LETTER 11: THE STATES OF THE RIGHTEOUS
LETTER 11: THE STATES OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Sheikh Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri
MORE BYSheikh Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!
Dearest Brother Shamsuddin, the states of the righteous are an ocean
of purity, though it has been said, “If they be an ocean, how can one
grasp their meaning?” Those whose souls have alighted at the treasury of favors, and whose hearts are mines of divine secrets experience
already the separation of good from bad, which is a special feature of
the Day of Resurrection! Promises and threats concerning them are
made clear to them here and now. What is a threat for others is a
source of peace for them. Both this world and the next obey them,
and they are also not bypassed in either this world or the next! One
evening, Khwaja Junaid decided to go to the mosque. When he arrived at the door, he saw a glowering person in front of the door. He
said, “Who are you, for my heart is set against you?” “I am Satan,” he
replied, ‘you wanted to see me.” He said, “I have 4 question to ask .
you.” “Ask away!” He said: “Do you have any power over God’s
friends?” “‘No,” was the reply. “How is that?” I inquired. He said: “If
| want to snare them in this world, they fly to the next. If I want to
catch them in the next world, they fly to the Lord Himself, where it
is impossible for me to go.” One of God’s beloved has given us this
hint:
All who have been taught the gambit of love
Have been set ablaze with love’s eternal flame.
The heart brought to perfection for union with Him,
Its eyes sewn together, returns not to either world!
Then he said: ““O accursed one, who would believe that you
could tell us about their secrets?”’ He replied, “‘True, but there is one
occasion when I know what is manifested in them, and that is when,
during a prayer-gathering, they fall into ecstasy.” Saying this, he disappeared. Junaid grew perplexed and, wrapped in thought, entered
the mosque. A voice came to him from the corner of the mosque: “O
son, do not be deceived by the speech of this enemy! Since the saints
of God are so precious to Him, why should he reveal to this enemy
things He does not even show to Gabriel or Michael?” Junaid saw
that it was his spiritual guide, Khwaja Sari Saqati, and he was relieved. [The hidden life of Khwaja Owais Qarani is mentioned approvingly.] Tomorrow, one of the many favors of God for His just
ones will be to make them strangers to their own tribes. Thus would
the saying be fulfilled: “Have I not caused the memory of you to languish?” In this very lane I have been plundered for your sake so that
the’ night patrol might not grasp the skirt of your name and reputation. A frenzied lover has thrown some light on the meaning of this
saying:
Have you seen what idolaters do in a temple?
What small hands can do to your narrow mouth?
I am intoxicated with You, so treat me gently,
For you know, O idol, what intoxicated people can do?
Sheikh Ibrahim Shabih was, in his time, a man to be imitated.
His every prayer for the righteous was this: “O Lord, just as You
have made me forgotten in the hearts of the people, so' also make me
forget them, so that no one will recognize me, nor I them!” From this,
leaders endowed with perception say that, if people speak truthfully,
they will acknowledge that their mutual acquaintance is unhealthy,
except in those friendships that are fostered for the sake of God Almighty, as it is said in the Quran: “On that day, friends will become
enemies of one another, except for the God fearing” (Q43:67). [The attitude of Abul Hasan Noori is then prafsed.]
O brother, what sort of name would you like to have at your
death? The blessed ones have given this precept: Whatever is received
and manifested to anyone today should not be promulgated, even by a
person admitted to the seven heavens, nor should speeches filled with
love be made concerning it! The very place where a person slides
away from the faith is where, in the future, the Resurrection itself
will be revealed, since the Chosen One gave this information concerning Khwaja Owais Qarani: Among the righteous companions, on the
Day of Resurrection, the blessed ones will be told, ‘You will go into
the abode of peace!” But to Owais Qarani, “the sun of the Day of
Resurrection today shines fiercely. Come into the shadow of the divine throne and dedicate your righteous tongue-to interceding for the
sinners of the community, since it is my wish to bring into paradise
today as many sinners of the community of Muhammad as there are
hairs on the sheep of the tribes of Rabi and Mizar.” While he was in
the world, Owais conducted himself in such a way before other people that no one in the tribe where he lived was more humble than he.
People used to throw large stones at him, play tricks on him, and inflict every sort of indignity on him. The Chosen One, at the height of
his prophethood, described the increase of his spiritual wealth in
these words: “I detect the breath of the Merciful One coming from
Yemen!” The secret of this is contained in what has been said:
O lover, if you set your foot in my alley,
Be prepared that moment to lose name and fame!
How much illumination can you expect
If you set out with a candle as your light?
When Haram ibn Hayan saw Owais, he said: ““O Owais, tell me
some tradition about the Prophet of God that I might recollect ‘in
your name!” He said, “I do not have the strength for that task, that
men should crowd me and make me a traditionist or a judge or a canon lawyer. I have a more important occupation than these. Please excuse me! If even a particle of the divine secret enters my heart, how
can I turn around and become a traditionist? I have been sealed with
‘There is no god but God.’ It does not allow me to pass on to anything
else. My regret at not finding Him in the boasting of lordship is like a
flame raging within me! That choicest morsel, divine Unity, has
made me a stranger to both worlds. The divine secrets have singed
my heart with everlasting anguish. The blemish of my penury has
undermined my security! The trial of not finding Him has dashed my
hopes to pieces! Yet the praise of the Chosen One has fixed upon me
the epithet ‘endowed with great purity.’”’ The secret of this Tradition, “I detect the breath of the Merciful One coming from Yemen,”
is indicated in unending anguish. One troubled at heart has said:
Union with You does not quell the anguish of my tormented
heart,
Nor is this thirst quenched by your refreshing water.
Drained of vitality my existence slips away.
Yet my soul is still stirred by the love of Your beauty.
Sufis say that no sound is closer to the Lord than that of a person
wailing over his sinfulness! Today it is fitting that the righteous ones
of this Way to the Lord of religion should learn lamentatior: for sin
from Owais Qarani.
O brother, anyone who is not crying and lamenting at every moment of his life is a vain person, full of negligence with respect to the
Day of Resurrection. He is as good as dead. He should be full of grief
over the opportunities of today that are lost as a result of insatiable
appetites. How can there be knowledge of God if life is limited to
maintaining and seeking position and dignity, observing commands
and prohibitions, practicing disdain and negligence, honor, worldly
pride and self-flattery?
Sacrifice your life; union with Him is not granted to mere
friends!
Only the intoxicated no longer drink milk from the goblet of
the Law.
That place where all men will drink wine together
Is where no worshiper of self will receive a drop!
O brother, as far as possible, spend your life in tasks of humble
repentance and seek protection in the shadow of the bounty of some
renowned religious figure. Seek out a saintly friend, for he will be a
veritable treasure for you. As for withdrawing from human company,
realize that you cannot travel along the road of religion without a
friend. If you say, ‘What should I do? It is not easy for me to find
such a friend. Remove from my back the weight of the robe of love
that weighs upon my infidel soul!” Do not participate in its infidelity,
for it will give your life to the wind and will plunder your religion; it
will make you a stranger on the Day of Resurrection; it will make you
well acquainted with the world; it will utter secret insinuations concerning your spiritual treasure; it will destroy the mansion of your
faith; daily your ardor for it will increase, and hourly your love for it
will grow. You should know that, in reality, this soul is the enemy of
God's religion! Consider it as your enemy, so that you may turn back
and become faithful to your religion. Do not be intimate with people;
otherwise the angels will become jealous. One mature Sufi has said:
When my soul had almost expired out of love for the Beloved,
I said, “Do not settle for union with yourself, My Guest.”
He replied, “If you want to be fit for union with Me,
Do not allow a ‘you’ in yourself! There should only remain an ee (Some particular prayers, known for their efficacy, are then reiterat-
ed.)
Peace!
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!
Dearest Brother Shamsuddin, the states of the righteous are an ocean
of purity, though it has been said, “If they be an ocean, how can one
grasp their meaning?” Those whose souls have alighted at the treasury of favors, and whose hearts are mines of divine secrets experience
already the separation of good from bad, which is a special feature of
the Day of Resurrection! Promises and threats concerning them are
made clear to them here and now. What is a threat for others is a
source of peace for them. Both this world and the next obey them,
and they are also not bypassed in either this world or the next! One
evening, Khwaja Junaid decided to go to the mosque. When he arrived at the door, he saw a glowering person in front of the door. He
said, “Who are you, for my heart is set against you?” “I am Satan,” he
replied, ‘you wanted to see me.” He said, “I have 4 question to ask .
you.” “Ask away!” He said: “Do you have any power over God’s
friends?” “‘No,” was the reply. “How is that?” I inquired. He said: “If
| want to snare them in this world, they fly to the next. If I want to
catch them in the next world, they fly to the Lord Himself, where it
is impossible for me to go.” One of God’s beloved has given us this
hint:
All who have been taught the gambit of love
Have been set ablaze with love’s eternal flame.
The heart brought to perfection for union with Him,
Its eyes sewn together, returns not to either world!
Then he said: ““O accursed one, who would believe that you
could tell us about their secrets?”’ He replied, “‘True, but there is one
occasion when I know what is manifested in them, and that is when,
during a prayer-gathering, they fall into ecstasy.” Saying this, he disappeared. Junaid grew perplexed and, wrapped in thought, entered
the mosque. A voice came to him from the corner of the mosque: “O
son, do not be deceived by the speech of this enemy! Since the saints
of God are so precious to Him, why should he reveal to this enemy
things He does not even show to Gabriel or Michael?” Junaid saw
that it was his spiritual guide, Khwaja Sari Saqati, and he was relieved. [The hidden life of Khwaja Owais Qarani is mentioned approvingly.] Tomorrow, one of the many favors of God for His just
ones will be to make them strangers to their own tribes. Thus would
the saying be fulfilled: “Have I not caused the memory of you to languish?” In this very lane I have been plundered for your sake so that
the’ night patrol might not grasp the skirt of your name and reputation. A frenzied lover has thrown some light on the meaning of this
saying:
Have you seen what idolaters do in a temple?
What small hands can do to your narrow mouth?
I am intoxicated with You, so treat me gently,
For you know, O idol, what intoxicated people can do?
Sheikh Ibrahim Shabih was, in his time, a man to be imitated.
His every prayer for the righteous was this: “O Lord, just as You
have made me forgotten in the hearts of the people, so' also make me
forget them, so that no one will recognize me, nor I them!” From this,
leaders endowed with perception say that, if people speak truthfully,
they will acknowledge that their mutual acquaintance is unhealthy,
except in those friendships that are fostered for the sake of God Almighty, as it is said in the Quran: “On that day, friends will become
enemies of one another, except for the God fearing” (Q43:67). [The attitude of Abul Hasan Noori is then prafsed.]
O brother, what sort of name would you like to have at your
death? The blessed ones have given this precept: Whatever is received
and manifested to anyone today should not be promulgated, even by a
person admitted to the seven heavens, nor should speeches filled with
love be made concerning it! The very place where a person slides
away from the faith is where, in the future, the Resurrection itself
will be revealed, since the Chosen One gave this information concerning Khwaja Owais Qarani: Among the righteous companions, on the
Day of Resurrection, the blessed ones will be told, ‘You will go into
the abode of peace!” But to Owais Qarani, “the sun of the Day of
Resurrection today shines fiercely. Come into the shadow of the divine throne and dedicate your righteous tongue-to interceding for the
sinners of the community, since it is my wish to bring into paradise
today as many sinners of the community of Muhammad as there are
hairs on the sheep of the tribes of Rabi and Mizar.” While he was in
the world, Owais conducted himself in such a way before other people that no one in the tribe where he lived was more humble than he.
People used to throw large stones at him, play tricks on him, and inflict every sort of indignity on him. The Chosen One, at the height of
his prophethood, described the increase of his spiritual wealth in
these words: “I detect the breath of the Merciful One coming from
Yemen!” The secret of this is contained in what has been said:
O lover, if you set your foot in my alley,
Be prepared that moment to lose name and fame!
How much illumination can you expect
If you set out with a candle as your light?
When Haram ibn Hayan saw Owais, he said: ““O Owais, tell me
some tradition about the Prophet of God that I might recollect ‘in
your name!” He said, “I do not have the strength for that task, that
men should crowd me and make me a traditionist or a judge or a canon lawyer. I have a more important occupation than these. Please excuse me! If even a particle of the divine secret enters my heart, how
can I turn around and become a traditionist? I have been sealed with
‘There is no god but God.’ It does not allow me to pass on to anything
else. My regret at not finding Him in the boasting of lordship is like a
flame raging within me! That choicest morsel, divine Unity, has
made me a stranger to both worlds. The divine secrets have singed
my heart with everlasting anguish. The blemish of my penury has
undermined my security! The trial of not finding Him has dashed my
hopes to pieces! Yet the praise of the Chosen One has fixed upon me
the epithet ‘endowed with great purity.’”’ The secret of this Tradition, “I detect the breath of the Merciful One coming from Yemen,”
is indicated in unending anguish. One troubled at heart has said:
Union with You does not quell the anguish of my tormented
heart,
Nor is this thirst quenched by your refreshing water.
Drained of vitality my existence slips away.
Yet my soul is still stirred by the love of Your beauty.
Sufis say that no sound is closer to the Lord than that of a person
wailing over his sinfulness! Today it is fitting that the righteous ones
of this Way to the Lord of religion should learn lamentatior: for sin
from Owais Qarani.
O brother, anyone who is not crying and lamenting at every moment of his life is a vain person, full of negligence with respect to the
Day of Resurrection. He is as good as dead. He should be full of grief
over the opportunities of today that are lost as a result of insatiable
appetites. How can there be knowledge of God if life is limited to
maintaining and seeking position and dignity, observing commands
and prohibitions, practicing disdain and negligence, honor, worldly
pride and self-flattery?
Sacrifice your life; union with Him is not granted to mere
friends!
Only the intoxicated no longer drink milk from the goblet of
the Law.
That place where all men will drink wine together
Is where no worshiper of self will receive a drop!
O brother, as far as possible, spend your life in tasks of humble
repentance and seek protection in the shadow of the bounty of some
renowned religious figure. Seek out a saintly friend, for he will be a
veritable treasure for you. As for withdrawing from human company,
realize that you cannot travel along the road of religion without a
friend. If you say, ‘What should I do? It is not easy for me to find
such a friend. Remove from my back the weight of the robe of love
that weighs upon my infidel soul!” Do not participate in its infidelity,
for it will give your life to the wind and will plunder your religion; it
will make you a stranger on the Day of Resurrection; it will make you
well acquainted with the world; it will utter secret insinuations concerning your spiritual treasure; it will destroy the mansion of your
faith; daily your ardor for it will increase, and hourly your love for it
will grow. You should know that, in reality, this soul is the enemy of
God's religion! Consider it as your enemy, so that you may turn back
and become faithful to your religion. Do not be intimate with people;
otherwise the angels will become jealous. One mature Sufi has said:
When my soul had almost expired out of love for the Beloved,
I said, “Do not settle for union with yourself, My Guest.”
He replied, “If you want to be fit for union with Me,
Do not allow a ‘you’ in yourself! There should only remain an ee (Some particular prayers, known for their efficacy, are then reiterat-
ed.)
Peace!
- Book : Sharafuddin Maneri The Hundred Letters (Pg. 51)
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