On the Unity of All Being

The central doctrine concerning the ultimate nature of reality has usually been called wahdat al-wujûd or the (transcendent) unity of Being. This cardinal doctrine, which is not pantheism, or pan-entheism nor natural mysticism as Western orientalists have called it, is the direct consequence of the Shahâdah. It asserts that there cannot be two completely independent orders of reality or being which would be sheer polytheism or shirk. Therefore, to the extent that anything has being it cannot be other than the Absolute Being.

The Shahâdah in fact begins with the lâ, or negation, in order to absolve Reality of all otherness and multiplicity. The relation between God and the order of existence is not just a logical one in which if one thing is equal to another the other is equal to the first. Through that mystery that lies in the heart of creation itself, everything is, in essence, identified with God while God infinitely transcends everything. To understand this doctrine intellectually is to possess contemplative [intuitive] intelligence; to realize it fully is to be a saint who alone sees 'God everywhere'.

From: Ideals and Realities of Islam, S H Nasr

As Leaders Go, So Goes the World

I think this speaks mountains in regard to our present situation...

If in the darkness of ignorance,
You don’t recognize a person’s true nature,
Look to see whom he has chosen for his leader.

-Rumi, "Mathnawi" [IV, 1640]

Better than Angels?

Angels were created without lust and evil, the worst obstacles of humankind. Those who, despite their evil nature, remain pious excel angels in rank.

Enthused by their purity angels denounced the human race so God chose three angels to go to the earth and reform its inhabitants. One angel, espying the corruption, begged God to let him return. The other two, in their earthly form, gave in to lust and fell from grace. Thus God revealed to the other angels the superiority of the devout.

-Al-Hujwiri, “The Kashf al-Mahjub”

The Blessing of Adam

Assalamualaikum Mohd. Adam Firdaus!

If you've ever doubted that the throne of Mercy surrounds us and abounds, just take a long look at the face of your newborn. The feeling of Allah's Greatness, Mercy, Love and Oneness is indescribable.

It just makes you want to stay there and melt away...

Allahu akbar.

The Flames of Love

Love is the flame which, when it blazes, consumes everything other than the Beloved.
The lover wields the sword of Nothingness in order to dispatch all but God:
consider what remains after Nothing.
There remains but God: all the rest is gone.
Praise to you, O mighty Love, destroyer of all other "gods."

-Rumi, Mathnawi [V, 588-590]

Polishing the Heart

When your heart is dark as iron,
steadily polish yourself that the heart may become a mirror,
a beautiful shine relecting from within.
Although iron is dark and dismal,
polishing clears the darkness away.

~ Rumi, "Mathnawi"

Everything Comes from Allah

If you investigate closely you will see that everything comes from Allah. Absolutely everything comes from Allah. The Source of all wealth is Allah. He it is Who Manifests from nothing. Did the raw material for creation exist before creation? OK, where did IT come from? Attain this connection (through understanding) first, and all else will necessarily follow. If you can see, feel, touch and maintain connection with Allah through seeing, feeling, touching and maintaining connection with yourself, only increase will result, insha-Allah...

~ Ali Ansari

The Switch

THE SWITCH
REMEMBERING UNITY

GOD'S PLEASURE IS ON HIS HOLY NAME, AL-LLAH! ("THE ONE GOD"). THE PLEASURE OF GOD (IN ARABIC) IS RIDHWANU'LLAH. "RIDHWAN" IS PLEASURE (DIVINE), "ALLAH" IS "THE ONE" (GOD) RIDHWANU'LLAH - THE PLEASURE OF GOD

THE SWITCH
THE SWITCH- (AS IN ON/OFF) - IS THIS -
WHEN YOU ARE NOT FEELING GOD'S SMILE ON YOU, YOU ARE FEELING SOMETHING LESS - EITHER "NEUTRAL" OR TRAPPED, PUZZLED OR DEPRESSED.

NOW GOD IS SMILING ON YOU ALL THE TIME, BUT YOU ARE NOT FEELING IT ALL THE TIME, BUT THIS IS A CHOICE YOU ARE MAKING BY REMEMBERING SOMETHING ELSE, NOT GOD.

YOU CAN CHOOSE TO REMEMBER GOD. JUST REMEMBER, GOD'S PLEASURE IS ON HIS HOLY NAME. SO TRY IT, SAY AL-LLAH! AND REMEMBER UNITY. FEEL THE CHANGE?

THAT IS THE SWITCH. YOUR CHOICE - REMEMBER, OR FORGET.

~ Ali Ansari

People Not Systems

Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system.

~ Bruce Lee, 1940-1973, Chinese-American Actor, Director, Author, Martial Artist

What is great about this quote by none other than Bruce Lee, is the fact that he hits upon a very important point about any and all human systems and organizations, which is that the most common denominator in any system - whether it be a system of government, business, education, or any other - is the human being. If the individuals running a system or organization are of the highest human character, that system will stand the greatest chance of being successful and all will benefit from it. On the other hand, even the supposed best system in the world will amount to nothing if the individuals responsible for administering it are not morally, ethically and spiritually sound. In the end, religion and spirituality are about one thing: the refinement and perfection of human character, for it is that human refinement and excellence that represents the greatest glorification of God.

Our beloved Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) put this in the most succinct of terms: Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I was sent to perfect good character." (Book 47, Number 47.1.8)

God Needs No One to Defend Him

God is His own Sovereign. His Sovereignty need not be “established” by men except in their own hearts. Then we will have a theocracy of luminaries, which is the only reality that matters, and for that we need only to learn true Surrender and teach true Surrender. And that is the pure Islam. Theocratic totalitarianism is not the sovereignty of God. It is paternalistic enforcement and very definitely the sovereignty of men. It is the attempted domination of the world by fearful and repressed minds, no matter what philosophy or religion they purport to be maintaining. It is always in the mindset of a like-minded group of people and is Not the Islam of trusting liberation ("La Iqraha Fi-d-Din") but that of religious slavery.

~ Ali Ansari

Problem Solving

Problems cannot be solved by thinking within the framework in which the problems were created.

~ Albert Einstein

How You Deal With Others Is How You Will Be Dealt With

If it's mercy and peace we seek in life, then we must first embody that which we seek...

A wise man once said to his son, "My son, do not become resentful when you are afflicted with trials, for indeed that is tantamount to having bad thoughts about one's Lord, and also, it gives pleasure to one's enemy.

Do not mock others, for indeed by Allah, every time I ever mocked anyone, I was afflicted in the same way as the person who I mocked. In this world, man is a target of arrows that come to him successively: some pass him by, some fall short, some fall to his right and others to his left, and some strike him.

Know that for every deed, you are rewarded, and how you deal with others is how you will be dealt with. And whoever is dutiful to his parents, his children, will be dutiful to him.

Avoid greed with ambition, for both represent poverty in the present.

Fear Allah as much as you are able. And if you are able to make today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today and your secrets better than your outward deeds, then do so.

Beware of deeds that you have to apologize for, for one never has to apologize for goodness.

When you stand for prayer, perform the prayer of one who is saying farewell, as if you feel that you will never afterwards pray again (i.e., that you will die).

Adhere to modesty, and you will be of its people.

Do not inflict harm upon others; rather give them good, and forgive if you are able to.

Do not be miserly if you are asked for something and do not tarry when one seeks help from you. Whoever is stingy, then Allah will make things narrow for him; and whoever gives, then Allah will give him a replacement for what he gave."

- From "Gems and Jewels" (p. 141), compiled by Abdul-Malik Mujahid

The Playground of the Nafs is the Mind

As soon as you have made a thought, laugh at it.

~ Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher

The Problem Science has with God....

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, the Almighty.

He asks one of his new students to stand.....

Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm? (Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil? Student does not answer.
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them? Student has no answer.
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't. (The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.) Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it. (There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir? (The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain? (The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir? (The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man & God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

WANT TO KNOW WHO THAT STUDENT WAS?
The student was none other than......... Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the present President of India

He Who Knows Himself....

....We think we are moving towards a more solid connection with reality but the solid connection we are truly looking for is only with the truth that is within ourselves. We perform this outward search (for material gain) because in the reality of our minds we feel disconnected from ourselves. Our drive to connect is in response to a sense of lack of connection. We imagine a connection that is not there because we cannot realize a connection that is. And that connection is with God - Who is everywhere - and no one can be any farther from God than any one else, except in their illusions. Your distance from God is all in your mind, and it is equal to your distance from your self. But because we've been taught to disbelieve in God, we have lost connection with the means of connection, which is ourselves.

- Ali Ansari

A True Human Being Changes Forty Times a Day

Imam Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) said in his Majmu` Sharh al-Muhadhdhab:

“Abul Qasim al-Junayd (Allah have mercy on him) said, "A sincere person changes forty times a day, while the hypocritical show-off stays as he is forty years."

The meaning of this is that the sincere person moves with what is right, wherever it may lead, such that when prayer is deemed better by the Sacred Law, then he prays, and when it is best to be sitting with the learned, or the righteous, or guests, or his children, or taking care of something a Muslim needs, or mending a broken heart, or whatever else it may be, then he does it, leaving aside what he usually does. And likewise for fasting, reciting the Koran, invoking Allah, eating or drinking, being serious or joking, enjoying the good life or engaging in self-sacrifice, and so on. Whenever he sees what is preferred by the Sacred Law under the circumstances, he does it, and is not bound by a particular habit or kind of devotion as the show-off is. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) did various things of prayer, fasting, sitting for Koran recital and invocation, eating and drinking, dressing, riding, lovemaking with his wives, seriousness and jest, happiness and wrath, scathing condemnation for blameworthy things, leniency in punishing those who deserved it and excusing them, and so ion, according to what was possible and preferable for the time and circumstances (al-Majmu' (),1.17- 18, from Shaykh Nuh Keller’s translation of Reliance of the Traveller, c2.6).

The Purpose of Life

Because Allah (God) is permanent, and this is without question, so is the manifestation of His creation that is beyond the time and space of worldly existence. And we are that manifestation.
But by that I do not mean us as the temporary and transitory manifestation of this life, which is only a moment in which we may discover ourselves and choose to abide in the truth or ignore it and pursue the illusion. It is not that this temporary and transitory life is meaningless but that it is only a tool, a moment in eternity, by which we may gain knowledge of our transcendent nature. It is by means of this life that we gain our true recognition of God. It is by the very means of this life that we may learn to transcend it and know of and abide in our life forever in a garden not of our own making. That is why I say often that the purpose of life, death, and everything in between is Self- and God realization.

- Ali Ansari

Sacrifice and Self-Denial

If you devote yourself to God in this world, He will admit you among His chosen servants in the hereafter. Such devotion, however, demands sacrifice and self-denial, the two instruments that make union with God possible.

-Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"

Practice Encouragement

Practice Encouragement

"Speak good words to all men." (Qur'an, 2:83)

"To God do ascend the goodly words, and He exalts the goodly deed." (Qur'an, 35:10)

Dr. Alfred Adler, the great psychologist, had an experience when he was a young boy. He got off to a bad start learning arithmetic, so his teacher became convinced that Adler was stupid when it came to mathematics. The teacher told Adler’s parents that the boy was dumb, and also told them not to expect much from him. His parents were convinced that the teacher's evaluation was correct. Therefore, Adler passively accepted the assessment that they had made of his abilities. And his grades in mathematics proved that they were correct.

However, one day he had a sudden flash of insight and thought he saw how to work a problem the teacher had put on the board that none of the other pupils could solve. He raised his hand and announced that he would like to do the problem. The students, and even the teacher, laughed at this. He became indignant. He strode to the blackboard and solved the problem perfectly, much to everyone's amazement. And at that moment he realised that he could understand mathematics. He had been handed an unreal, negative self-evaluation, and he had believed it and performed on the basis of that assessment.

Many of us have done the very same thing. Someone has told us that our abilities are limited, or that our dreams are unreachable. We have accepted that without question, and we go through life unhappy and unfulfilled. We become estranged from ourselves simply because we believe what others people have told us about ourselves.

Every one of us - young and old alike - needs to be encouraged. To encourage someone is to put courage into them. To discourage is to take courage out of them. It costs nothing to put courage into another ... to speak a kind word ... to let them know you appreciate them ... to tell them you believe in them ... that you admire them ...to thank them and so on.

So, today, make a point of putting courage into your spouse ... your children ... your boss ... your employees ... and the clerk at the local store. Go out of your way to do it. And in blessing others you will be blessed yourself.

Dick Innes

Purifying the Heart...

When you purify your hearts just as you purify your raiment, union with God will follow. You cannot become a Sufi by merely wearing coarse woolen shirts and following strict ritual, pretending to be pious while inside your hearts you bear malice and avarice. A real Sufi has attained a state of perfection on the inside. If you sincerely seek union with God, then seek Him inside your hearts and leave the world alone.

-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, “Fayuz E Yazdani”