An Essential Principle for Those Who Strive on the Way of Truth!

[Nur Student]

Although those who strive on the way of Truth should think only of their own duties, they think of those that pertain to Almighty Allah, base their actions on them, and fall into error.

It is written in the work Adab al-Din wa’l-Dunya, that one time Satan tempted Jesus (Upon whom be peace) saying: “The appointed hour of death and all things are specified by divine determining, so throw yourself down from this high place, and see, you’ll die.” Jesus (Upon whom be peace) replied: “Allah tries his servants, but His servants may not try their Sustainer.” (2:257) That is, “Almighty Allah tests his servant, saying to him: If you do that I shall do this. Let’s see, are you able to do it? But the servant does not have the right and power to test Almighty Allah and say: If I do that, will You do this? To assume such a stance, as though subjecting Almighty Allah’s dominicality to test and examination, is bad conduct and contrary to worship and man’s being Allah’s slave.” Since this is the case, man should do his own duty and not interfere in Almighty Allah’s business.

It is well-known that when one of the heroes of Islam who many times defeated Jenghis Khan’s army, Jalaluddin Khwarazmshah, was going to the war, his ministers and followers told him: “You will be victorious; Almighty Allah will make you victor.” He replied: “I am charged by Allah’s command to act on the way of jihad, I do not interfere in Allah’s concerns. To make us victor or vanquished is His business.” Because he thus understood the mystery of submission, he was wondrously victorious on numerous occasions.

In his voluntary actions man should not think of the results which pertain to Almighty Allah. For example, for some of our brothers, when people join Islam it fires their enthusiasm and makes them increase their efforts. Then when others do not listen, the weak ones among them become demoralized and their enthusiasm wanes somewhat. Whereas Allah’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), who was the Absolute Master, Universal Leader, and Perfect Guide, took as his absolute guide the divine decree,

No more is the Messenger bound to do than deliver the message,(5:99)

and when people held back and did not listen, conveyed the message with greater effort, endeavour, and earnestness. For in accordance with the verse,

It is true you will not be able to guide everyone whom you love; but God guides those whom He will,(28:56)

he understood that making people listen and guiding them was Almighty Allah’s concern. And he did not interfere in Allah’s concerns.

And so, my brothers! You shouldn’t be officious either by basing your actions on what is not your business, or take up a position testing your Creator!

[Nur Student]

A Principle about our Attitude towards other Muslims/Muslimahs

O unjust man nurturing rancour and enmity against a believer! Let us suppose that you were on a ship, or in a house, with nine innocent people and one criminal. If someone were to try to make the ship sink, or to set the house on fire, because of that criminal, you know how great a sinner he would be. You would cry out to the heavens against his sinfulness. Even if there were one innocent man and nine criminals aboard the ship, it would be against all rules of justice to sink it.

So too, if there are in the person of a believer, who may be compared to a dominical dwelling, a divine ship, not nine, but as many as twenty innocent attributes such as belief, Islam, and neighbourliness; and if you then nurture rancour and enmity against him on account of one criminal attribute that harms and displeases you, attempting or desiring the sinking of his being, the burning of his house, then you too will be a criminal guilty of a great atrocity.