Notes - Principles of Islamic Spirituality
Taught By: Shaykh Yahya Rhodus
Lesson 1: Introduction to the text
Text and Author’s Introduction:
- The author’s name is Imam Abdul Wahid Ibn Ashir.
- He was a saint and a scholar who was born in Fez, Morroco.
- He passed away 1040 Hijrah.
- Studied main sciences – Qur’an, theology, grammar, rhetoric, knowledge etc.
Breakdown of the word ‘matn’
- Matn, = a category of text.
- Our tradition is a textual tradition.
- Also a word for back.
- Functions as a support.
- Support that gives a skeleton through which various meanings are extracted.
- Contains a vast story in it.
- Synthesizes knowledge.
About the Text
- A didactic poem, which comprises of 314 lines.
- Consists of three parts.
- Comprehensive and concise.
- Individual obligation.
- Originally written for children.
- Fardh al Ain – Individual obligation.
- Basics of belief, purification of the heart, Imaan, Ihsaan, Ikhlas = Spiritual DNA of the believer.
· Note: This text changed shaykh Yahya’s life. After his conversion, he studied this text and then decided to dedicate himself to Islamic studies overseas. Through this text, he gained a new appreciation of knowledge.
GEM: "Islamic knowledge touches the heart, it covers it with light. When you read, expose and study it, you find that your heart changes. It makes your heart and purifies you. It's this type of knowledge that Imam Ghazali stated, 'I sought knowledge other than for Allah but knowledge refused to be sought for except for the sake of Allah.' This text is beneficial knowledge."
What is Tassawuf?
- The science of the purification of the heart.
- To rid your heart of destructive qualities.
- Sincerely focusing on Allah.
Beginning of the text:
Repentance from every sin committed is necessary immediately [upon realizing the wrong] and absolutely. It is [in effect] a sense of remorse.[Its soundness] is contingent upon abandoning [the sin], refusing to persist in it,and rectifying what is possible [if the sin violated the rights of others]. That is [essentially] atonement. The essence of piety is to avoid [Divine displeasure] and obey [the Divine Will],both inwardly and outwardly. In this manner, it is obtained. Thus, its categories are indeed four in number: [inward and outward, fulfilling and avoiding]; and these, for the wayfarer, are the pathways of benefit.
Tawba/Repentance:
- “To turn around.”
- Moving back to ‘Siratul Mustaqeem’.
- Ba’ith = A powerful urge casted into the heart of an individual. What follows that powerful urge is Tawbah.
- Urge which makes the individual uncomfortable.
- Makes one ask the self a soul searching question. i.e What is the nature of this world?
- This Ba’ith is from the Junood of Allah Al Batinah (Internal armies of Allah)
- It is a god given gift which we can expose ourselves to.
- "Indeed your Lord in the times of the day, has sweet breezes of mercy." (Quoted hadith)
One can expose oneself to the breezes of mercy by:
1) Fasting
2) Praying
3) Tahajjud
4) Serving others
5) Listening to the Qur’an even if you do not understand it.
6) *Being in righteous company. – Your heart becomes motivated. There are living examples of our times that inspire and uplift us when we are weighed down by the dunya.
Tawbah leads to redirecting one’s focus on the purpose of life. Everything has a purpose. Even the molecules and electrons and everything macro and micro. The Qur’an states, “Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?”
GEM: "Travel to Allah..paralyzed and with broken bones and don't wait to be in a state where everything is fine. Waiting - this is idleness."
Process of Retuning back to Allah (Tawbah cont’d)
- There are certain names and attributes of Allah (Ghaffar, Tawwab) that relate to forgivness.
- We can take these names to ask forgiveness.
- At- Tawab- He who forgives/every forgiving.
- Quran states, ‘Allah loves those who repent continuously’. Allah did not say Masumeen but that he loves those that repent constantly, meaning that one has to sin constantly to repent constantly. (*Not an excuse to continue sinning.*)
- The very act of repentance and returning to Allah creates a process of purification and exposing one’s self to attain the love of Allah.
Regarding the act of sinning
GEM: Don’t ever let anything keep you down ever. Always remain positive and optimistic. Despite your state, it’s never too late to return back to Allah (SWT) no matter what you have done.
- Don’t wait for anything. Have adab with your lord.
- Stay where ever Allah has put you. i.e he has put you in business. (Unless its outright Haraam) Change your intention.
- Some people think that in order, to be righteous, one has to go live in a jungle. You do not have to do that. There’s no monasticism in Islam.
GEM: The religion of Muhammad (saw) synthesizes perspective of dunya as well as the akhirah. It synthesizes inward as well as the outward. It synthesizes our relationship with Allah and our relationship with society. We (as Muslims) are the ultimate synthesizers of everything.
- Repentance is remorse.
- This has powerful realities within the human being.
- True repentance should motivate you to move forward.
- Imam Ghazali states: Humans are stained with sin. They have two choices:
1) Burn out by the fire of remorse
2) Burn out from the fire of Hell.
- It is difficult to move forward and come to reality to the fact that you have wronged others or when you’ve realized a shortcoming within yourself.
- However, when you seek forgiveness and want to better yourself, that is one of the most positive feelings you can have internally.
- There is a difference between guilt, shame, and repentance. While the former cause depressions, the latter gives one the energy to move forward.
Benefits of Shariah
- One must understand that all the rulings of the Shariah are for our own benefit
- The limits of sacred law even if it is not being enforced will provide light in your heart and will realign you with your Lord and there will be much blessings in it.
Steps to Repentance:
1. Remorse
2. Abandoning the Sin, refusing to persist in it.
3. Intend to never do it again.
4. If the sin was committed that affected another person, amends have to be made.
a. Return stolen property
b. Right a wrong
c. Pay a debt
- Even if you have harmed an animal, (One cannot even kill an insect, if it doesn’t harm or pose a threat to you) try to find that particular animal to make amends. If one cannot, then one should do something for that species.
GEM: One can learn much from ants. A scholar learned an important lesson from them. He read a book seven times but could not understand it. He was once sat and noticed an ant crawling to get to a morsel of food. Before it could, it kept falling. After seven failed attempts, it tried an eighth time to get the morsels of food and finally got it. Seeing this, the imam thought if an ant can keep in trying, why not me? He then read the book for the eighth time and understood. Consistency can have profound effects on us.
- Possibility that those animals you have harmed might take retribution on you on the day of Qiyamah!
- If such is the case with animals then what about our behavior towards other human beings!
- People of God are most sensitive about the feelings of others.
- Son of Umar (R.A) once gazed upon the Ka’bah and stated, ‘You have a great sanctity but Wallahi, the sanctity of the believer is far greater than you.’
- Hurting the feelings of another is like tearing the kabah rock by rock!
- The Prophet (SAW) stated how making someone feel bad is greater than tearing the kabah rock by rock!
- Tangent: Imam Nawawi- When he was young, no one used to play with him. But we know the worth of Imam Nawawi now. There is hardly a house that does contain his works!
- If you continue to seek forgiveness, then even if you commit the same sin seventy times a day, you are not considered a perpetual sinner.
- One should be remorseful, commit to not acting upon the sin again and to stop doing it.
- You will be forgiven (inshaa’Allah). You should move on.
- As long as you keep asking, Allah will forgive you.
- It is important to remember that when a sin is forgiven. Al Affuw erases it from the scrolls and your psychological makeup. It’s gone.
- However shaytan will try to make you think about it but don’t let him overcome you. Move on and better yourself.
Protect yourself – Taqwah
Taqwah = Protecting one’s self from anything that can harm one in the next world.
- Taqwah should be in the fore front of your mind.
- Tangent: Imam Haddad’s book on the benefits of taqwa and in Mauritania upon departure, the people there would say to each other ‘Itaqillah’ and quotes regarding it.
Motivating factors:
1) Fear
2) Hope
3) Love – Strongest motivating factor. The greatest punishment is separation from Allah.
Various Degrees of Taqwa: (Taken from Brother Ozair)
a) The three degrees of taqwa (please note, the Shaykh did not mention specific titles).
i) Taqwa with regards to avoiding anything that would result in disbelief (kufr). Taken from the Qur'anic verse 48:26.
ii) Taqwa with regards to avoiding the various acts of disobedience. Taken from the Qur'anic verse 7:96.
iii) Taqwa with regards to avoiding anything that will distance one from Allah (Exalted!), i.e. the maqaam of ihsaan.Taken from the Qur'anic verse 3:102.
b) The five degrees of taqwa, delineated by Imam Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi (Allah have mercy upon him):
i) Taqwa al-Kufr – Avoiding anything that leaves to disbelief/apostasy.
ii) Taqwa al-Muharramaat – Avoiding all the various types of sin (haraam).
iii) Taqwa as-Shubuhaat – Avoiding doubtful manners.
iv) Taqwa al-Mubahaat – Cutting back on the various things that are lawful/permissible.
v) Taqwa al-khatir ma siwa Allah 'ala al-qalb - Striving to not have a thought other than that of Allah (Exalted!) come to one’s heart. Being constantly in the presence of Allah (Exalted!). Such people do exist in our times. It’s not just a theory.
- High degrees are attainable for those who strive. Every single person has amazing abilities, they just have to put a small amount of work and then will see the khair.
- Take the first step.
- Tangent: Important book to get hands on – Reliance of the Traveler (Nuh Keller)
- Why were the Sahaba so great? They followed the greatest sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) which was preferring akhirah over dunya. Sahaba would leave 9/10 of the permissible!
Allahuma Taqabbal Minna Innaka Antas Samee’ul ‘Aleem!
- Exposing one's self to Allah's mercy
- Repentance and turning to Allah
- Remore and moving forward
- Three degree of piety(taqwa)
Text and Author’s Introduction:
- The author’s name is Imam Abdul Wahid Ibn Ashir.
- He was a saint and a scholar who was born in Fez, Morroco.
- He passed away 1040 Hijrah.
- Studied main sciences – Qur’an, theology, grammar, rhetoric, knowledge etc.
Breakdown of the word ‘matn’
- Matn, = a category of text.
- Our tradition is a textual tradition.
- Also a word for back.
- Functions as a support.
- Support that gives a skeleton through which various meanings are extracted.
- Contains a vast story in it.
- Synthesizes knowledge.
About the Text
- A didactic poem, which comprises of 314 lines.
- Consists of three parts.
- Comprehensive and concise.
- Individual obligation.
- Originally written for children.
- Fardh al Ain – Individual obligation.
- Basics of belief, purification of the heart, Imaan, Ihsaan, Ikhlas = Spiritual DNA of the believer.
· Note: This text changed shaykh Yahya’s life. After his conversion, he studied this text and then decided to dedicate himself to Islamic studies overseas. Through this text, he gained a new appreciation of knowledge.
GEM: "Islamic knowledge touches the heart, it covers it with light. When you read, expose and study it, you find that your heart changes. It makes your heart and purifies you. It's this type of knowledge that Imam Ghazali stated, 'I sought knowledge other than for Allah but knowledge refused to be sought for except for the sake of Allah.' This text is beneficial knowledge."
What is Tassawuf?
- The science of the purification of the heart.
- To rid your heart of destructive qualities.
- Sincerely focusing on Allah.
Beginning of the text:
Repentance from every sin committed is necessary immediately [upon realizing the wrong] and absolutely. It is [in effect] a sense of remorse.[Its soundness] is contingent upon abandoning [the sin], refusing to persist in it,and rectifying what is possible [if the sin violated the rights of others]. That is [essentially] atonement. The essence of piety is to avoid [Divine displeasure] and obey [the Divine Will],both inwardly and outwardly. In this manner, it is obtained. Thus, its categories are indeed four in number: [inward and outward, fulfilling and avoiding]; and these, for the wayfarer, are the pathways of benefit.
Tawba/Repentance:
- “To turn around.”
- Moving back to ‘Siratul Mustaqeem’.
- Ba’ith = A powerful urge casted into the heart of an individual. What follows that powerful urge is Tawbah.
- Urge which makes the individual uncomfortable.
- Makes one ask the self a soul searching question. i.e What is the nature of this world?
- This Ba’ith is from the Junood of Allah Al Batinah (Internal armies of Allah)
- It is a god given gift which we can expose ourselves to.
- "Indeed your Lord in the times of the day, has sweet breezes of mercy." (Quoted hadith)
One can expose oneself to the breezes of mercy by:
1) Fasting
2) Praying
3) Tahajjud
4) Serving others
5) Listening to the Qur’an even if you do not understand it.
6) *Being in righteous company. – Your heart becomes motivated. There are living examples of our times that inspire and uplift us when we are weighed down by the dunya.
Tawbah leads to redirecting one’s focus on the purpose of life. Everything has a purpose. Even the molecules and electrons and everything macro and micro. The Qur’an states, “Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?”
GEM: "Travel to Allah..paralyzed and with broken bones and don't wait to be in a state where everything is fine. Waiting - this is idleness."
Process of Retuning back to Allah (Tawbah cont’d)
- There are certain names and attributes of Allah (Ghaffar, Tawwab) that relate to forgivness.
- We can take these names to ask forgiveness.
- At- Tawab- He who forgives/every forgiving.
- Quran states, ‘Allah loves those who repent continuously’. Allah did not say Masumeen but that he loves those that repent constantly, meaning that one has to sin constantly to repent constantly. (*Not an excuse to continue sinning.*)
- The very act of repentance and returning to Allah creates a process of purification and exposing one’s self to attain the love of Allah.
Regarding the act of sinning
GEM: Don’t ever let anything keep you down ever. Always remain positive and optimistic. Despite your state, it’s never too late to return back to Allah (SWT) no matter what you have done.
- Don’t wait for anything. Have adab with your lord.
- Stay where ever Allah has put you. i.e he has put you in business. (Unless its outright Haraam) Change your intention.
- Some people think that in order, to be righteous, one has to go live in a jungle. You do not have to do that. There’s no monasticism in Islam.
GEM: The religion of Muhammad (saw) synthesizes perspective of dunya as well as the akhirah. It synthesizes inward as well as the outward. It synthesizes our relationship with Allah and our relationship with society. We (as Muslims) are the ultimate synthesizers of everything.
- Repentance is remorse.
- This has powerful realities within the human being.
- True repentance should motivate you to move forward.
- Imam Ghazali states: Humans are stained with sin. They have two choices:
1) Burn out by the fire of remorse
2) Burn out from the fire of Hell.
- It is difficult to move forward and come to reality to the fact that you have wronged others or when you’ve realized a shortcoming within yourself.
- However, when you seek forgiveness and want to better yourself, that is one of the most positive feelings you can have internally.
- There is a difference between guilt, shame, and repentance. While the former cause depressions, the latter gives one the energy to move forward.
Benefits of Shariah
- One must understand that all the rulings of the Shariah are for our own benefit
- The limits of sacred law even if it is not being enforced will provide light in your heart and will realign you with your Lord and there will be much blessings in it.
Steps to Repentance:
1. Remorse
2. Abandoning the Sin, refusing to persist in it.
3. Intend to never do it again.
4. If the sin was committed that affected another person, amends have to be made.
a. Return stolen property
b. Right a wrong
c. Pay a debt
- Even if you have harmed an animal, (One cannot even kill an insect, if it doesn’t harm or pose a threat to you) try to find that particular animal to make amends. If one cannot, then one should do something for that species.
GEM: One can learn much from ants. A scholar learned an important lesson from them. He read a book seven times but could not understand it. He was once sat and noticed an ant crawling to get to a morsel of food. Before it could, it kept falling. After seven failed attempts, it tried an eighth time to get the morsels of food and finally got it. Seeing this, the imam thought if an ant can keep in trying, why not me? He then read the book for the eighth time and understood. Consistency can have profound effects on us.
- Possibility that those animals you have harmed might take retribution on you on the day of Qiyamah!
- If such is the case with animals then what about our behavior towards other human beings!
- People of God are most sensitive about the feelings of others.
- Son of Umar (R.A) once gazed upon the Ka’bah and stated, ‘You have a great sanctity but Wallahi, the sanctity of the believer is far greater than you.’
- Hurting the feelings of another is like tearing the kabah rock by rock!
- The Prophet (SAW) stated how making someone feel bad is greater than tearing the kabah rock by rock!
- Tangent: Imam Nawawi- When he was young, no one used to play with him. But we know the worth of Imam Nawawi now. There is hardly a house that does contain his works!
- If you continue to seek forgiveness, then even if you commit the same sin seventy times a day, you are not considered a perpetual sinner.
- One should be remorseful, commit to not acting upon the sin again and to stop doing it.
- You will be forgiven (inshaa’Allah). You should move on.
- As long as you keep asking, Allah will forgive you.
- It is important to remember that when a sin is forgiven. Al Affuw erases it from the scrolls and your psychological makeup. It’s gone.
- However shaytan will try to make you think about it but don’t let him overcome you. Move on and better yourself.
Protect yourself – Taqwah
Taqwah = Protecting one’s self from anything that can harm one in the next world.
- Taqwah should be in the fore front of your mind.
- Tangent: Imam Haddad’s book on the benefits of taqwa and in Mauritania upon departure, the people there would say to each other ‘Itaqillah’ and quotes regarding it.
Motivating factors:
1) Fear
2) Hope
3) Love – Strongest motivating factor. The greatest punishment is separation from Allah.
Various Degrees of Taqwa: (Taken from Brother Ozair)
a) The three degrees of taqwa (please note, the Shaykh did not mention specific titles).
i) Taqwa with regards to avoiding anything that would result in disbelief (kufr). Taken from the Qur'anic verse 48:26.
ii) Taqwa with regards to avoiding the various acts of disobedience. Taken from the Qur'anic verse 7:96.
iii) Taqwa with regards to avoiding anything that will distance one from Allah (Exalted!), i.e. the maqaam of ihsaan.Taken from the Qur'anic verse 3:102.
b) The five degrees of taqwa, delineated by Imam Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi (Allah have mercy upon him):
i) Taqwa al-Kufr – Avoiding anything that leaves to disbelief/apostasy.
ii) Taqwa al-Muharramaat – Avoiding all the various types of sin (haraam).
iii) Taqwa as-Shubuhaat – Avoiding doubtful manners.
iv) Taqwa al-Mubahaat – Cutting back on the various things that are lawful/permissible.
v) Taqwa al-khatir ma siwa Allah 'ala al-qalb - Striving to not have a thought other than that of Allah (Exalted!) come to one’s heart. Being constantly in the presence of Allah (Exalted!). Such people do exist in our times. It’s not just a theory.
- High degrees are attainable for those who strive. Every single person has amazing abilities, they just have to put a small amount of work and then will see the khair.
- Take the first step.
- Tangent: Important book to get hands on – Reliance of the Traveler (Nuh Keller)
- Why were the Sahaba so great? They followed the greatest sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) which was preferring akhirah over dunya. Sahaba would leave 9/10 of the permissible!
Allahuma Taqabbal Minna Innaka Antas Samee’ul ‘Aleem!