Know that the Connection with the People of Allah and to be close to
them, is to be connected with Allah al-Kareem and standing in His Presence.
Because they are the Means to the Mercy of Allah in this Life and in
the Here-After. And from their hands descend Blessings from the Merciful
to all those who are deprived (mahrumeen) and they are the Mediators
between us and Allah. And if it were not for them, nothing of this world
would exist. Allah said, “Oh you who believe, if you help Allah,
Allah will help you.” [47:7] And At-Tirmidhi narrated from
a Hadith Qudsi, “ If you Honor my awliya, I will Honor You.”
Allah says, “He who wishes for the Reward for this Life, we will
provide it for him. And he who wishes for the Rewards of the Here-After,
we will provide it for him.” The Knowers of Allah said, “The
Reward of this Life (means) the Association with the awliya. And the
Reward of the Hereafter is the Association with Al-Haqq. Allah
ta‘ala says, “Assist one another in Righteousness and Taqwa.
Don’t assist one another in Sin and Enmity.” [5:2] Some
of the Knowers of Allah said, “To assist one another in Righteousness
and Taqwa (means) Obedience to the Grand Ones amongst the Masters
and the Shaykhs. And do not withhold your portions from them in assistance.
And they did not assist one another in Sin, (means) being busy with
this life. And with Enmity, (means) agreeing with the Desires and the
Purposes of the Ego."
Allah says, “From within every group in their midst some shall
refrain from going forth altogether and should devote themselves to
acquiring Knowledge of the Religion” [9:122] Al-Araais said,
“That is to understand the Realities of the Rulings of the Knowledge
of Allah, the Way, Reality and Divine Law. And Sahl said, “ The
best Travel is from desire to (using) intellect, from ignorance to knowledge,
from this life to the hereafter, from ability to do something to participating
in it from strength and power, from following the ego to God-Consciousness,
from the earth to the Heavens, from creation to Allah ta‘ala. Al-Murtaash
said, “Travel is of two kinds:
To learn of the Judgements of the Religion and the fundamentals
of Divine Law.
To learn the proper good conduct of worship and to battle with the
self.
He who returns from learning the rulings (ahkaam), invites creation
to Allah. And he who returns from learning the battle with the self
teaches the creation proper conduct from his example (which he learned
from the Shaykhs). This kind of travel is for Allah, which entails seeing
the People of Allah and by their examples and teachings learning proper
good conduct (adab). For this is Allah‘s Blessings for everyone
in every land."
It is said in reference to what Allah says, “Those who migrate
or who are banished from their homes and and their properties while
seeking Grace from Allah….” [59:8] “It is said that
they left for the sake of the Love of the Poor and to accompany and
emulate them because Poverty is the Way of Truth. Did you not see that
The Chosen One (s) sat with them and said, ‘Our dead for your dead
and our living for your living.' And when Allah says, “And incline
not to those who do wrong, or the Fire will seize you,” [11:113]
it means to diverge from the example of those who worship for show,
the ignorant ones and those who gather for the sake of evil and the
love of being honored among people and to lead others. And not to depend
on your tyrannical ego that is ignorant of the rights of Allah swt.
Al-Kashaani said, “One who does not sit with a Guide (Imam)
who is a Physician (hakeem), is always in error.” Hamud
Al-Qasar said, “Do not sit with the People of Mischief. If you
do, you will be prevented with sitting with the People of Virtue.”
Ja‘far said, “Don’t trust your ego, because it is a tyrant”.
And Sahl said, “Don’t sit with the People of Innovation”.
Allah says, “Oh you who believe, seek a Means to Allah...”
[5:35] Our Shaykhs say, “Seek a means to Allah that doesn’t
separate from Allah so that you may reach Him And there is no Greater
Means to Allah than the Prophet (s). And there is no Greater Way to
the Prophet (s) except invocation (salawat) on him (s). What
is desired in using a means (waseela) to Allah is a Perfect Shaykh.
For He is the Greatest of the Ways to Allah. A person is with the one
he loves and who loves a people, he is one of them. As narrated from
Al-Bukhari (ra) that a man came to the Prophet (s) and asked about the
Hour saying, “When is the Hour?” Muhammad said, “What
have you prepared for it?” the man said, “ Nothing except
I love Allah and His Messenger.” Muhammad (s) said, “Surely
you will be with the one you loved.” Anas said, “I love the
Prophet (s) and Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar, (may Allah be pleased with
them). And I hope to be alive while they are living." Muhammad
(s) said, “A man is gathered on the Day of Judgment on the Religion
of his brother. So be careful for the one you befriend.”
And if you know this my brother, you should not befriend any except
one who raises you up to Allah and shows you the Way to Allah. And this
is not to be except one who is free from everything except Allah. There
is no enjoyment (for the True Believer) except in their Friendship and
no happiness except in their service and their associations. So always
be with them with your Heart. Happiness will reach you through there
associations and you will benefit greatly from them. If you sit with
those who are happy, you will be happy. And if you sit with the neglectful,
being neglectful will be pleasingg to you. And if you were to sit with
those who Remembers their Lord, it will arouse you out from your slumber
and being aware will be pleasing to you. For they are the Group in which
there is no distress in sitting with them.
© copyright As-Sunnah Foundation of America,
2003