Shedding Our Human Characteristics.

[Abu Fauzi]

As-Salaam alaikum,
Part of the teachings of the late Sheikh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani, may Allah be Merciful to him, is that without the skin all human beings are the same. And even anatomy establishes that without skin, all human beings are the same-- their skeleton, muscles, lips, eyes, everything except probably height/length.

When skin covers the body, then identity comes forth- you become Sheikh Junaid, for example, Dr. this, Mr. that, Prof. John and so on. When we shed the skin, we become simply general human beings... no more identity. Having an identity and/or flouting it will take us to the lowest level; whereas the lower we get in dunya, the higher we get up in spiritual levels. The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:--

"Whoever humbles himself before Allah, Allah raises him up" (Musnad al-Shihab).

The question arises, how do we shed our human characteristics?... how do we shed our skin? One of the ways is through fasting. When we fast in Ramadan or voluntarily outside the month of Ramadan, we shed our human characteristics. Our body likes to eat, drink, sleep, enjoy in halal ways, but we cannot do all this as far as we are fasting... we fold away characteristics of the body and the ego and go closer to the Divine Presence... we get closer to some kind of Sacred Valley, a Pure and Perfect environment.