own ni’mahs, for those that are renewed or given at the time of particular need, whereas ni’mahs given uninterruptedly and abundantly are much more important and greater. Their universality indicates their utmost importance and their constancy indicates their greater value.” Al-Mathnawi al-Nuri (355)

 

O ungrateful one! Where did you win the right not to offer shukr in return for the degrees of existence which Janâb-i Haqq has given you and are pure ni’mah. How is it that because exalted ni’mahs which are contingencies and non-existent and which you do not deserve have not been given to you, you complain about Janâb-i Haqq with bâtil greed and commit kufr an-ni’mah? If a man rises to an exalted degree like climbing to the top of a minaret and finds a high station, and on every step receives a large ni’mah, then does not offer shukr to the one who gave him the ni’mahs and complainingly asks why he could not have risen higher than the minaret, how wrong would he be and have fallen into such a kufr an-ni’mah, what great foolishness it would be; as even a lunatic would understand.

O discontented greedy, and prodigal wasteful, and unjust complaining ghâfil man! Know certainly that contentment is profitable shukr, greed is harmful ingratitude. And frugality is beautiful and beneficial respect for ni’mahs. As for wastefulness, it is ugly and harmful contempt for ni’mahs. If you have the mind, learn contentment and work for the acceptance (ridhâ). If you cannot endure it, say: "O Sabûr!" and seek patience. Be satisfied with your lot and do not complain. Understand who is complaining about whom and be silent. If you have to complain, then complain about your nafs to Janâb-i Haqq, for the fault is its.

The Twenty-Fourth Letter/First Station/First Allusion

 

If you say: "How can I respond to these countless, universal ni’mahs with my limited and partial shukr?"

The Answer: With a universal intention and boundless belief... For example, a man enters a sultân's presence with a gift worth five kurush, and he sees that other gifts worth millions have arrived from acceptable people, and have been lined up there. It occurs to his heart: "My present is nothing. What shall I do?" Then he says suddenly: "O my Sayyid! I offer you all these valuable gifts in my name. For you are worthy of them. If I had the power, I would have given you gifts equal to them." Thus, the sultân, who has need of nothing and accepts his subjects' gifts as a sign of their loyalty and respect, accepts that unfortunate man's universal intention and wish, and the worthiness of his elevated belief as though it was the greatest gift. In exactly the same way, while performing the salâh an impotent ‘abd declares: "Attahîyyatu Lillâhi” That is, "I offer You on my own account all the gifts of ‘ubûdiyyah all creatures offer you through their lives. If I had been able, I would have offered You as many tahiyyas as them, for You are worthy of them and worthy of more besides." Such an intention and belief comprise extensive universal shukr.

And for example, the melon utters a thousand intentions in its heart in the form of the nuclei of its seeds: "O my Khâliq! I want to proclaim the embroideries of Your Asmâ Al-Husnâ in many places on the earth." Since Janâb-i Haqq knows how future things will come about, He accepts their intention as actual ibâdah. The rule, "A Mu’min's intention is better than his actions" alludes to this mystery.” The Words ( 370-371)

 

O you, my nafs performing-riyâ! Saying: "I served religion", do not be proud. According to the mystery of اِنَّ اللّهَ لَيُؤَيِّدُ هذَا الدِّينَ بِالرَّجُلِ الْفَاجِرِ5 , since you are not purified (tazkiyyah), you should know yourself to be that sinful (Fâjir) man. Accept your service and ‘ubûdiyyah as the shukr for past ni’mahs, the duty of fitrah, the obligation of creation and the result of art. And be saved from vanity and riyâ!

The Twenty-Sixth Word/Conclusion

 

Although the people of walâyah succeed in annihilating the nafs, and they kill the nafs al-ammarah; they still cannot reach the Sahabah. For, since the Sahabah's nafs had been purified (tazkiyyah) and cleansed, with the many faculties within the essence of nafs, they became the place of manifestation for more varieties of ‘ubûdiyyah and kinds of shukr and hamd. After annihilating the nafs, ‘ubûdiyyah of the awliyâ becomes simple and plain.

Addendum to The Twenty-Seventh Word

 

 

The Fifth Matter, which is the Fifth Part On Shukr

The Risale On Shukr

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَ اِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ اِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ6

Through repeating âyahs like اَفَلاَ يَشْكُرُونَ ٭ اَفَلاَ يَشْكُرُونَ ٭ وَسَنَجْزِى الشَّاكِرِينَ ٭ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ َلاَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ٭ بَلِ اللّهَ فَاعْبُدْ وَ كُنْ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ 7 the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition shows that the most important thing Al-Khâliq, Who is Rahmân, wants from His ‘abds is shukr. In Al-Furqân Al-Hakîm, He calls them to offer shukr considering it to be extremely important. And, showing that not offering shukr is a denial and repudiating of ni’mahs, in Surah Ar-Rahmân, He severely and terrifyingly treats thirty-one times with the decree فَبِاَىِّ آلاَءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ 8 . He shows that not offering shukr is denial and repudiating.

Yes just as Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm shows that shukr is the result of creation, so does the mighty Qur'an, which is this universe, show that the most important result of the creation of the ‘âlam is shukr. For if attention is paid to the universe, it is seen that the universe is formed in a way that will produce shukr; everything looks to shukr to a degree and turns towards it. It is as if the most important fruit of the tree of creation is shukr. And the highest product that this factory of the universe produced is shukr. For, we see in the creation of the ‘âlam that its beings were formed as a circle and within it, life was created as the central point. All beings look to life, serve life and produce the necessities of life. That is to say, the One Who created the universe chose life from it.

Then we see that by creating the ‘âlam of living beings in the form of a circle, He left man at the central point. Simply, the aims intended for living beings are centred on man; by gathering all living beings around him, He makes them his servants, subjugates them to him and makes him rule over them. That is to say, Al-Khâliq Zuljâlal selects man from among living beings; He wills and chooses him in the ‘âlam.

Then we see that the ‘âlam of mankind, the ‘âlam of animals too, are formed like a circle and rizq placed at the central point. By making mankind and the animals even simply enamoured of rizq, He has made all of them its servants and subjugated them to it. It is rizq that rules over them. He has made rizq such a vast and rich treasury that it encompasses infinite ni’mahs.

Even, in order to recognize the taste of only one sort of the many varieties of rizq with a faculty called the sense of taste contained in the tongue, ma’nawî and fine scales to the number of foods have been placed on it. That is to say, the strangest, richest, most curious, sweetest, most comprehensive and most wonderful haqiqah in the universe is within rizq.

Now we see that just as everything has been gathered around rizq and looks to it, so does rizq with all its varieties subsists through the material and ma’nawî shukr offered verbally and offered by bearing; it exists through shukr; it produces shukr; it shows shukr. For, appetite and desire for rizq are a sort of fıtrî shukr. And, pleasure and enjoyment are also a sort of unconscious shukr that there is such shukr in all animals. Only man changes the essence of that fıtrî shukr through dhalâlah and kufr; he deviates from shukr to shirk.

Also, the exquisitely beautiful adorned forms, the exquisitely beautiful smells, the exquisitely beautiful tastes in the ni’mahs, which are rizq, are the inviters of shukr; they invite the living beings to a desire; through such desire, they urge them to a sort of commendation and respect and make them offer a ma’nawî shukr. And, they attract the attention of conscious beings and lead them to the desire for commendation. They encourage them to respect the ni’mahs; through this, they guide them to offer shukr verbally and by the act and make them offer shukr; they cause them to experience the highest and sweetest pleasure and enjoyment within shukr. That is, they show that while having a brief and temporary material pleasure, through shukr, this delicious rizq and ni’mah cause one to gain the favours of Ar-Rahmân carrying permanent, true, infinite pleasure and enjoyment. That is to say, making them think of the infinite pleasurable favours of their Mâlik, Who is Karîm, of the treasuries of rahmah, they make them taste in a ma’nawî manner the eternal enjoyments of Jannah even in this world. Thus, although rizq is such a valuable, rich and comprehensive treasury by means of shukr, it declines infinitely by not offering shukr.

As is explained in the Sixth Word, when the sense of taste contained in the tongue is turned towards rizq on behalf of Janâb-i Haqq, that is, by performing its ma’nawî duty of shukr, the sense of taste contained in the tongue is an inspector offering shukr and an illustrious spectator offering hamd of the boundless kitchens of infinite rahmah of Allah. If it turns towards it on behalf of the nafs, that is, without thinking the shukr of the One Who bestowed the rizq, the sense of taste contained in such tongue will decline from the rank of being an illustrious spectator to the level of a guardian of the factory of the abdomen and a doorkeeper of the stable of the stomach. Just as through not offering shukr such servant of rizq declines to such a level, so does the essence of rizq and its other servants decline. They descend from the highest rank to the lowest. They fall into a state opposed to and contrary to the hikmah of Al-Khâliq of the universe.

The measure of shukr is contentment and frugality (iqtisâd) and acceptance (ridhâ) and gratitude. The measure of lack of shukr is greed, wastefulness, disrespectfulness and eating whatever is encountered without considering its being halal or haram.

Yes, just as greed is the lack of shukr, so is it the cause of deprivation and also the means of humiliation. It is as if the blessed ant even, which has a social life, is crushed underfoot due to greed. Because although a few grains of wheat are sufficient for a year, by not being content, it collects thousands of grains if it can. It is as if the blessed honey bee flies over the heads due to its contentment; through the command of Allah, it bestows honey on humans; it feeds them with it. The name Rahmân, the greatest name after the name Allah, which is the greatest name of the Most Pure and Holy One (Dhât Al-Aqdas) and the distinctive name of His essence, looks to rizq and is reached through shukr within rizq. Also, the most apparent meaning of Rahmân is Razzâq.

Also, there are different varieties of shukr. The most comprehensive of these and their universal index is the salâh.

Also, within shukr is a pure îmân and a sincere tawhîd. Because, a person who eats an apple and says, "Alhamdulillah!" declares through such shukr: "This apple is directly a souvenir of the hand of Qoudrah and is directly a gift of the treasury of Rahmah." By saying this and believing so, he hands over everything — particular or universal — to the hand of His qoudrah. And he recognizes the manifestation of Rahmah in everything. He declares a true îmân and a sincere tawhîd through shukr.

We shall say only one of the many aspects of how great a loss ghâfil man falls into through the denial of ni’mah (kufr an-ni’mah). It is as follows:

If the man eats a delicious ni’mah and offers shukr, the ni’mah he ate becomes a nûr and a fruit of Jannah of the âkhirah by means of that shukr. As a consequence of the pleasure it gives and through thinking of it being a work of Janâb-i Haqq's favour of rahmah, it gives a great and permanent pleasure and enjoyment. Sending ma’nawî essences and extracts and ma’nawî substances like these to the lofty ranks, the material and base substances pertaining to outer covering that have completed their duty and remained unnecessary become waste and go to transform into their original, that is, into the elements. If he does not offer shukr, that temporary pleasure leaves pain and sorrow through passing and itself becomes excreta. Ni’mah, the essence of which is diamond, transforms into coal. Through shukr, perishable rizqs give permanent pleasures and eternal fruits. Without shukr, ni’mah turns from the most beautiful form into the ugliest. Because, according to such a ghâfil, after a temporary pleasure, the result of rizq is waste.

Yes, rizq has a form worthy of love (‘ashq); that form is seen through shukr. Otherwise, the love (‘ashq) of the people of ghaflah and dhalâlah for rizq is animality. According to this, compare that to what degree the people of ghaflah and dhalâlah lose.

Among the species of living beings, man is the neediest for the varieties of rizq. Janâb-i Haqq created man in the form of a comprehensive mirror to all His Names, of a miracle of qoudrah possessing equipment to weigh up and recognize hoarded treasuries of His rahmah and of the khalîfah on earth having the tools to weigh the subtleties of His arts and of the manifestations of all His Names. Therefore, giving him a boundless need, He has made him needy for the boundless varieties of material and ma’nawî rizq. The means of raising man to 'Ahsan Taqwîm', which is the highest position according to this comprehensiveness, is shukr. If he does not offer shukr, he falls into 'asfal sâfilîn' and perpetrates a great dhulm.

In Short: The greatest principle of the four principles of the tarîq of ‘ubûdiyyah and being the beloved of Allah, the highest and most elevated tarîq, is shukr; these four principles have been expressed as follows:

Says the follower of tarîq of the impotence, four things are necessary for arrival:

Absolute impotence, absolute poverty, absolute yearning, absolute shukr, O ‘Azîz...

اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا اِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ سَيِّدِ الشَّاكِرِينَ وَ الْحَامِدِينَ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِينَ آمِينَ

وَ آخِرُ دَعْوَيهُمْ اَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

 

Ni’mahs that came by the hands of apparent causes should not be taken on account of those causes. If that cause does not possess the will, like an animal or a tree, for example, it gives the ni’mah directly on account of Janâb-i Haqq. Since it says Bismillah through the language of its being and gives it to you, you, too, say Bismillah and take it on account of Allah. If the cause possesses the will, he should say Bismillah, then you take it from him; otherwise, do not take it, because apart from the explicit meaning (ma’nâ as-sarîh) of the âyah وَلاَ تَاْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ 9, an indicative meaning (ma’nâ al-isharî) is this: "Do not eat the ni’mah which do not recall True Mun’im and are not given in His name." Since this is so, both the one who gives should say Bismillah and the one who takes should say Bismillah. If he does not say Bismillah, but you are in need of taking it, then you say Bismillah; see the hand of the rahmah of Allah upon him; kiss it with shukr; then take it from him. That is, look from the ni’mah to the act of its being given, and from the act of the ni’mah being given, think of True Mun’im. Thinking in this way is a shukr. Then, if you wish, offer a du'â for the apparent means because the ni’mah was sent to you by his hand.

The Seventeenth Flash-Thirteenth Note

 

On the condition that it is not wasted and is purely to fulfil the duty of shukr and recognize and perceive the varieties of the ni’mahs of Allah, and on the condition that its being halal and not being a means of abasement and beggary, one can follow his pleasure. He can prefer delicious foods in order to use the tongue, which bears the sense of taste, for shukr. An event indicates this haqiqah and a karâmât of Shaykh Jilânî:

At one time, under the tarbiyyah of Hazrat Ghawth al-A'zam Shaykh Jilânî (k.s.) was the only son of an aged and delicate woman. This esteemed old woman had gone to her son's cell and seen that he was eating a piece of dry black bread. He attracted her mother’s compassion through his weakness resulting from such riyâzah. She felt pity for him. Then she went to Hazrat Ghawth in order to complain and saw that Hazrat Ghawth was eating a roasted chicken. Out of her delicacy, she said: "O Ustadh! My son is dying of hunger. You are eating chicken!" Hazrat Ghawth said to the chicken: ‌قُمْ بِاِذْنِ اللّٰه10 By many reliable and trusted people, it has been transmitted by ma’nawî tawâtur as a karâmât of a personage like Hazrat Ghawth whose having wondrous karâmât are world-famous that the bones of that cooked chicken assembled and leapt out of the dish as a chicken. Hazrat Ghawth said: "When your son reaches this rank, then he too may eat chicken." Thus, the meaning of this order of Hazrat Ghawth is this: Whenever your son's rûh rules his body, his heart rules his nafs, his mind rules his stomach and he wants pleasure for shukr, then he can eat delicious things.

The Nineteenth Flash

 

“Since the hikmah of man's creation and the mystery of his comprehensiveness is to seek refuge his Khâliq every moment, and to entreat and offer hamd and shukr, and since illnesses are the most effective and keen impulsion which drive man to the Court of Allah by the blowing of a whip, and since the sweet ni’mahs which urge man to shukr with perfect fervour and which cause man to truly offer hamd by making him grateful are foremost remedies, cures and good health, the noble salawât

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ بِعَدَدِ كُلِّ دَاءٍ وَدَوَاءٍ وَبَارِكْ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ كَثِيرًا كَثِيرًا11

which is eminently well-known and recited by the followers of Shâfi'î madhab at the end of the tasbîhât of salâh became extremely meaningful and honoured. Sometimes while saying  بِعَدَدِ كُلِّ دَاءٍ وَ دَوَاء12 I feel the globe of the earth in the form of a hospital and the eminently obvious existence of the True Shâfî, Who bestows the remedies for all needs and physical and ma’nawî all troubles, and His universal clemency and sacred and all-embracing rahîmiyyah.” The Second Ray-The First Fruit of the First Station

 

The price for the ni’mah and rahmah of Allah is shukr. We did not offer the shukr that was due. Indeed, just as we failed to give the price of rahmah through shukr, we are also attracting the wrath of Allah upon ourselves through our dhulm and rebelliousness. Through the present dhulm, destruction, kufr and rebelliousness across the face of the world, humanity has made itself deserving of a slap and has received terrifying slaps. Surely, we also will have a share in this.

Emirdağ Addendum 1 (32)

 

Now, through deceptions, abuse and bribery, many harams have been mixed with wealth and rizq, and farmers have lost actual ownership of their assets. While there are two or three out of ten men who are worthy of rahmah, through either dhulm or mixing haram into their work or through lack of shukr, five or six who benefit from the assets of farmers lose their worthiness for rahmah.

Emirdağ Addendum 1 (33)

 

“Al-Mun’im Al-Karîm agrees to provide whatever you need as ni’mah. All you have to do is to eat from the table of His favours and offer shukr. Offering shukr will cause Him to increase His ni’mahs upon you, for it means seeing the act of giving ni’mahs. Seeing this act removes the grief arising from the ni’mah’s disappearance, for this disappearance is not eternal. Like fruits eaten this year being succeeded by new ones next year, it means departing to make room for something new. Thus, it gives you the delight of ever-renewed pleasure. وَ آخِرُ دَعْوَيهُمْ اَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ 13 indicates that hamd is itself a pleasure. The meaning and the mystery of hamd is that you see the tree of giving ni’mahs in the ni’mah of fruits. It removes the pain arising from the thought of their disappearance, and becomes the pleasure itself.” Al-Mathnawi al-Nuri (175)

 

“And, for example, the sense of taste, in the tongue; through appreciating all the tastes of foods, it performs its duty with a truly diverse ma’nawî shukr; and so on. All man's faculties, including his important subtle faculties such as the heart, mind and rûh, have quite distinct duties, pleasures and pains…

…According to the Qur'an, the result in the âkhirah of licit and love with shukr for delicious foods and fruits is again delicious food and fruit, but in a form appropriate for Jannah. This licit love desires those foods and fruits of the âkhirah. So much so that when you utter the phrase 'Alhamdulillah' over the fruit you eat in this world, it will be embodied as a fruit of Jannah and presented to you there. Here you eat fruit, while there you will eat 'Alhamdulillah'.

Since you see the act of giving ni’mahs by Allah and favour of Ar-Rahmân in ni’mah and food, as is established by Hadith, the indications of the Qur'an, and the requirements of hikmah and rahmah that that pleasurable ma’nawî shukr will be given to you in Jannah in the form of a truly delicious food.” The Words (677-678 )

 

“KNOW, O FRIEND, that modesty sometimes contradicts one’s proclaiming ni’mahs, for doing so sometimes gives rise to pride and arrogance. Thus, avoid tafrît and ifrât. The istiqâmah in one’s proclaiming ni’mahs is as follows: Every ni’mahs has two aspects. The first pertains to the one on whom Allah has bestowed it. This ni’mah distinguishes one in a community and leads to pride and forgetting the One Who gave it. Such people arrogate it to themselves, attributing it to their abilities or merits, and become haughty.

The second pertains to Al-Mun’im. The blessing displays His Munificence and rahmah and testifies to His Names. By the act of bestowing ni’mahs, He pronounces the âyahs of the manifestation of His Names. Modesty should be shown in the first case, while it becomes kufr an-ni’mah if shown in the second one. If one attributes to Allah and His Munificence all the ni’mahs that have been bestowed to him and feels no self-pride, his proclaiming the ni’mahs bestowed on him will be a ma’nawî shukr.

O Yûsuf Kishri. When you wear splendid clothes, Said says to you: “How beautiful you are.” You say: “Beauty belongs to the clothes, not to me.” This is both modesty and a proclamation of ni’mahs.” Al-Mathnawi al-Nuri (321)

 

“Sometimes modesty suggests a kufr an-ni’mah; rather it becomes a kufr an-ni’mah. And sometimes it so happens that acknowledging the ni’mahs becomes pride. Both are harmful. The only solution for this is that it should neither be a kufr an-ni’mah, and neither turn into pride. It is to acknowledge the virtues and perfections, yet without claiming ownership of them, to show them as the works of bestowal of the True Mun’im. For example, Just as if someone made you wear an embroidered and decorated garb of honour and you were made to look beautiful with it and people said to you: "Mashaallah! You are beautiful How beautiful you have become.” If in modesty you said: "Hâsha! Who am I, a nothing! What is this, Where is the beauty in it? Then it would be a kufr an-ni’mah and would be disrespectful to that skilful craftsman who had made you wear that garment. If you were to say proudly: "Yes, I am very beautiful, there is no one as beautiful as me, show me anyone who can match my beauty!” Then it would be a conceited form of pride.

So then to be saved from both pride and kufr an-ni’mah one should say: "Yes, I have become beautiful, but the beauty is due to the garment and is consequently the person who has made me wear it; it is not mine.” The Letters ( 434-435 )

 

 

 

اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا اِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ سَيِّدِ الشَّاكِرِينَ وَ الْحَامِدِينَ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِينَ آمِينَ

وَ آخِرُ دَعْوَيهُمْ اَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

 

1 (Perfection)

2 "For, since animals are a tiny index of this ‘âlam and man’s essence is a miniature sample of the universe, it is simply whatever is present in the ‘âlam, a sample of it is present in man” The Twenty-Second Word/Second Station/Third Proof

“a human being, is quite simply a miniature sample of the universe, a fruit of the tree of creation, and a seed of  this ‘âlam, for he comprises samples of most of the realms of beings in the ‘âlam. It is as if the animate being is a drop filtered from the universe in an extremely fine measure.” The Words ( 302 )

“The great ‘âlam, which is called the universe, and the small ‘âlam, which is its miniature sample and is called man, point to evidences of wahdâniyyah, both inside man's nafs and outside of it, that are written by the pens of qoudrah and qadar.” The Letters ( 275 )

“is man a unit of measurement, an index, a scale, and a balance to the haqiqahs of the universe.

For example, an extremely decisive evidence of the existence of Al-Lawh Al-Mahfûdh in the universe and an example of it is the faculty of memory in man. And a decisive evidence of the existence of al-‘âlam al-mithâl and an example of it is man's faculty of imagination. {Indeed, just as the elements in man indicate and point to the elements in the universe, and his bones to its stones and rocks, his hair to its plants and trees, and the blood which flows in his body and the fluids which issue from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth to the spring and mineral waters of the earth, in exactly the same way,  does man's rûh point to al-‘âlam al-arwâh, his faculty of memory to Al-Lawh Al-Mahfûdh, and his power of imagination to al-‘âlam al-mithâl, and so on. Each of his members and faculties points to a different ‘âlam and bears decisive witness to their existence.} And an evidence of the existence of rûh beings in the universe and an example of them are the quwwas and subtle faculties in man. And so on. In a small measure, man may display, in a degree of shuhûd, the haqiqahs of îmân in the universe” The Flashes (458-459 )

"Just as man is a small ‘âlam, so is the ‘âlam a great human being. This small man is an index and summary of the great human being. The great originals of the samples contained in man will necessarily be found in the great human being. For example: Just as the existence of faculty of memory in man is a certain proof of the existence of Al-Lawh Al-Mahfûdh in the ‘âlam, so too, everyone being observed in his nafs by sense or hads a tool of waswasa named lummah ash-shaytaniyyah situated in a corner of the heart, which is a shaytanic tongue speaking through the promptings of the quwwa al-wâhimah and is the corrupted quwwa al-wâhimah, and its becoming like a small shaytan and acting contrary to its owner's will and opposed to his desires is certain evidence to the existence of great shaytans in ‘âlam.

And since such lummah ash-shaytaniyyah and quwwa al-wâhimah are a tongue and an ear, they make the existence of an external evil individual who blows on the ear and makes the tongue speak to be perceived." The Thirteenth Flash – The Tenth Sign

3 (A place where a lamp is specially placed)

4 (I was a hidden treasure, so I created creation that they know Me.)

5 [Allah may support the religion with a sinful (Fâjir) man.]

6 (There is not a single thing but glorifies (tasbîh) Him with hamd.)

7 (Will they not then offer shukr? * Will they not then offer shukr? * Soon We will reward those who offer shukr.* If you offer shukr, I will bestow abundance upon you. * perform ‘ibâdah to Allah alone and be one of those who offer shukr)

8 (So, O jinns and men, which of your Rabb’s favours will both of you deny?)

9 (Do not eat of what is not slaughtered in Allah’s Name.)

10 (Rise with the permission of Allah!)

11 (O Allah! Grant blessings to our sayyid Muhammad (asm) and to the family of Muhammad (asm), to the number of troubles and their remedies, and bless him and them and grant them unending blessings and peace.)

12 (To the number of all ills and their remedies)

13 [Their latest call: Alhamdulillah, Ar-Rabb of ‘âlams -10:10)]

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