By Sheikh Ahmad Al-Rifai In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Abstinence

All Abundant and Bounteous Praise is for Allah, and Peace and Blessings upon [Muhammad], the Exemplary Leader of all of humanity. Allah be pleased with the noble Companions, the Prophetic Family, and their followers among the adherents to the Sacred Law, and the possessors of exalted spiritual stations. Gentlemen! Abstinence is the first step taken by those desiring to move to Allah. (1 Zuhd) Its foundation is piety, which is best summarized by the following expression, Fear of Allah is the bedrock of all Wisdom. This expression is actualized by meticulously following the Noble, Exemplary Leader of all spirits, and the bodies containing them, the Messenger of Allah (SAAWS). Furthermore, entering the path which embodies meticulously following the best of examples, is to understand the Prophetic Tradition, Actions are judged by their intentions. (2 Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1, Sahih Muslim, no. 1907) Consider how the Messenger of Allah (SAAWS) responded to a man who said to him, O Messenger of Allah! A man wants to fight in the way of Allah, however, he also desires some worldly benefit? The Messenger of Allah (SAAWS) said, He will have no reward! That greatly disturbed the people, so they said to the man, Return to the Messenger of Allah (SAAWS) perhaps he misunderstood you. The man [returned] and repeated his question, O Messenger of Allah! A man wants to fight in the way of Allah, however, he also desires some worldly benefit? Again, the Messenger of Allah said, He will have no reward! The people remained vexed and urged him to return again to the Messenger of Allah. He did so, repeating, O Messenger of Allah! A man wants to fight in the way of Allah, however, he desires some worldly benefit? Again the messenger of Allah (SAAWS) answered him saying, He will have no reward! (3 Al-Bukhari, 1/197,

Muslim, 1904). From this and similar narrations we know that human actions are adorned or defiled by their corresponding intentions. Belief in Allah The following is incumbent upon both yourself and every other religiously responsible person concerning the ambiguous verses (4 def. AlMutashabih): That they are from Allah, having been revealed to our Exemplary Leader, The Messenger of Allah (SAAWS), and that Allah has not made us responsible for the details relating to their interpretation. He says, No one knows their interpretation except Allah. Those firmly established on knowledge say, We believe in [the Scripture] it is all from Allah. [Ali Imran, VII]. The way of the Salaf (5 def. Salaf) was exalting Allah above any of the anthropomorphic ascriptions implied by the ambiguous text, and deputing its intended meaning to Him, be He exalted and sanctified. This methodology safeguarded belief. [For example] one of the spiritual elect was asked about the Creator. He responded, If you are asking about His essence, there is nothing like unto Him. If you are asking about His Attributes, He is One, eternally sought. He beget not, nor was He begotten, and nothing is comparable unto Him. If you are asking about His name, He is Allah besides whom there is no other God, He knows the hidden and manifest, He is the All Compassionate, All Merciful. And if you are asking about His actions, every day He manifests His powers in new and varying ways. Our Imam, Al-ShafiI (RA), has summarized everything mentioned about the incomparableness of Allah in the following saying, One who endeavors to know his Lord and ends up comparing him to something existing in His creation, he is a Mushabbih (6 def. Tashbih). If he concludes that absolute nothingness, he is a MuattilIf (7 def. Tatil). If he concludes that He indeed exists, however, he admits his inability to conceptualize Him, he is a Muwahhid (8 def. Tawhid). Gentlemen! Exalt Allah above possessing the traits of originated things, and the attributes of creatures. Purify your creed from interpreting the meaning of al-Istiwa (9 def. Istiwa), as it relates to Allah, from meaning settled upon, in the way that physical bodies settle upon one another. This interpretation implies a form of physical indwelling, may Allah be far exalted above such an idea.

Beware [of mentioning Allah] in terms implying physical spacial relationships such as above, below, and a designated place. Likewise, [avoid] mentioning the hand or the eye as physicals appendages. Similarly, [avoid] terms such as descending, coming, and moving. This is because everything which comes in the Quran and Sunnah indicating the meanings mentioned above, the Quran and Sunnah also contains their negation.[10 explain -negation of literal interpretation]. That being the case, we can only endorse what has been said by the Salaf concerning these verses, We believe in what has been literally stated, and depute the knowledge of its intended meaning to Allah and his Messenger (SAAWS). All this while exalting Allah above our feeble analysis as to how He is or how He acts, or ascribing to Him the characteristics of created things. This is the way of the Imams. (11 def.-Imam) The exegesis of everything Allah describes Himself with in His Scripture lies in its mere recitation and maintaining silence concerning its meaning. No one has a right to explain it except Allah and His Messenger (SAAWS) Hence, the ambiguous verses have to be understood in light of the clear verses. The latter are the foundation of the Scripture, they cannot be contradicted by the ambiguous verses. A man asked Imam Malik bin Anas to explain the verse, The Merciful is established above the throne. [ ]He responded, Being established is not something unknown. How that is cannot be conceptualized. It is incumbent to believe in it. Inquiring about it is a blameworthy innovation, and I perceive that you are an innovator. He then ordered his expulsion from the from the Masjid. When our Imam Al-Shafii was asked about the verse, he responded, I believe in it without anthropomorphic ascription, I affirm its truth without exemplification, I would condemn myself if I were I to claim I realized what it meant, and I refuse any attempt to search for its meaning. [In this regard,] Imam Abu Hanifa, Allah be pleased with him, declared as a disbeliever one who said, I dont know know if Allah is Heaven or on Earth. That is because he has ascribed to Allah attributes that imply physicality by describing Him as occupying a designated location in his creation. Whoever does so is a Mushabbih. Imam Ahmad was asked about [Allah being eastablished above His Throne] and replied, This is as Allah has informed us, not as any human might ever imagine.

Imam Jaafar al-Sadiq has said, Whoever claims that Allah is in anything, or from anything, or upon anything, he is guilty of Shirk (12 def.-Shirk). If He were upon something, He would be supported [by it]. If He were in something, He would be confined by it. And if He were from something, he would have an origin [in that thing]. Gentlemen! Seek Allah with your hearts! [Knowing] that He is closer to you than your juggler vein. [Qaf: 16]. And that He encompasses all things with His knowledge. [Al-Talaq] Religion is sincerity. If you say, There is no deity but Allah, say it with absolute sincerity, freed the slightest inclination to deify anything or anyone else. Say it freed from the dangers involved in anthropomorphic ascription, freed from attempts to understand how Allah might be or act. Say it freed from the implications of physicality implied in expressions such as below, above, distant, and near. Seize the rewards accruing from your actions by keeping your intention sincere. The Exemplary Leader of humanity, the very best of Blessing and Peace upon Him, has said, Actions are judged based on their intentions, and every person will be rewarded based on what he intended. Thus, whoever migrated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, his migration will judged as being for Allah and His Messenger. [Similarly], whoever migrated for the some worldly benefit, or to take some woman in marriage, his migration will be judged as being for that which he migrated. (13 Al-Bukhari and Muslim) Consolidate your religious acts on the basis of the five pillars upon which Islam is built. The Messenger of Allah (SAAWS) has said, Islam is build on five pillars: Testifying there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, establishing regular prayer, paying the alms-tax, making pilgrimage to the sacred house, and fasting the month of Ramadan. (14 Bukhari and Muslim) Deal with Allah with a conscious awareness of His Commands and Prohibitions. Deal with people with honesty and good character. Deal with yourself by opposing the inclinations of your soul. And stop at the limits. Fulfill the covenant of Allah once it has been convened. [AlNahl: 91] That which the Messenger gives you, take it. As for that which he forbids from you avoid it. [Al-Hashr: 7]. The Path to Allah

Beware of lying to Allah and lying to people. Claiming nonexistent spiritual stations is to lie to Allah and to people. Everything associated with perfected worship is based on knowledge of the perfection of ones servitude to Allah. True religion is willfully implementing the divine commandments, shunning the divine prohibitions. Implementing the divine commandments draws near to Allah, and shunning the divine prohibitions breeds fear of Allah. Seeking nearness to Allah without devotional acts is utterly impossible. Claiming fear [of Allah] while boldly breeching His prohibitions is disgraceful. Seek Allah by following His Messenger (SAAWS). Beware at all costs attempting to travel to Allah on the basis of your personal whims and inclinations. One who endeavors to do so goes astray from the very first step. Gentlemen! Magnify the significance of your Prophet! He is the Messenger between humanity and God the Servant of Allah, the Beloved of Allah, the Messenger of Allah, the most perfected of the Creation of Allah, the best of the Messengers of Allah, the Guide to Allah, the Caller to Allah, the Informant about Allah, the one who learned directly from Allah, the Gate through which all enter into the Merciful Sanctuary, the means by which all enter into the Eternal Realm. Whomsoever connect with Him, he finds the means to connect with Allah, and whomsoever is separated from Him, he has moved away from Allah. He said, Peace and Blessings of Allah upon Him, No one of you truly believes until his very inclination is consistent with that which I have brought. (15 Mentioned by Imam al-Nawawi in al-Arbain, from Abu l-Qasim Ismail ibn Muhammad al-Asfahani). Gentlemen! You should know that our Prophet (SAAWS) retains the Prophetic Office after his death, just as it existed during his life. This will be so until Allah reclaims the Earth and everything upon it. All of humanity is admonished to respond to the divine law revealed through him. That law abrogates all which preceded it of divine legislation. His [greatest] miracle, the Quran, endures. Allah, most Exalted, says, Say! Were humanity and the Jinn to marshal their forces to come with the likeness of this Quran they would be unable to do so. [Al-Isra: 88]. Gentlemen! Whomsoever rejects his authenticated tradition is similar to the rejecter of the Quran. We believe in Allah, and in the book of Allah, and in

everything which Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (SAAWS). Allah, Most Exalted, says, Whomsoever contends with the Messenger [of Allah] after proper guidance has been made clear to him; then follows a path unbecoming of the believers, we will land him in Hell, what a wicked destination. [Al-Nisa: 115] The Virtue of the Companions, Allahs Pleasure Upon Him The most virtuous of the companions is our exemplar, Abu Bakr; May Allah be Pleased with him; then our exemplar, Uthman (RAA, possessor of the two luminaries (16 the two luminaries); then our exemplar, Umar alFarouq (RAA), then our exemplar, Ali (RAA) the content. All of the Companions were on right guidance. It is related that the Prophet (SAAWS) said, My Companions are like the stars, whichever of them you choose to be guided by you will find guidance. It is incumbent on us not to get involved with the disputes which occurred between them. We should only mention their virtues, and we should love them and praise them May Allah be pleased with them all. Love them and seek the blessing of their remembrance, and imitate their exalted character. The Prophet (SAAWS) said to his companions, I admonish you to be mindful of Allah, to listen and obey, even if a slave were plaed in authority over you. Those of you who will live after me will see much contention. Therefore, you should cling strictly to my way, and the way of the rightly guided successors. Cling doggedly to it! Beware of newly invented matters. For every innovations is a source of error. The Virtue of the Family of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah Upon Him Illuminate all of your hearts with the love of His noble family, Peace be upon them. They are the shining lights of existence, the rising suns of fortune. Allah says, Say, I do not ask of you any reward, only love based on the ties of kinship. [Al-Shura: 23] The Prophet (SAAWS) said, Beware of angering Allah because of my family. (17 Dulabi, Al-Dhurriyya al-Saliha) Whomsoever Allah desires good for, he allows him to adhere to the Testament of the Prophet (SAAWS) concerning His (SAAWS) family. He therefore loves them and is concerned with their affair. He magnifies and protects them, and he guards their sanctity. He is their guardian, a shepherd

in guarding the rights, which his Prophet has established for them. A man is with those he loves. (18 Al-Bukhari, Muslim) Whomsoever loves Allah, loves the Messenger of Allah. Whomsoever loves the Messenger of Allah, loves the family of the Messenger of Allah. Whoever loves them will be with them, and they will be with their father, Peace and Blessings of Allah upon Him. Give them preference over yourselves, assist them, and honor them. The reward from that will return to you. The Befriended of Allah Cling to the befriended of Allah! Concerning the befriended of Allah, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grief. Those who are firm in belief, and exceedingly mindful concerning Allah. [Yunus: 62-63] The befriended is one who loves Allah, believes in him, and is ever mindful of His Commandments and Prohibitions. Therefore, dont offend one who loves Allah! It is mentioned in a prophetic narration, Whoever offends one I have befriended, I personally declare war against him! (19 al-Bukhari) Allah jealously defends his beloved. He takes revenge against those who harm them. He honors them by protecting their loved ones and assisting those who shelter them. These [spiritual elects] are designated by the following versed, We are your protectors in this world and in the hereafter. [Fusilat: 31] You have to love them and stay close to them. They are a source of blessings. Keep their company! They are the party of Allah, is not the party of Allah successful? [Al-Mujadilah: 22] Gentlemen! Careful define the spiritual station you wish to attain to, and especially beware of unrealistic expectations of yourself. Respect people according to their rank and stature. (20 Isharah, understand what you are capable of and dont be pretentious in accessing your level) The most honored of humanity are the Prophets (SAAWS), and the most honred of the Prophets is our Prophet, Muhammad (SAAWS). Then the most noble people after them is his noble family and his companions. After them, the noblest of people are the successors of the companions (al-Tabiin), the consorts of the best of all generations. What we mention here is general. If we want to be specific, then we have to rely on transmitted evidence. Avoid relying on empty conjecture and

opinion. No one has met his ruin except by following conjecture and empty opinion in religious matters. The indispensable aspects of this religion will never be based on empty opinion. [If you must], exercise your personal opinion in permissible matters. (21 Al-Hukm al-Shari) If you differ in a matter, refer it back to Allah and the messenger. [al-Nisa: 59] Only mention the beloved of Allah in a good manner. Dont speak of some of them being better than others. (22 to avoid developing bad manners, or a bad opinion towards any of them) Allah has exalted some of them degrees above others, however, only Allah knows the extent and nature of that gradation. If you are content with the Messenger, then assist this elite from among His servants by abandoning any claims [that some are better than others]. Reinforce the pillars of this Muhammadaeic path by reviving the Sunnah (22 Al-Sunnah) and eradicating blameworthy innovations. (23 alBidah) Description of the True Sufi Gentlemen! The traveler is on the spiritual path as long as he is acting on the Sunnah. Whenever he deviates from the Sunnah, he deviates from the spiritual path. The travelers along this path are said to be Sufis. People differ as to the reason for the ascendancy of this appellation. The real reason is hidden from most of the people of the path. A group from the tribe of Mudar (24 Mudar) were know as Bani Sufa, the descendants of al-Ghawth ibn Udda ibn Tabikha al-Rubayth. His mother would lose all of her children in infancy. She swore that if one of her children survived, she would wrap wool around his head, and make him .. They used to sanction the pilgrimage until Allah blessed the Arabs with Islam. They became devout Muslims, and some of them relate traditions from the Prophet (SAAWS). The succeeding generations who associated with them were called Sufis. The devout sages who imitated their worship, or wore wool like them were similarly referred to as Sufis. Some people of the path give other reasons this appellation. Some say it is derived from the verbal noun Taswwuf (25 derivation). Other say it is derived from the word Safa (26 derivation). Yet others believe it is derived from the verbal noun Musafa. There are other explanations as well. They are all essentially true. The people of this path try to simultaneously exemplify purity and purify themselves. Their behavior displays respect for

the requisite etiquette accompanying all divinely sanctioned actions. This in turn indicates their assimilation of the etiquettes that adorn the hearts. They say, Beautiful outer etiquette is a sign of beautiful internal etiquette. They further say, One who doesnt display appropriate outer etiquette, can never be adorned the rarified internal etiquette. All embellishing etiquettes, internal and external, find fitting expression in following the Prophet (SAAWS) in words and deeds, in ontological essence and character. The true Sufi is a human being whose etiquette indicates his station. Weigh his words, deeds, spiritual states, and his etiquettes in the scale of the divine law. Then you will know if his balance is heavy or light. As for the Prophet (SAAWS), his etiquettes were an embodiment of the Quran. And Allah, the Most Exalted says, We have neglected nothing in the Scripture. [Al-Anam: 38] (27 Isharah, explain).