Obsession of the Heart 3

Allâh has established two signs for people who love Him:

1. Ittibâ’ Ar-Rasûl;
2. Al-Jihâd fî sabîlillâh;

This is because the reality of al-Jihâd is the striving to accomplish that which Allâh loves of îmân and the righteous deeds, and the repulsion of that which Allâh hates of al-Kufr, al-Fusûq and disobedience.

“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, your wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwelling in which you delight are dearer to you than Allâh and His Messenger and striving hard and fighting in his cause, then wait until Allâh brings about His decision (torment), and Allâh guides not rebellious folk.” [Sûrah al-Tawbah âyah 24]

The Messenger said, “By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, no one among you will believe until I become more beloved to him than his children, his parents and all mankind together.” [Bukhârî & Muslim]

‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb (RA) said, “O Messenger of Allâh, you are more beloved to me than anything else except myself” Then the Messenger of Allâh said, “No, O ‘Umar! Until I become more beloved to you than yourself.” ‘Umar (RA) then replied, “Then, by Allâh, you are more beloved to me than my own self," then the Messenger of Allâh said, “Now, O ‘Umar.” [Bukhârî & Muslim]

The reality of loving someone is never complete except by having loyalty to the beloved one, that is, to comply with him by loving what he loves and hating what he hates.

Love motivates the will of the heart. The stronger the love, the more the heart seeks the accomplishment of the beloved things. If love is to be complete, it will require a firm will in achieving beloved things.

The Messenger said, “Whoever calls for guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of those who follow him, without diminishing any of their reward. And whoever calls for misguidance will have a burden similar to the burdens of those who follow him, without diminishing any of their reward.” [Muslim]

The Messenger said, “Verily, in Al-Madînah there are men who never embarked on a journey nor passed a valley but they were with you.” The Sahâbah said, “And they are still in Al-Madînah?” He said, “Yes, and they are still in Al- Madînah; they were prevented (from travelling with you) by their excuse.” [Bukhârî & Muslim]

If al-‘abd abandons that which he is able to do of al-Jihâd it becomes an indication of the weak love. Beloved goals cannot be attained except by enduring hateful consequences regardless of whether the love is righteous or corrupt.

If those who love Allâh and His Messenger do not endure ... it shows his weak love. Mu’min has more love for Allâh as He Ta‘âla said:

“And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allâh as rivals (to Allâh). They love them as they love Allâh. But those who believe love Allâh more (than anything else). If only, those who do wrong had but known, when they see the torment, that all power belongs to Allâh and that Allâh is severe in punishment.” [Sûrah Al-Baqarah âyah 165]

The lover, because of weakness of mind and corrupt reasoning, may take a route that will not reach the desired goal. Such a route is not praised even if the love itself is righteous and praise-worthy. Then, what if the love is faulty and the route is a dead end?

The heart is inherently in need of Allâh from two aspects

1. worship; this is the purposive motive;
2. seeking help & reliance; this is the effective motive;

The heart will not be righteous, successful, contented, pleased, and assured except by the worship of Allâh, love of Him and repentance to Him, because it has an inherent need for its Lord.

This will never occur except by the help of Allâh.

“It is You we worship, and it is from You we seek help.” [Sûrah Al-Fâtihah âyah 5]

He will never escape the pains of this world and its distress except by making his love sincere and pure for Allâh in such a way as to make Allâh his ultimate desire and the end of his every intention.

If he strives to attain a goal but isn’t seeking help from Allâh, relying on Him and depending on Him to achieve it, then he will never gain this true love. For that which Allâh wills will be, and that which He does not will not be.

The strongest and the most guided are the ones who are most perfect in their ‘Ubûdiyyah to Allâh.

Disdainfulness

The one who submits to Him and to others is a Mushrik. The one who refuses to submit to Him is a Mustakbir (disdainful).

The Messenger said, “Whoever has in his heart an atom’s weight of kibr (disdainfulness) will not enter al-Jannah” [Muslim]

Allâh has made al-kibr the opposite of al-îmân, for al-kibr negates the reality of al-‘ubûdiyyah.

The heart will not dispense with all created beings unless and until Allâh becomes its Lord other than Whom it does not worship.

Ash-Shirk is more dominant among the Christians, while al-Kibr is more dominant among the Jews

As regards the Christians:

“They took their priests and their monks to be their lords beside Allâh, and (they also took as Lord) al-Masîh son of Mary, while they were commanded to worship none but one deity. None has the right to be worshipped but Him. Praise and Glory be to him Who is far from having partners they associate (with Him).” [Sûrah Al-Tawbah âyah 31]

As regards the Jews:

“...Is it that whenever there comes to you a messenger with what you yourselves desire not, you treat him with disdain? Some you disbelieve in and some you kill.” [Sûrah Al-Baqarah âyah 87]

“I shall turn away from My Signs those who behave arrogantly on the earth in a wrongful manner, and (even) if they see all the Signs they will not believe in them. And if they see the way of righteousness they will not adopt it as the way, but if they see the way of error, they will adopt that way...” [Sûrah Al-A‘râf ayah 146]

 Al-Kibr necessarily implies Ash-Shirk, and Ash-Shirk is the counterpart of Al-Islâm, it being the sin which Allâh will never forgive.

“Verily Allâh forgives not that rivals should be set up in worship with Him, but He forgives whomever He pleases sins other than that, and whoever sets up rivals in worship with Allâh, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.” [Sûrah An-Nisâ’ ayah 48]

“Verily Allâh forgives not that rivals should be set up in worship with Him but He forgives whomever He pleases other than that, and whoever sets up rivals in worship with Allah, indeed he has strayed far away." [Sûrah An-Nisâ’ ayah 116]

Hence all the prophets were sent with the Dîn of al-Islâm, it being the only Dîn acceptable to Allâh.

Noah said:

“And if you turn away, I have not asked you for a reward; verily, my reward is only with Allâh. And I have been commanded to be of those who submit to Allâh.” [Sûrah Yûnus âyah 72]

Concerning Ibrâhîm:

“And who disliked the religion of Abraham except one who fools himself? And We had chosen him in this world; and verily, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him: Submit! He said I submit to the Lord of the Worlds ... Therefore, do not die except that you are Muslims.” [Sûah Al-Baqarah âyât 130-132]

Yûsuf said:

“... Take my soul as the one that submits and admit me among the righteous.” [Sûrah Yûsuf âyah 101]

Mûsâ said:

“... O my people, if you would believe in Allâh then put your trust in Him; if you are truely Muslims. Then they said: We do put our trust in Allâh.” [Sûrah Yûnus âyât 84-85]

The Messenger said, Allâh says, “Al-‘Adthamah (majesty) is My loincloth and Al-Kibriyâ (grandeur) is My garment. Thus, I shall punish whoever challenges Me concerning either of them” [Muslim & Abû Dâwûd]

Majesty and Grandeur are the peculiarities of Lordship, and Grandeur is of a higher level than Majesty. For this reason He put it at the rank of a garment just as He put majesty at the rank of a loincloth.

That is why the motto (Allâhu-Akbar) of Salâh, Adhân, Takbîr of ‘Eid. Takbîr is also favoured in high places such as Safâ & Marwah, and when a man ascends or mounts and animal. Also shaitân runs away when adhân is called.

“And your Lord said: Call upon Me, and I shall respond to your (invocation). Verily those who disdain My worship will surely enter Jahannam in humiliation!” [Sûrah Al-Mu’min âyah 60]

Whoever disdains the worship of Allâh surely must worship other than Him, because man is susceptible to mobilisation by his will.

The Messenger said : “The most trustworthy of names are Hârith and Hammâm.” [Abû Dâwûd & Nasâ’î] Hârith is the cultivator who is an active earner (provider) and Hammâm is the one who is effective from the onset of intention. For intention is the beginning of the will. Man always has a will; and for every will there must be that which is willed and that toward which it aims. Then necessarily there is for each ‘abd a willed, beloved objective, which is the aim of his love and will. Therefore, whoever does not have Allâh as his ma‘bûd (the worshipped one) then the aim of his love and will disdains to do so. He must necessarily have another as a willed beloved one, worshipping him rather than Allâh. He is then an ‘abd for that willed, beloved one, which could be wealth, fame, appearance, or whatever he takes as a deity for worship rather than Allâh.

If man is an ‘abd for other than Allâh, then he is surely a mushrik, and every mustakbir is a mushrik. That is why Pharaoh was one of the greatest creatures as to istikbâr.

“And indeed We sent Mûsâ with Our Signs and a manifest authority to Pharaoh, Hâmân and Qârûn, but they called him a sorcerer, a liar! Mûsâ said: Verily! I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant one who believes not in the Day of Reckoning... Thus Allah seals up every arrogant tyrannous heart.” [Sûrah Al-Mu’min âyât 23-25]

“And (We destroyed) Qârûn, Pharaoh and Hâmân. Mûsâ came to them with clear signs but they were arrogant in the land, yet they could not outstrip Us (i.e., escape from Our punishment).” [Sûrah Al-‘Ankabût âyah 39]

“Verily Pharaoh exalted himself in the earth and broke up its people into sections, oppressing a group among them, killing their sons and humiliating their women...” [Sûrah Al-Qasas âyah 4]

“And they denied them (those signs) wrongfully and arrogantly, though their souls were convinced thereof then see what was the end of the mischief- makers.” [Sûrah An-Naml âyah 14]

The greater his istikbâr the greater will be his shirk. He becomes a mushrik by means of that in which he becomes enthralled. See Pharaoh described with Shirk in Sûratul-A‘râf âyah 127.

“Verily, We revealed the Torah, in which was guidance and light, and by which the prophets who submitted judged the Jews...” [Sûrah Al-Mâ’idah âyah 44]

Balqîs said:

“...O my Lord, I have indeed wronged my soul, now I submit with Sulaymân to Allâh, the Lord of the Worlds.” [Sûrah An-Naml âyah 44]

“And when I inspired the Disciples to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said We believe! Then bear witness that we are Muslims.” [Sûrah Al-Mâ’idah âyah 111]

“Verily the religion with Allâh is Al-Islâm.” [Sûrah Al-‘Imrân âyah 19]

“And whoever seeks other than Al-Islâm as a religion, it will not be accepted from him...” [Sûrah Al-‘Imrân âyah 85]

“Then do they seek other than the religion of Allâh when whatever is in the heavens and the earth submits to Him, willingly or unwillingly; and to Him they shall be returned.” [Sûrah Al-Imrân âyah 83]

Among all creation there is no one single means which can independently generate any good or ward off any evil. Rather, any cause or means is in need of another cause or means which will help it and repel any harm which opposes it and works against it.

“Say, ‘Tell me then, the things that you invoke besides Allâh, if Allâh intended some harm for me, could they remove His harm, or if He intended some Mercy for me, could they stop His Mercy?’ Say, ‘Sufficient is Allâh for me! Those who trust in Him (Alone).’” [Sûrah Az-Zumar âyah 38]

“And if Allâh touches you with a harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good; then He is Able to do all things.” [Sûrah Al-An‘âm âyah 17]

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