Once again sister Amy has provided me with fodder for a blog post.
The good sister is feeling the burden of a downswing in her faith – one which I can relate to all too well - and I felt it to be an opportune time to remind myself and others of a specific form of test which Allah (swt) puts us through.
We all accept that life is a series of challenges as the oft-cited verses from the Quran state:
Do men think that they will be left alone on saying 'We believe', and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false. (29:2-3)
Be sure we shall test you with fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. (2:155)
When contemplating these verses, I immediately think of loss of wealth or health. People often talk about being tested with death or terminal illness or the loss of a job or a home.
But overlooked among these more tangible losses is one of the greatest tests – the test of faith.
A period will pass where we may be dancing in the clouds in the company of angels, barely cognizant of the pouting shaytan in the corner of our souls. Good deeds are carried out by the dozens. Tears of faith and fear are readily flowing. Sins are but a distant, remote memory.
And with the flip of a switch, our iman plummets down to the depths of the devil's lair and we're struggling to make our five daily prayers. Shaytan in cohoots with our nafs is back on top.
In such circumstances, I immediately wonder if I have angered my Creator who has decided to punish me by taking away the sweetness of divine nearness in which I was happily immersed.
But I recently learned about the intricacies of this most beautiful test from Allah (swt).
When we are feeling the ecstasy of faith and are rushing to perform all the various acts of worship, our obedience to Allah comes as a by-product of this euphoria. We are simply falling in line with our desire for that spiritual rush. Obedience to our Lord is coming naturally and effortlessly.
But what happens when that rush is absent, when the high has worn out? Will we still hasten to submit to Allah? Or was our worship conditional on that existential high?
Thus Allah (swt) tests us by taking away that joy of worship and boost in Iman to see if we weather the spiritual storm by remaining eagerly obedient to our Lord or will we succumb to this heavy burden by begrudgingly performing our duties.
And it is in times like these that we need to double our efforts, increase the nafl (optional) acts of worship and demonstrate to our beloved, loving Lord that our faith and worship is to Him (swt) alone and not to the occasional spiritual exuberance we may feel.
Allow me to conclude with a quick point.
The word 'Lutf' in Arabic means kindness and graciousness and is the root of one of Allah's names (Al-Lateef). In Urdu the same word 'Lutf' means pleasure, sweetness, and enjoyment.
And thus it was from Urdu-speaking Sh. Zulfiqar Ahmed that I heard this beautiful explanation: These spiritual tests of rising and declining faith are designed to establish whether we are Abdul-lutf ('slaves of fleeting spiritual ecstasies') or Abdul-Lateef ('slaves of the ever-present Most Kind and Gracious').
So which is it?
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15 comments:
Allah!
MashaAllah, that was beautiful, and had beautiful timing for me too. Thank you.
An excellent post :) Here is one from Darvish on a similar subject:
http://darvish.wordpress.com/2007/12/02/invoking-god-the-tokens-of-devotion/
Ya Haqq!
Thank you, again. The last point, about what the sheikh said, was especially powerful. I'm not sure that the fog on my mind/spirit/nafs has magically lifted, but it did help to read this.
Jazak Allah, great post.
That rush of iman is truly a blessing and something we should not take for granted.
That is why I think that surrounding oneself with those who are seeking to overcome the same struggles against the nafs is of utmost importance.
Not to sound cliche, but people can really bring me down. If I'm surrounded by ghafleh more times than not, I will most likely surrender to heedlessness. Allah protect me!
Thank you for this.
This is such a thought-provoking entry. Jazaka Allahu khairan for sharing it with us.
And Umm Farouq shares my same thoughts. If my company is heedless, I'll be heedless. And I know that very well. So I try to pick the best company, too.
As-salaamu Alaikum Naeem,
and jazaakallah khair.
AA- Irving,
Welcome to the blog! And thank you for the link - very beautiful read!
AA- Muse,
"I'm not sure that the fog on my mind/spirit/nafs has magically lifted, but it did help to read this."
Alas, how I wish this 'fog' could be lifted magically for all of us who are struggling to achieve 'clarity'.
Glad the read helped you in some way.
AA- Umm Farouq,
Jazakallah-khairun for that very nice reminder on the importance of good company. As we all go through these spiritual swings, indeed the company of others who can pull us out is invaluable.
Beautiful. Jazakallah ahsanu jazaa. May Allah continue to bless Shaykh Zulfiqar.
BismillaharRahmanirRahim
as-salaamu 'alaikum. Nice Post brnaeem. How is Amy doing? Is she still feeling the downswing? Perhaps, you could introduce her to loud dhikr, by brining her to your zawiya for some loud dhikr...
I find it very refreshing, don't you... kinda like a refill for the heart you know.
-Saifuddin
oh well ,
whenever you find yourself in a state where the joy of worship is fading ... there is only one thing you do
you sacrifice ... now sacrificing is referred to as 'Nahr' in Surah Kawthar .. which literally means sacrificing a camel ... for the arabs that was a huge sacrifice ....
whatever charity you give to others ... whatever help you offer others ... whatever pleasing activity of your life that you give up for your lord ...
it will all bring you closer to Allah ... the journey to Allah is perpetual ....
in Surah Inshirah the last 2 verses
And when you are free from immediate duties ..still strive hard ....and turn to thy Lord all thy attention ...
the journey to Allah is perpetual and when you are sincere then Allah opens more ways for you to come close to HIM
..............
about the meaning of 'Lateef' , you will find some arabic words in usage in Urdu lingo but the connotation are different ....
'Lateef' means knower of mysteries , the subtle , the sublime .... the sublime can be interpreted on the 2nd level as the provider of sublime joy ....
an example is ..
Inna Rabbi Lateefun Liman Yasha
(Your Lord knows the mysteries of what HE chooses )
AA- Nabeel,
Thank you for the comment, especially the reminder that sacrificing anything dear to the heart (wealth, time, food, etc.) is a special way to deal with difficulties.
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