#Pure Tawhid

[mylordisallah]

লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহ - বাক্যের অর্থ ও ব্যাখ্যা : 

আল্লাহ ব্যতীত কোনো 'সত্য উপাস্য' নেই

লা ইলাহা: কোন উপাস্য নেই, ইল্লাল্লাহ: আল্লাহ ব্যতীত। এই বাক্যটি সংক্ষেপে : #লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহ বাক্যটি আরবি ভাষার বিশেষ রীতিতে গঠিত। প্রথম অংশ না বাচক দ্বারা সব উপাস্যকে বাদ দেয়া হয়েছে। পরের অংশ দ্বারা আল্লাহকে নির্দিষ্ট করা হয়েছে। এভাবে কোন বিষয়কে জোর দেয়া হয়। এর তাৎপর্য হচ্ছে - আল্লাহ একক ও একমাত্র উপাস্য। জীবনের প্রতিটি বিষয়ে একমাত্র আল্লাহর আদেশ-নিষেধের অনুসরণ করতে হবে। আল্লাহ প্রদত্ত কোন বিধানের বিপরীতে অন্য কারো বিন্দুমাত্র অনুসরণ করা যাবে না। এই বিষয়গুলো জেনে লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহ বাক্যটি উচ্চারণ করার মাধ্যমে একজন ব্যক্তি ইসলামে প্রবেশ করে। 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghu2UKv0GLE&t=383s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjIBmRl08BI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K2sHNhGG-w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6b902_pBDI

আল্লাহ্‌একমাত্র সত্য উপাস্য

#তাওহীদ হলো আল্লাহর একত্ব ও অদ্বিতীয়তা জানা, বিশ্বাস করা, ঘোষণা করা, মান্য করা। আল্লাহর একত্ব অর্থাৎ তাওহীদ তিনটি অংশ নিয়ে গঠিত। (i) তাওহীদ আর-রুবুবিয়াহ (আল্লাহ্‌র প্রভুত্বের ঐক্য বজায় রাখা)। (ii) তাওহীদ আল-আসমা-ওয়াস-সিফাত (আল্লাহর নাম ও গুণাবলীর একত্ব বজায় রাখা)। (iii) তাওহীদ আল-ইবাদাহ (ইবাদতের ঐক্য বজায় রাখা)। আল্লাহ একমাত্র 'সত্য মাবুদ'। আল্লাহ্‌র সাথে সংশ্লিষ্ট সকল বিষয়ে আল্লাহ্ এক, একক, চুড়ান্ত, পরিপূর্ণ ও অংশীদারমুক্ত। তাঁর কোনো সমকক্ষ বা সমতুল্য নেই। আল্লাহকে জানতে হবে তাঁর সুন্দরতম নাম ও পরিপূর্ণ গুণাবলী দ্বারা। প্রথম মানুষ এবং প্রথম নবী আদম (আ।) থেকে শেষনবী মুহাম্মদ সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়াসাল্লাম পর্যন্ত সকল নবী ও রাসুলদের মূল আহবান ছিল 'লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহ' (আল্লাহ ব্যতীত কোনো 'সত্য উপাস্য' নেই)। যথা: 'লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহ আদমু শফিউল্লাহ'', 'লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহ' নুহুন নাজিউল্লাহ '', 'লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহু ইব্রাহিম খলিলুল্লাহ', 'লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহ মুহাম্মদুর রাসুলুল্লাহ'।

তাওহীদের মূল রোকন তাগুতকে প্রত্যাখ্যান করা।

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPr9Jv0VmZQ&t=103s

[allahisourrabb]

Rejecting taghut is the main pillar of Tawhid

Tauhid refers to the nature of God. Tawhid means to unite, to show unity ". In Islam, it means the Oneness of God, in the sense that Allah is the Only 'true God'. Allah is the One and there is no God but Him, Tawheed is the central, single most important aspect of Islam. The opposite of #Tauhid is #Taghut. Taghut is something worshiped instead of Allah or besides Allah.

Pillars of La Ilaha Illa Allah # 2 (Disbelieve in Taghoot)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnvr8EntOM8&t=326s

[reverthelp]

Study Tawhid seriously. It is the beginning and end of Islam. The testimony of faith makes us Muslims in the beginning. We hope it is the last thing we say before we die at the end. Everything else in Islam is secondary, and no worship will benefit unless it is pure Tawhid.

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 158

Safa’ (Purity)

Safa’, in the language of Islamic Sufism, signifies the state of a heart at peace because it has been purified of all kinds of things that contaminate it, such as sin, feelings of vengeance, jealousy, and hatred, and suspicion of others. The verse (38:47), They were, in Our sight, among the most purified, chosen, truly godly ones, which expresses the holiness and greatness of some Prophets, stresses purity in the greatest degree. The word mustafa, derived from safa, and which means pure essence, extract or the cream of something, is the special used to express in particular the rank of our Prophet, due to his being the essence and cream of existence and the master of both worlds-this and the next. So, having a special distinction among all ranks and being a symbol of transcendence among the Prophets, it has always been a goal toward which the Prophets and the purified, saintly scholars have tried to rise.

Purity originates from the purest and most blessed of sources and reaches the pool of the human heart, from which it issues and flows into other hearts to enlighten them on new wavelengths according to the capacity and disposition of each and the requirements of time and conditions. It sheds light on the ways of the travelers to the Truth so that they can follow them easily. It purifies their hearts and equips them with sincerity, guiding them to the truth of Divinity, causing their spirits to move in ecstasy with the infinite pleasures of supplication and their hearts to move with love, zeal, and yearning for meeting the Beloved. It is usually dealt with in three categories:

The first is purity of knowledge. It occurs when a traveler continues the journey under the guidance and in the light of the knowledge taught by the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. The Book and the Prophetic Sunna are followed strictly and with utmost care during the journey, the requirements of doing so being never neglected. With the good pleasure of God as the sole aim of the journey, the traveler faces all hardships and difficulties, without ever losing the resolve to continue on the way.

In other words, purity of knowledge occurs when an initiate who is traveling under the guidance of the sun of Prophethood, puts heart, spirit, and reason under the command of this sun. Following him to the utmost possible in all thoughts, actions, and attitudes, the traveler is annihilated and revived in him, and appeals to his judgment to solve all the problems encountered. The traveler is honored with various favors to the extent of love and knowledge of the supreme goal-God-and zeal and yearning to meet with Him in the footsteps of the pride of Messengers, upon him be peace and blessings. The author of the Gulshan al-Tawhid (“The Rose-Garden of Divine Oneness”), talks about this rank as follows:

Go and pursue such knowledge that It can open your heart and solve all your problems.

By contrast, any knowledge that does not inspire in people the true aim of life and, in order to realize that aim, does not equip their sight with the necessary light, their will with strength, their spirits with love and zeal, and their hearts with the desire to reach the realms beyond the heavens, is not promising, even though it may not be a delusion or mere illusion.

The second rank in purity is purity of state. It occurs when the heart opens and closes with the awe of God and love of the truth. It expresses its excitement and anxiety in supplications and entreaties to the Almighty, removing feelings of loneliness and gloom that come between it and the truth, becoming a hill where the breezes of peace blow. Setting itself solely on God alongside all the other faculties, such as the emotions, consciousness, and perception, the heart flings all else except the Almighty into the abyss of nothingness, like a stone, in order that nothing should veil God from it.

When seekers after Truth attain the state of purity and refinement, their hearts overflow with the manifestations of the truth of Divinity, their spirits are flooded with the love of truth, and enraptured with the real beauty of existence which they observe through the windows that have been opened in them. In this state, they turn to the Realm of the Holy Presence with the most enchanting of supplications voiced with the full force of their sincere feelings, feelings that have begun to speak instead of themselves. They unburden themselves, feel that God is turning to them, and taste the deepest of pleasures. It even happens that in this state they invoke the Divine Being Himself as Allah-the Proper Name of the Supreme Being encompassing all other Names-and as the All-Merciful (al-Rahman)-the primary Title of the Supreme Being which, like the Name Allah, can be used for Him exclusively-among the Attributes with which they qualify Him. In the rising waves of their feelings, they sense the pleasure that the angels have in worshipping the Almighty, witness the self-possession of other spiritual beings, are enchanted with the mysteries of the higher, incorporeal realms of existence and the beings that inhabit them, and feels as if they have transcended the limits of humanity. In the following couplet, the author of al-Minhaj points to this spiritual state, which one who does not experience it cannot grasp:

Sometimes a person is dumbfounded in this state, without being able to utter a word, And sometimes only one who experiences it can know what state this is.

Purity of meeting with God, which is the third rank in purity, occurs when the worshipping servants become as nothing or, to put it in other words, feel and know annihilation of their own being, attributes, and actions in the Being, Attributes and acts of the Necessarily Existent Being, and live immersed in observation of the blazing manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge. In other words, the pleasure that the worshipping servant feels in God’s service is combined with, and melts away in, the duties of servanthood due to His being the Lord (One Who creates, sustains, brings up, and protects), and the mysteries of existence become unveiled and come into view on all sides. The manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge that pour in completely pervade the conscience, and the shadow of the truth, which will become visible in the other world, begins to be seen with the eye of the heart. To paraphrase the state, God declares to His servants whom He has made near to Him: He hears by Me, and sees by Me, and holds by Me, and walks by Me.[1] So, such servants observe from their observatories of heart and innermost faculties, such as the Secret, the Private and the More Private, the pure spiritual realm with some of its mysteries, and the pure realm of the Divine Dominion with some of its particularities, and the spiritual realm of the Divine Power with some of its aspects, and the truths originating from the Divine Being. They know the substantial truth behind realities that are evident to everybody, and acquires certainty in their knowledge, and their certainty rises to the degree of certainty that comes from direct experience (haqq al-yaqin) according to their capacity. Peculiarities vanish and particular natures melt away in the burning rays of the manifestations of His Face, and only His Self-Subsistence is felt. In this rank, initiates, who have reached a state of pleasure that pervades the whole being, feel as if a drop has become an ocean, a particle the sun, and everything has turned into nothingness. They feel and know Him only, and begin and end with Him, and work by Him. They may go so far as to confuse His Being with His manifestations. Those who are not able to enlighten their feelings, consciousness, and faculties of perception with the light brought by God’s Messenger, may make mistakes or be confused in their comments. Many people have uttered words showing this confusion:

When you have seen the lights of the sun, You no longer exist, (burnt away by the lights of His Face). A drop is lost in the waves of the ocean, and you, being a drop, Have been lost in the ocean of mysteries. You will no longer be able to find the drop. Though it is not in the capacity of everyone to be lost, Those who are annihilated like you are not few.

If those who try to explain purity of meeting with God use words that suggest incarnation and union in order to convey their states and pleasures, they are apt to be confused in their interpretations. Therefore, they must immediately appeal to the light of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and correct their confusion. On the other hand, those who adopt an interpretation and attitude that arise from a spiritual state and pleasure simply as a thought system and philosophy, are clearly misguided and are regarded as being in rebellion against God until they enter the way of the Messenger and his Companions.

O God! Show us the truth as the truth and enable us to observe it; show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to avoid it.

O God! We ask You for forgiveness, health, and approval. O God! Guide us to what You like and are pleased with; and may Your peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, the sun of guidance, and means of happiness, and on his family and all of his Companions.

[1] Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, Nawadir al-Usul, 3:81; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an, 2:580; Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari, 11:374.

[wisdomrays]

SAYR u SULUK (Journeying and Initiation): Part 3

These travelers regard respect for God's commandments as the first and foremost means of approaching God, and piety and righteousness as the most blessed equipment for the journey. They train their souls and purify their spirits in devotion to the rules of Islam. They consider every effort for training and purification that is opposed to the rules of Shari'a as falling away from the religion, and if anything out of the way occurs at their hands, they see it as a sign that they are going to perdition. In every stage of journeying and initiation, the travelers pay exceptional attention to the safety of the journey and see this safety in their devotion to the essentials of the religion and religious life, and know that their worth in God's sight lies in piety and righteousness, and that only the pious, righteous ones can find God. "The final destination of the pious and righteous will be Paradise, and their drink, the drink of Paradise."

The author of Gulshan-i Tawhid expresses this truth beautifully as follows:

If you seek safety, know that piety and a righteous religious life

Are the safest stronghold against all fears and danger.

Self-training, or the training of the soul, has been accepted as an extremely important element of all religions. The self or the soul mentioned here is the human soul or self, which is also mentioned as the speaking self, and is dealt with in seven stages according to some Qur'anic allusions to it:

If the speaking self or soul lives only a life of ease in the swamp of carnal appetites, it is the evil-commanding self; if it falters time and again while following the way of religion to attain piety and righteousness, but each time that it falters it criticizes itself and turns to its Lord, then it is the self-accusing self or soul. The self which always resists evil in devotion to God and is favored with certain Divine gifts in proportion to its purity, is called the self receiving inspiration. When it reaches the point where it has a relation with its Lord in perfect devotion and sincerity and when its consciousness is at rest, it is the self at rest. If it has reached the station where it abandons all its choices and is a representative of Divine Will, it is the self pleased with God. When its greatest aim is acquiring God's good pleasure and approval and when it is always acting to this end in consideration of, "I am pleased with You, so be pleased with me," then it is the self with which God is pleased. Finally, the self which has the capacity to be completely adorned with the full manifestations of Divine qualities and Prophetic will-power and resolution is called the self perfected or the self pure.

A believer with an evil-commanding self is either unaware of the sins he or she commits or lives an uncontrolled life. Even if such believers perform the daily prayers and sometimes do supererogatory acts of worship, they are neither conscious of what obedience to God entails nor aware of what committing sins signifies. Such persons need to be assisted, aroused to become aware of the balance between fear and expectation, and made to deepen their knowledge, love and awe of God. It is the beginning of the major or greater jihad (striving) that such believers heed advice, engrave their errors in the memory so that they frequently criticize themselves, and are determined to regularly fulfill their religious duties and resist sins. So long as they continue to strive, some changes will begin to occur in their feelings and thoughts. They begin to see that not even their best deeds are sufficient and criticize themselves even for the least of their evil deeds. This is the second step in the self's journey, which is called the self-accusing self.

Those who have reached the stage of self-accusation intend to set out toward Him. However, they falter, making errors that stain their good deeds, and beautiful things follow ugly ones in their life. But whenever they stumble and fall, they pull themselves upright in remorse for the evils committed, cleanse themselves of sin by sincerely asking God for forgiveness and by trying to uproot their inclinations toward evil through prayer. Not content with these, they continuously accuse themselves, and suffer pangs of conscience. A time comes when they express these pangs with sighs from the depth of the heart, and when they put these feelings into invocations and tears in seclusion. Those with a self-accusing self advance along the intermediate corridor between carnal appetites and sins, and spiritual peace. They show great care in keeping their hearts upright in devotion to God and their thoughts travel between the outer and the inner worlds. They utter "There is no deity but God," they turn toward Him and display their yearning for Him, saying "There is none to be desired save Him," and continuously whisper "He is the Truly Desired One" and "the only One deserving worship."

In the sight of the self-accusing travelers who have deepened in spiritual attainment and reflection, the smallest errors and omissions begin to seem to them the greatest and most perilous lapses. When they rise to this point, they can more easily distinguish dark from light and good from evil, and when they think of the ugly face of sins, they feel repugnance, and when they think of good deeds, they moan with remorse and regret for not having done them. However, they are always hopeful and determined. It is of souls that have attained this point that God says: "Those who strive for Our sake-surely We will guide them to the ways to lead to Us. Assuredly, God is with those of perfect goodness who act consciously that We always see them (29:69)." God inspires in them all that is good and beautiful, and the things He approves of together with how they can attain them. The self that has traveled so far in order to reach God and has come to the point of receiving this inspiration is the soul or the self receiving inspiration.

Travelers who have attained this stage are preoccupied with Him and with consideration of Him. They breathe with observations everywhere of the matchless beauty of His making and look on everything as a beautiful scene of wonder, and they overflow with feelings of appreciation. While saying "There is no deity but He" with their voices, their hearts beat with the truth, "There is none deserving worship save He." Without being able to find the words to express their wonder in Him and His works, they can only utter "He," and begin to fuel the love and zeal in their hearts with every breath they inhale and exhale. While their spirit burns, their voices petition Him with the words,

O cup-bearer, in the fire of love I have burnt away,

so give me some water!

Since I fell in love with a beautiful one,

I have burnt away, give me some water!

[altar-ov-plagues]

I couldn't wait for you to answer because I was so tired and I fell asleep, sorry.

But even if we base morality on what our parents taught us, on what do we base our parents' morals? Our topic contains questions about whether religion can form the basis of morality, so there must be a difference between religious and non-religious parents. As you said, I believe that moral knowledge or general knowledge acquired in childhood can be changed. And I think most of us actually manage to develop mentally by destroying the value judgments that are shown to us as correct and by building our own value judgments.

Child abuse is very common not only in Christian churches, but in almost all religious institutions. I don't know much about abuses in Christian churches because I live in a predominantly Muslim region. I did look at the video you mentioned about the Dalai Lama though, and it's disgusting. I feel like the natural tendencies suppressed by religion are making people even more irritable. I often think that religion is a product of the patriarchal social structure. It was necessary to create a divine power to rule and confuse minds, and that was done. It's weird that people still believe this bullshit though. I know that there is a spiritual side in people, although I cannot feel this spirituality, but I do not understand the importance of a spirituality full of contradictions. I was surprised when I read the Bible. Even with regard to the name of Jesus, there was a contradiction in Matthew 1. Or, when talking about Mary's eternal virginity, it is strange that there are contradictions in Matthew 1 that Mary did not have sexual intercourse with Yusuf until a certain time, but then did. There is belief in tawhid in Islam, and God is an omnipotent and elusive being that satisfies the human mind, at least to some extent. The hypostatic unity in Christianity, the three hypostases of god, seems to destroy the divinity of god. No matter what religion they all seem to have obvious contradictions, and it's odd that people still believe in them. Because while it is not pure good or pure evil, we can all distinguish what is good and bad in line with our centuries-old experiences. Religion is the most obvious way to ground morality, but I don't think it's the right one.

And I must say I agree with everything else you wrote. Thanks for your satisfactory answers. Also thanks for the songs and I hope my broken english doesn't make it difficult for you to understand me.

Do you think democracy is an appropriate form of government? Do you think everyone should have a say in government or do you think systems like oligarchy make more sense?

Yes i do believe so, it's good to have access to information without restrictions and not having someone forcing you to be something. Of course nobody is truly free, but still it's best to be "free" to do what you want and have a chance to improve your critical thinking and have fun than living under a government that limits their people to explore and gain knowledge. Also it's better to be poor and free to do whatever and explore whatever u want, than be poor and having someone inspecting your home and control you (of course the white blonde kid in a western country will disagree and call you stupid for not reading the same dogmatic manifestos they are reading).

I also believe that democracy shouldn't equate 100% total freedom, there should be a few responsabilities to put people more in line (to a certain extent) and educate them.

For example, where i live is not obligatory any military service and i think that is ridiculous. Not even a few months of service so people understand the basics. Every month we see on the news a russian warship passing by, or a nuclear bomber passing by just to intimidate nato countries and on local news - on interviews they make to our politicians - they see military service has something like a fascist thing or old fashion and i think that is so far from reality. Imagine if ukraine had the same mentality these people have. Just because you believe in peace and love bullshit doesn't mean your neighbours do, and becoming weak and laid back based on hippie believes can have serious consequences on the long run. It's very naive, i really don't understand... This people have no fight in them.

Or maybe that's just my mentality, i'm just hard with myself and i believe i need to be ready for anything at all time

I don't think there's much difference between democracy or oligarchy or other politic ways, there's always a group of people pulling the strings. Just look at declassified documents. Cyber attacks, spying and all that shit. Some countries are still not ready for democracy. And there will never be a true way to rule the world, even if the roman empire conquered the entire world and killed all oppositors, people would still find ways to separate things in two and fight against each other.

And what do you think about it?

(you could create a fake profile and write to me - just dont be a avatarless untitled blog because i usually block those)

[manhajsalafiyyah]

Allah the Most High said:

"(The Day when money and children will benefit (no one) except he who comes to Allah with a clean and purified heart). "

Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Saeed Raslan may Allah preserve said:

"On the Day when the money and children of a slave will not benefit him except he (among them) who comes to Allah with a sound and a pure heart free from disbelief, shirk, doubt, hypocrisy and innovation." "

(Tahqi"qu At-Tawhid/7)

Translation: Knowledge and action

[blessed-words]

We are sending Praises on the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa ﷺ with the words of the Great Wali Aziz Mahmud Hudayi (may Allah have mercy on him), saying:

“The Master of the Jamaat of the Prophets is You, ya Rasulallah. The full moon in the sky of certainty, it is You, ya Rasulallah. Your Light is the Shining Lamp, and the Universes are in need of You. The Master of the Crown of Miraj, it is You, ya Rasulallah. The Mirror of the Most Merciful, the Light of the Pure Subhan, the Secret of the Seven Meanings, it is You, ya Rasulallah. O Source of Subtlety and Goodness, Your Station is Makam al-Mahmud. The Goal of all Creation, it is You ya Rasulallah. The Spirit inside the Spirits, O Treasure of ‘Ilm and ‘Irfan, My Grandfather and my Pir Sultan, it is You ya Rasulallah. The Opening of the Way of Tawhid, the Guide of the Secret of Tafreed, Hudayi’s hope, his umeed, it is You, ya Rasulallah.”

[ilyforallahswt]

Allah is the only supreme being

He is not like anything.

Who is Allah?

Allah Is the one and only true God

The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him.

Allah described in the Quran:

"He is Allah, the one and only God," means that He is "the Eternal and the Absolute," and that, "He begot none nor was He begotten," and that "there is none comparable to Him." But the Qur'an states it all in detail for more emphasis and clarification.

Allah's Identity Names and Attributes

Allah: The Only praiseworthy supreme being, real name of Almighty God.

  Everything in the sky and the earth is created Only the Creator is Allah, In all signs of the universe shows pure Kalima 'La ilaha illAllah'.

Allah Almighty Exalted above the sky' above His 'Arsh the greatest throne, There is nothing like Allah Everything is under His power, knowledge,control and vision.

All praise belongs to Allah alone All power and all dominion, The beautiful name, the perfect quality belongs to Allah alone He is the Pure and indivisible One.

 

Allah is the only true GOD. 

Our Lord is Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.. Allah is unique, almighty, the only God. Allah is the only true Lord. There is no 'True Ilah'/ 'True Deity' except Allah. Allah is One, Unique in His Actions, Lordship, Authority, and Righteousness. Allah Ta'ala is Exalted above the throne in the sky (above all creation). Allah should be known by His beautiful name 'Asmaul Husna' and perfect attributes. Allah's name is more than 99. The Qur'an is the word of Allah. ultimate guidance for mankind. Knowledge about Allah is the pillar on which Islam is completely bound.

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

Tawhid: At the centre of all Islamic belief is the belief in one God-Allah. There is no other God but Allah and there is no one comparable to Him. We will never understand Allah as His nature supersedes our limited minds. We are created by Allah but He is not Himself created. Allah is the Unique,Omnipotent and Only Deity and Creator of the universe. Our Lord is Allah SWT. There is no 'True God' / 'True Deity' except Allah. Allah is Exalted Above His ‘Arsh (Mighty Throne’). Know Allah by His Most Beautiful Names & Lofty Attributes (Asma Was Sifat). Holy Qur'an is Allah's Word. Qur'an is final revelation & guidance for mankind. 

Tawheed - The first call of the Messengers

Tawheed is to knowing, believing, declaring, obeying the oneness and uniqueness of Allah. The Oneness of Allah i.e. Tawheed consists of three parts. (i) Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Lordship). (ii) Tawheed al-Asma-Was-Sifat (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes). (iii) Tawheed al-Ibadah (maintaining unity of worship). Allah is the only 'true Lord'. In all matters related to Allah, Allah is One, Sole, Final, Perfect and without partners. He has no peer or equivalent. Allah is to be known by His most beautiful Names and Perfect Attributes. From the first man and the first Prophet Adam (a.s.) to the last Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the basic call of all prophets and messengers was 'La ilaha illAllah' (there is no 'true God' but Allah). Namely: 'La Ilaha IllAllah Adamu Shafiullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Nuhun Naziullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Ibrahim Khalilullah', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Muhammadur Rasulullah'. Rejecting Taghut is the root of Tawheed.

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

Tawhid: At the centre of all Islamic belief is the belief in one God-Allah. There is no other God but Allah and there is no one comparable to Him. We will never understand Allah as His nature supersedes our limited minds. We are created by Allah but He is not Himself created. Allah is the Unique,Omnipotent and Only Deity and Creator of the universe. Our Lord is Allah SWT. There is no 'True God' / 'True Deity' except Allah. Allah is Exalted Above His ‘Arsh (Mighty Throne’). Know Allah by His Most Beautiful Names & Lofty Attributes (Asma Was Sifat). Holy Qur'an is Allah's Word. Qur'an is final revelation & guidance for mankind.  

There is no 'true God' except Allah.

Tawheed is to knowing, believing, declaring, obeying the oneness and uniqueness of Allah. The Oneness of Allah i.e. Tawheed consists of three parts. (i) Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Lordship). (ii) Tawheed al-Asma-Was-Sifat (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes). (iii) Tawheed al-Ibadah (maintaining unity of worship). Allah is the only 'true Lord'. In all matters related to Allah, Allah is One, Sole, Final, Perfect and without partners. He has no peer or equivalent. Allah is to be known by His most beautiful Names and Perfect Attributes. From the first man and the first Prophet Adam (a.s.) to the last Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the basic call of all prophets and messengers was 'La ilaha illAllah' (there is no 'true God' but Allah). Namely: 'La Ilaha IllAllah Adamu Shafiullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Nuhun Naziullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Ibrahim Khalilullah', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Muhammadur Rasulullah'.

Tawheed - The first call of the Messengers  Rejecting Taghut is the root of Tawheed.

#Allah is the only true God

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

There is no 'true God' except Allah.

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

Rejecting Taghut is the root of Tawheed.

According to the Qur'an, God (Allah) is omniscient; he eternally knows whatever comes into being, be it universal or particular in character. He has known all things from before the creation of the world. His knowledge of things before their coming into existence and afterwards is exactly the same.

Allah is the only true GOD. 

[myreligionislam]

Allah is the only supreme being

He is not like anything.

Who is Allah?

Allah Is the one and only true God

The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him.

Allah described in the Quran:

"He is Allah, the one and only God," means that He is "the Eternal and the Absolute," and that, "He begot none nor was He begotten," and that "there is none comparable to Him." But the Qur'an states it all in detail for more emphasis and clarification.

Allah's Identity Names and Attributes

Allah: The Only praiseworthy supreme being, real name of Almighty God.

  Everything in the sky and the earth is created Only the Creator is Allah, In all signs of the universe shows pure Kalima 'La ilaha illAllah'.

Allah Almighty Exalted above the sky' above His 'Arsh the greatest throne, There is nothing like Allah Everything is under His power, knowledge,control and vision.

All praise belongs to Allah alone All power and all dominion, The beautiful name, the perfect quality belongs to Allah alone He is the Pure and indivisible One.

 

Allah is the only true GOD. 

Our Lord is Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.. Allah is unique, almighty, the only God. Allah is the only true Lord. There is no 'True Ilah'/ 'True Deity' except Allah. Allah is One, Unique in His Actions, Lordship, Authority, and Righteousness. Allah Ta'ala is Exalted above the throne in the sky (above all creation). Allah should be known by His beautiful name 'Asmaul Husna' and perfect attributes. Allah's name is more than 99. The Qur'an is the word of Allah. ultimate guidance for mankind. Knowledge about Allah is the pillar on which Islam is completely bound.

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

Tawhid: At the centre of all Islamic belief is the belief in one God-Allah. There is no other God but Allah and there is no one comparable to Him. We will never understand Allah as His nature supersedes our limited minds. We are created by Allah but He is not Himself created. Allah is the Unique,Omnipotent and Only Deity and Creator of the universe. Our Lord is Allah SWT. There is no 'True God' / 'True Deity' except Allah. Allah is Exalted Above His ‘Arsh (Mighty Throne’). Know Allah by His Most Beautiful Names & Lofty Attributes (Asma Was Sifat). Holy Qur'an is Allah's Word. Qur'an is final revelation & guidance for mankind. 

Tawheed - The first call of the Messengers

Tawheed is to knowing, believing, declaring, obeying the oneness and uniqueness of Allah. The Oneness of Allah i.e. Tawheed consists of three parts. (i) Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Lordship). (ii) Tawheed al-Asma-Was-Sifat (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes). (iii) Tawheed al-Ibadah (maintaining unity of worship). Allah is the only 'true Lord'. In all matters related to Allah, Allah is One, Sole, Final, Perfect and without partners. He has no peer or equivalent. Allah is to be known by His most beautiful Names and Perfect Attributes. From the first man and the first Prophet Adam (a.s.) to the last Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the basic call of all prophets and messengers was 'La ilaha illAllah' (there is no 'true God' but Allah). Namely: 'La Ilaha IllAllah Adamu Shafiullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Nuhun Naziullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Ibrahim Khalilullah', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Muhammadur Rasulullah'. Rejecting Taghut is the root of Tawheed.

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

Tawhid: At the centre of all Islamic belief is the belief in one God-Allah. There is no other God but Allah and there is no one comparable to Him. We will never understand Allah as His nature supersedes our limited minds. We are created by Allah but He is not Himself created. Allah is the Unique,Omnipotent and Only Deity and Creator of the universe. Our Lord is Allah SWT. There is no 'True God' / 'True Deity' except Allah. Allah is Exalted Above His ‘Arsh (Mighty Throne’). Know Allah by His Most Beautiful Names & Lofty Attributes (Asma Was Sifat). Holy Qur'an is Allah's Word. Qur'an is final revelation & guidance for mankind.  

There is no 'true God' except Allah.

Tawheed is to knowing, believing, declaring, obeying the oneness and uniqueness of Allah. The Oneness of Allah i.e. Tawheed consists of three parts. (i) Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Lordship). (ii) Tawheed al-Asma-Was-Sifat (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes). (iii) Tawheed al-Ibadah (maintaining unity of worship). Allah is the only 'true Lord'. In all matters related to Allah, Allah is One, Sole, Final, Perfect and without partners. He has no peer or equivalent. Allah is to be known by His most beautiful Names and Perfect Attributes. From the first man and the first Prophet Adam (a.s.) to the last Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the basic call of all prophets and messengers was 'La ilaha illAllah' (there is no 'true God' but Allah). Namely: 'La Ilaha IllAllah Adamu Shafiullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Nuhun Naziullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Ibrahim Khalilullah', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Muhammadur Rasulullah'.

Tawheed - The first call of the Messengers  Rejecting Taghut is the root of Tawheed.

Allah is the only true God

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

There is no 'true God' except Allah.

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

Rejecting Taghut is the root of Tawheed.

According to the Qur'an, God (Allah) is omniscient; he eternally knows whatever comes into being, be it universal or particular in character. He has known all things from before the creation of the world. His knowledge of things before their coming into existence and afterwards is exactly the same.

Allah is the only true GOD. 

[mylordisallah]

Allah is the only true God 

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid 

There is no 'true God' except Allah.

Tawheed is to knowing, believing, declaring, obeying the oneness and uniqueness of Allah. The Oneness of Allah i.e. Tawheed consists of three parts. (i) Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Lordship). (ii) Tawheed al-Asma-Was-Sifat (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes). (iii) Tawheed al-Ibadah (maintaining unity of worship). Allah is the only 'true Lord'. In all matters related to Allah, Allah is One, Sole, Final, Perfect and without partners. He has no peer or equivalent. Allah is to be known by His most beautiful Names and Perfect Attributes. From the first man and the first Prophet Adam (a.s.) to the last Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the basic call of all prophets and messengers was 'La ilaha illAllah' (there is no 'true God' but Allah). Namely: 'La Ilaha IllAllah Adamu Shafiullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Nuhun Naziullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Ibrahim Khalilullah', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Muhammadur Rasulullah'.

Tawheed - The first call of the Messengers  Rejecting Taghut is the root of Tawheed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW6pyzhZq4E&t=514s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xbEcvDA2sw&t=21s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSbZMeykxkk

There is no 'True Ilah'/ 'True Deity' except Allah.

Our Lord is Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.. Allah is unique, almighty, the only God. Allah is the only true Lord. There is no 'True Ilah'/ 'True Deity' except Allah. Allah is One, Unique in His Actions, Lordship, Authority, and Righteousness. Allah Ta'ala is Exalted above the throne in the sky (above all creation). Allah should be known by His beautiful name 'Asmaul Husna' and perfect attributes. Allah's name is more than 99. The Qur'an is the word of Allah. ultimate guidance for mankind.

Tawheed basically means  the Oneness of Allah. There is only 1 true God, and that is Allah. Tawhid is the indivisible oneness concept of monotheism in Islam. Tawhid is the religion's central and single most important concept, upon which a Muslim's entire religious adherence rests. It unequivocally holds that God in Islam is One and Sing #Tawheed  is made up of three parts: Tawhid means believing in Allah Alone as God and Lord & attributing to Him Alone all the attributes of Lordship and divinity. Tawhid is made up of 3 parts; Tawhid al-Rububiyyah (Oneness of Divine Lordship), Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah (Oneness of Divinity) &Tawheed al-Asma wa’l-Sifat (Oneness of Names and Attributes.

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

Tawhid: At the centre of all Islamic belief is the belief in one God-Allah. There is no other God but Allah and there is no one comparable to Him. We will never understand Allah as His nature supersedes our limited minds. We are created by Allah but He is not Himself created. Allah is the Unique,Omnipotent and Only Deity and Creator of the universe. Our Lord is Allah SWT. There is no 'True God' / 'True Deity' except Allah. Allah is Exalted Above His ‘Arsh (Mighty Throne’). Know Allah by His Most Beautiful Names & Lofty Attributes (Asma Was Sifat). Holy Qur'an is Allah's Word. Qur'an is final revelation & guidance for mankind.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU6Y2SmUzCI&t=21s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xbEcvDA2sw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_R7wLVfCjQ&t=9s

Tawheed - The first call of the Messengers

Tawheed is to knowing, believing, declaring, obeying the oneness and uniqueness of Allah. The Oneness of Allah i.e. Tawheed consists of three parts. (i) Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Lordship). (ii) Tawheed al-Asma-Was-Sifat (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes). (iii) Tawheed al-Ibadah (maintaining unity of worship). Allah is the only 'true Lord'. In all matters related to Allah, Allah is One, Sole, Final, Perfect and without partners. He has no peer or equivalent. Allah is to be known by His most beautiful Names and Perfect Attributes. From the first man and the first Prophet Adam (a.s.) to the last Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the basic call of all prophets and messengers was 'La ilaha illAllah' (there is no 'true God' but Allah). Namely: 'La Ilaha IllAllah Adamu Shafiullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Nuhun Naziullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Ibrahim Khalilullah', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Muhammadur Rasulullah'. Rejecting Taghut is the root of Tawheed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW6pyzhZq4E&t=514s

Allah's indivisible unicity is Tawhid

Tawhid: At the centre of all Islamic belief is the belief in one God-Allah. There is no other God but Allah and there is no one comparable to Him. We will never understand Allah as His nature supersedes our limited minds. We are created by Allah but He is not Himself created. Allah is the Unique,Omnipotent and Only Deity and Creator of the universe. Our Lord is Allah SWT. There is no 'True God' / 'True Deity' except Allah. Allah is Exalted Above His ‘Arsh (Mighty Throne’). Know Allah by His Most Beautiful Names & Lofty Attributes (Asma Was Sifat). Holy Qur'an is Allah's Word. Qur'an is final revelation & guidance for mankind.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU6Y2SmUzCI&t=21s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xbEcvDA2sw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_R7wLVfCjQ&t=9s

There is no 'true God' except Allah.

Tawheed is to knowing, believing, declaring, obeying the oneness and uniqueness of Allah. The Oneness of Allah i.e. Tawheed consists of three parts. (i) Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Lordship). (ii) Tawheed al-Asma-Was-Sifat (Maintaining the Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes). (iii) Tawheed al-Ibadah (maintaining unity of worship). Allah is the only 'true Lord'. In all matters related to Allah, Allah is One, Sole, Final, Perfect and without partners. He has no peer or equivalent. Allah is to be known by His most beautiful Names and Perfect Attributes. From the first man and the first Prophet Adam (a.s.) to the last Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the basic call of all prophets and messengers was 'La ilaha illAllah' (there is no 'true God' but Allah). Namely: 'La Ilaha IllAllah Adamu Shafiullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Nuhun Naziullah'', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Ibrahim Khalilullah', 'La Ilaha IllAllah Muhammadur Rasulullah'.

Tawheed - The first call of the Messengers  Rejecting Taghut is the root of Tawheed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW6pyzhZq4E&t=514s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xbEcvDA2sw&t=21s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSbZMeykxkk

[allahisourrabb]

তাগুতকে আগে প্রত্যাখ্যান করে আল্লাহ্‌র প্রতি বিশুদ্ধ ঈমান আনতে হবে

তাগুত এর অর্থ এবং এর প্রধান প্রধান অংশ আল্লাহ তা‘আলা মানব জাতির উপর সর্ব প্রথম যা ফরজ করেছেন তা হচ্ছে তাগুতের সাথে কুফরি এবং আল্লাহর উপর ঈমান। আল্লাহ তা‘আলা বলেন: “আর নিশ্চয়ই আমি প্রত্যেক জাতির কাছে রাসূল পাঠিয়েছি এ Tauবলে যে, তোমরা শুধু আল্লাহর উপাসনা কর এবং তাগুতকে পরিত্যাগ কর।” [সূরা আন্‌-নাহল: ৩৬] তাগুতের সাথে কুফরির ধরণ হলো: আল্লাহ ছাড়া অন্য সবকিছুর উপাসনা (ইবাদত) বাতিল বলে বিশ্বাস করা, তা ত্যাগ করা, ঘৃণা ও অপছন্দ করা, এবং যারা তা করবে তাদের অস্বীকার করা, তাদের সাথে শত্রুতা পোষণ…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k9D6J0v7GU&t=340s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNS5fO8CORM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8stioEDbSw

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: THE HOLY QUR’AN: Part 11

Certain chapters and verses are said to be more virtuous than others. What does this mean, as all are divine words?

We firstly have to be aware that the degree of perfection for every creature has been determined by God’s will and we do not have even the smallest role or share in this determination.

Accordingly, we do accept that which Almighty God teaches us to be superior as superior. No two things are identical to each other in the universe. There are differences and degrees of superiority among them. For instance, the month of Ramadan is superior to other months, and Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power) is better than a thousand months. Similarly, Friday is more worthy of reverence than other days of the week, and even within a day, the time just before dawn is superior to other times, and hence the morning prayer, which is performed at this time, is more blessed and more likely to be accepted. The Ka’ba has superiority over all other places in the world. Likewise, not all our conducts are evaluated in the same way and certain behaviors and acts are regarded by God as being more righteous and some pious deeds more worthy of reward.

The four grand angels, Archangel Gabriel, Michael, Israfel and Azrael, the angel of death, are superior to other angels. Prophets are superior to all humankind. The five great prophets – Prophet Muhammad, Prophet Noah, Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, and Prophet Jesus, peace be upon them all – who are distinguished by Muslims as highest in rank, are superior to all other Prophets.

And Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is the best of all creation.

Thus, certain chapters and verses are more superior to others.

What is most important is that if their superiority has been stated by God, then we have to accept this and act accordingly. The entire Qur’an is the Word of God. All its words and letters have been revealed in Arabic and there is no difference among any of them. However, the fact that certain chapters and verses are superior to others is due to certain divine reasons. In the same way, that breathing, eating food and eating fruit are all requirements for human beings, but with different levels of necessity, so too are certain chapters and verses of the Qur’an different. There are certain Qur’anic verses and chapters whose importance in comparison to others is like the importance of breathing compared to other bodily functions. There are also certain Qur’anic verses and chapters whose superiority to others is equal in rank to that of eating food several times a day. And finally, there are certain Qur’anic verses and chapters whose superiority to others is equal in rank to that of our occasional eating of certain luxury fruits.

If, for instance, we examine Sura Ikhlas in this respect, we notice that this chapter is of primary importance, declaring God’s Oneness and Absolute Unity. Prophet Muhammad, (peace and blessings be upon him), expended great effort to inform the Muslims of the importance of this chapter, encouraging them to read it and teach it to others. This chapter describes tawhid, or the absolute unity of God – the very core of the religion – in a way that instantly establishes the concept of the deity in the human mind.

Throughout the Qur’an, every verse aims to establish and confirm four basic, universal truths, that is, the existence and Oneness of the Maker of the Universe, the Prophethood, the bodily Resurrection, and worship.

God’s Messenger describes the short Sura Ikhlas as being equivalent to one-third of the entire Qur’an, as pure tawhid is described in this chapter. Ikhlas means purity of faith, sincerity in religion, and the observation of the principles of Islam for the pleasure of God. This sura is the most precise and meaningful description of tawheed or Oneness and Unity of God. In just six sentences, three positive and three negative, the sura proves and establishes various aspects of Divine Unity and rejects and negates all forms of association of partners with God. The superiority of this chapter is obvious as the recognition of God and His attributes is, more or less, equal to the importance of respiration for human beings as life would be meaningless without truly recognizing God Almighty. Another important sura, Sura Fatiha, is recited in all rak’ats, or cycles, of the prayers. Sura Fatiha is the greatest prayer and the most internal supplication to God. A number of facts, such as God deserves to be worshipped, that only God provides help, being guided to the right path or being deviated from the right path is dependent only on God’s will and that goodness and evil are all created only by God are all clearly mentioned in this chapter. The Qur’an has been revealed for the purpose of providing ultimate guidance for humankind and all the basic principles contained in the Qur’an are also outlined in Sura Fatiha. Because, the existence of One God, Who deserves all praise, recognition, and worship, Who have Sovereignty overall and on Whom everyone relies and depends, is explained in this sura, and our request to God to be pious, righteous people is stated. Thus, Sura Fatiha has a different status in comparison to the others; it balances praise in its first four verses with a petition in the remaining, thus establishing the aforementioned four basic purposes of Qur’anic guidance in a marvelously succinct yet comprehensive way.

[tawakkull]

SPIRITUALITY IN ISLAM: PART 110: SAFA’ (PURITY)

Safa’, in the language of Islamic Sufism, signifies the state of a heart at peace because it has been purified of all kinds of things that contaminate it, such as sin, feelings of vengeance, jealousy, and hatred, and suspicion of others. The verse (38:47), They were, in Our sight, among the most purified, chosen, truly godly ones, which expresses the holiness and greatness of some Prophets, stresses purity in the greatest degree. The word mustafa, derived from safa, and which means pure essence, extract or the cream of something, is the special used to express in particular the rank of our Prophet, due to his being the essence and cream of existence and the master of both worlds-this and the next. So, having a special distinction among all ranks and being a symbol of transcendence among the Prophets, it has always been a goal toward which the Prophets and the purified, saintly scholars have tried to rise.

Purity originates from the purest and most blessed of sources and reaches the pool of the human heart, from which it issues and flows into other hearts to enlighten them on new wavelengths according to the capacity and disposition of each and the requirements of time and conditions. It sheds light on the ways of the travelers to the Truth so that they can follow them easily. It purifies their hearts and equips them with sincerity, guiding them to the truth of Divinity, causing their spirits to move in ecstasy with the infinite pleasures of supplication and their hearts to move with love, zeal, and yearning for meeting the Beloved. It is usually dealt with in three categories:

The first is purity of knowledge. It occurs when a traveler continues the journey under the guidance and in the light of the knowledge taught by the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. The Book and the Prophetic Sunna are followed strictly and with utmost care during the journey, the requirements of doing so being never neglected. With the good pleasure of God as the sole aim of the journey, the traveler faces all hardships and difficulties, without ever losing the resolve to continue on the way.

In other words, purity of knowledge occurs when an initiate who is traveling under the guidance of the sun of Prophethood, puts heart, spirit, and reason under the command of this sun. Following him to the utmost possible in all thoughts, actions, and attitudes, the traveler is annihilated and revived in him, and appeals to his judgment to solve all the problems encountered. The traveler is honored with various favors to the extent of love and knowledge of the supreme goal-God-and zeal and yearning to meet with Him in the footsteps of the pride of Messengers, upon him be peace and blessings. The author of the Gulshan al-Tawhid (“The Rose-Garden of Divine Oneness”), talks about this rank as follows:

Go and pursue such knowledge that

It can open your heart and solve all your problems.

By contrast, any knowledge that does not inspire in people the true aim of life and, in order to realize that aim, does not equip their sight with the necessary light, their will with strength, their spirits with love and zeal, and their hearts with the desire to reach the realms beyond the heavens, is not promising, even though it may not be a delusion or mere illusion.

The second rank in purity is purity of state. It occurs when the heart opens and closes with the awe of God and love of the truth. It expresses its excitement and anxiety in supplications and entreaties to the Almighty, removing feelings of loneliness and gloom that come between it and the truth, becoming a hill where the breezes of peace blow. Setting itself solely on God alongside all the other faculties, such as the emotions, consciousness, and perception, the heart flings all else except the Almighty into the abyss of nothingness, like a stone, in order that nothing should veil God from it.

When seekers after Truth attain the state of purity and refinement, their hearts overflow with the manifestations of the truth of Divinity, their spirits are flooded with the love of truth, and enraptured with the real beauty of existence which they observe through the windows that have been opened in them. In this state, they turn to the Realm of the Holy Presence with the most enchanting of supplications voiced with the full force of their sincere feelings, feelings that have begun to speak instead of themselves. They unburden themselves, feel that God is turning to them, and taste the deepest of pleasures. It even happens that in this state they invoke the Divine Being Himself as Allah-the Proper Name of the Supreme Being encompassing all other Names-and as the All-Merciful (al-Rahman)-the primary Title of the Supreme Being which, like the Name Allah, can be used for Him exclusively-among the Attributes with which they qualify Him. In the rising waves of their feelings, they sense the pleasure that the angels have in worshipping the Almighty, witness the self-possession of other spiritual beings, are enchanted with the mysteries of the higher, incorporeal realms of existence and the beings that inhabit them, and feels as if they have transcended the limits of humanity. In the following couplet, the author of al-Minhaj points to this spiritual state, which one who does not experience it cannot grasp:

Sometimes a person is dumbfounded in this state,

without being able to utter a word,

And sometimes only one who experiences it can know what state this is.

Purity of meeting with God, which is the third rank in purity, occurs when the worshipping servants become as nothing or, to put it in other words, feel and know annihilation of their own being, attributes, and actions in the Being, Attributes and acts of the Necessarily Existent Being, and live immersed in observation of the blazing manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge. In other words, the pleasure that the worshipping servant feels in God’s service is combined with, and melts away in, the duties of servanthood due to His being the Lord (One Who creates, sustains, brings up, and protects), and the mysteries of existence become unveiled and come into view on all sides. The manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge that pour in completely pervade the conscience, and the shadow of the truth, which will become visible in the other world, begins to be seen with the eye of the heart. To paraphrase the state, God declares to His servants whom He has made near to Him: He hears by Me, and sees by Me, and holds by Me, and walks by Me. So, such servants observe from their observatories of heart and innermost faculties, such as the Secret, the Private and the More Private, the pure spiritual realm with some of its mysteries, and the pure realm of the Divine Dominion with some of its particularities, and the spiritual realm of the Divine Power with some of its aspects, and the truths originating from the Divine Being. They know the substantial truth behind realities that are evident to everybody, and acquires certainty in their knowledge, and their certainty rises to the degree of certainty that comes from direct experience (haqq al-yaqin) according to their capacity. Peculiarities vanish and particular natures melt away in the burning rays of the manifestations of His Face, and only His Self-Subsistence is felt. In this rank, initiates, who have reached a state of pleasure that pervades the whole being, feel as if a drop has become an ocean, a particle the sun, and everything has turned into nothingness. They feel and know Him only, and begin and end with Him, and work by Him. They may go so far as to confuse His Being with His manifestations. Those who are not able to enlighten their feelings, consciousness, and faculties of perception with the light brought by God’s Messenger, may make mistakes or be confused in their comments. Many people have uttered words showing this confusion:

When you have seen the lights of the sun,

You no longer exist, (burnt away by the lights of His Face).

A drop is lost in the waves of the ocean, and you, being a drop,

Have been lost in the ocean of mysteries.

You will no longer be able to find the drop.

Though it is not in the capacity of everyone to be lost,

Those who are annihilated like you are not few.

If those who try to explain purity of meeting with God use words that suggest incarnation and union in order to convey their states and pleasures, they are apt to be confused in their interpretations. Therefore, they must immediately appeal to the light of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and correct their confusion. On the other hand, those who adopt an interpretation and attitude that arise from a spiritual state and pleasure simply as a thought system and philosophy, are clearly misguided and are regarded as being in rebellion against God until they enter the way of the Messenger and his Companions.

O God! Show us the truth as the truth and enable us to observe it; show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to avoid it.

O God! We ask You for forgiveness, health, and approval. O God! Guide us to what You like and are pleased with; and may Your peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, the sun of guidance, and means of happiness, and on his family and all of his Companions.

[wisdomrays]

SAFA' (Purity)

Safa', in the language of Islamic Sufism, signifies the state of a heart at peace because it has been purified of all kinds of things that contaminate it, such as sin, feelings of vengeance, jealousy, and hatred, and suspicion of others. The verse (38:47), They were, in Our sight, among the most purified, chosen, truly godly ones, which expresses the holiness and greatness of some Prophets, stresses purity in the greatest degree. The word mustafa, derived from safa, and which means pure essence, extract or the cream of something, is the special used to express in particular the rank of our Prophet, due to his being the essence and cream of existence and the master of both worlds-this and the next. So, having a special distinction among all ranks and being a symbol of transcendence among the Prophets, it has always been a goal toward which the Prophets and the purified, saintly scholars have tried to rise.

Purity originates from the purest and most blessed of sources and reaches the pool of the human heart, from which it issues and flows into other hearts to enlighten them on new wavelengths according to the capacity and disposition of each and the requirements of time and conditions. It sheds light on the ways of the travelers to the Truth so that they can follow them easily. It purifies their hearts and equips them with sincerity, guiding them to the truth of Divinity, causing their spirits to move in ecstasy with the infinite pleasures of supplication and their hearts to move with love, zeal, and yearning for meeting the Beloved. It is usually dealt with in three categories:

The first is purity of knowledge. It occurs when a traveler continues the journey under the guidance and in the light of the knowledge taught by the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. The Book and the Prophetic Sunna are followed strictly and with utmost care during the journey, the requirements of doing so being never neglected. With the good pleasure of God as the sole aim of the journey, the traveler faces all hardships and difficulties, without ever losing the resolve to continue on the way.

In other words, purity of knowledge occurs when an initiate who is traveling under the guidance of the sun of Prophethood, puts heart, spirit, and reason under the command of this sun. Following him to the utmost possible in all thoughts, actions, and attitudes, the traveler is annihilated and revived in him, and appeals to his judgment to solve all the problems encountered. The traveler is honored with various favors to the extent of love and knowledge of the supreme goal-God-and zeal and yearning to meet with Him in the footsteps of the pride of Messengers, upon him be peace and blessings. The author of the Gulshan al-Tawhid ("The Rose-Garden of Divine Oneness"), talks about this rank as follows:

Go and pursue such knowledge that

It can open your heart and solve all your problems.

By contrast, any knowledge that does not inspire in people the true aim of life and, in order to realize that aim, does not equip their sight with the necessary light, their will with strength, their spirits with love and zeal, and their hearts with the desire to reach the realms beyond the heavens, is not promising, even though it may not be a delusion or mere illusion.

The second rank in purity is purity of state. It occurs when the heart opens and closes with the awe of God and love of the truth. It expresses its excitement and anxiety in supplications and entreaties to the Almighty, removing feelings of loneliness and gloom that come between it and the truth, becoming a hill where the breezes of peace blow. Setting itself solely on God alongside all the other faculties, such as the emotions, consciousness, and perception, the heart flings all else except the Almighty into the abyss of nothingness, like a stone, in order that nothing should veil God from it.

When seekers after Truth attain the state of purity and refinement, their hearts overflow with the manifestations of the truth of Divinity, their spirits are flooded with the love of truth, and enraptured with the real beauty of existence which they observe through the windows that have been opened in them. In this state, they turn to the Realm of the Holy Presence with the most enchanting of supplications voiced with the full force of their sincere feelings, feelings that have begun to speak instead of themselves. They unburden themselves, feel that God is turning to them, and taste the deepest of pleasures. It even happens that in this state they invoke the Divine Being Himself as Allah-the Proper Name of the Supreme Being encompassing all other Names-and as the All-Merciful (al-Rahman)-the primary Title of the Supreme Being which, like the Name Allah, can be used for Him exclusively-among the Attributes with which they qualify Him. In the rising waves of their feelings, they sense the pleasure that the angels have in worshipping the Almighty, witness the self-possession of other spiritual beings, are enchanted with the mysteries of the higher, incorporeal realms of existence and the beings that inhabit them, and feels as if they have transcended the limits of humanity. In the following couplet, the author of al-Minhaj points to this spiritual state, which one who does not experience it cannot grasp

Sometimes a person is dumbfounded in this state,

without being able to utter a word,

And sometimes only one who experiences it can know what state this is.

Purity of meeting with God, which is the third rank in purity, occurs when the worshipping servants become as nothing or, to put it in other words, feel and know annihilation of their own being, attributes, and actions in the Being, Attributes and acts of the Necessarily Existent Being, and live immersed in observation of the blazing manifestations of God's Existence and Knowledge. In other words, the pleasure that the worshipping servant feels in God's service is combined with, and melts away in, the duties of servanthood due to His being the Lord (One Who creates, sustains, brings up, and protects), and the mysteries of existence become unveiled and come into view on all sides. The manifestations of God's Existence and Knowledge that pour in completely pervade the conscience, and the shadow of the truth, which will become visible in the other world, begins to be seen with the eye of the heart. To paraphrase the state, God declares to His servants whom He has made near to Him: He hears by Me, and sees by Me, and holds by Me, and walks by Me.[1] So, such servants observe from their observatories of heart and innermost faculties, such as the Secret, the Private and the More Private, the pure spiritual realm with some of its mysteries, and the pure realm of the Divine Dominion with some of its particularities, and the spiritual realm of the Divine Power with some of its aspects, and the truths originating from the Divine Being. They know the substantial truth behind realities that are evident to everybody, and acquires certainty in their knowledge, and their certainty rises to the degree of certainty that comes from direct experience (haqq al-yaqin) according to their capacity. Peculiarities vanish and particular natures melt away in the burning rays of the manifestations of His Face, and only His Self-Subsistence is felt. In this rank, initiates, who have reached a state of pleasure that pervades the whole being, feel as if a drop has become an ocean, a particle the sun, and everything has turned into nothingness. They feel and know Him only, and begin and end with Him, and work by Him. They may go so far as to confuse His Being with His manifestations. Those who are not able to enlighten their feelings, consciousness, and faculties of perception with the light brought by God's Messenger, may make mistakes or be confused in their comments. Many people have uttered words showing this confusion:

When you have seen the lights of the sun,

You no longer exist, (burnt away by the lights of His Face).

A drop is lost in the waves of the ocean, and you, being a drop,

Have been lost in the ocean of mysteries.

You will no longer be able to find the drop.

Though it is not in the capacity of everyone to be lost,

Those who are annihilated like you are not few.

If those who try to explain purity of meeting with God use words that suggest incarnation and union in order to convey their states and pleasures, they are apt to be confused in their interpretations. Therefore, they must immediately appeal to the light of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and correct their confusion. On the other hand, those who adopt an interpretation and attitude that arise from a spiritual state and pleasure simply as a thought system and philosophy, are clearly misguided and are regarded as being in rebellion against God until they enter the way of the Messenger and his Companions.

O God! Show us the truth as the truth and enable us to observe it; show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to avoid it.

O God! We ask You for forgiveness, health, and approval. O God! Guide us to what You like and are pleased with; and may Your peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, the sun of guidance, and means of happiness, and on his family and all of his Companions.

[mereallah]

Annihilation and unicity (fana wa tauhid)

"If the servant does not annihilate himself/herself in the Being & Essence of Allah, they have not completed their faith.

If the servant does attain extinction (Fana), he knows there is nothing but Allah. At this stage of spiritual development, the sincere and pure doctrine of Divine Unicity and Oneness (Tawhid), which is demanded of the distinguished folk, is realized.

Shaykh Tijānī says in Jawāhir al-Ma‘ānī,

“The reality of oneness (tawḥīd) is not perceived, because as long as you continue to speak, you exist and God exists, and so there are two, and then where is the oneness (tawḥīd)?

There is no oneness (tawḥīd) except when it is for God, by God, and to God. The servant has no entrance to this, and no exit from it.” This is only valid for the way of annihilation.

For this reason, for the Knowers, their first concern for a seeker is that he finds annihilation in God, then after that he ascends until he arrives at the Shaykh, because he is an attribute of God.

The goal of these two Annihilations is that the servant will return to this station [annihilation in the attributes], for if he has not met the Messenger of God and the Shaykh [Ahmad Tijani], then he will not know what comes after.

So if he continues in this way, he will return to witnessing the existents, [but] he will see the existents as non-existent and existent at the same time. An example of this is what we see in the cinema.

Whoever amongst you, of the Knowers, has not seen a movie, I would love for you to see it even once, for you will witness a thing that is non-existent (mafqūd) and yet is existent (mawjūd).

For if it were not existent, you would not see it; but it is in reality, not existent. All existents (everything in existence) are just like a movie.

You witness a thing existing and not existing. And you are like this in your existence: you do good and you know that you are not doing anything, and you avoid bad things and you know that you are not doing anything.

God is the One who is the agent. After that the heart of the seeker proceeds through the unseen, in both waking and dreaming; he witnesses the unseen in which there is no thing until he is drawn a second time,

and he returns to God, he knows with certainty that there is nothing but God, not in a state of annihilation, nor drunkenness, nor rapture, but while being completely awake.

He knows there is nothing but God and he perceives things as they are, and he puts every created thing in its place, in which God placed it.

And he knows that he is nothing. He exalts things, while not considering them existent; and he fears things, without considering them existent, and he loves things without considering them existent.

And he acquires all good actions, he prays, and he fasts, and he makes hajj, and he tells the truth and he spends his money. And all of that is out of good manners (adab) to God, while he knows that there is nothing there.

And if the servant arrives at this, he is connected to God by a real connection—he doesn’t do anything except for God.

~Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (Ra), sermon given on Shawwāl 1387 AH /January 1968 in Nouakchott, Mauritania