WEEKLY CLASS ON ISLAMIC GNOSTICISM

 

MONDAY – {Date}

 

Hence Allah had commanded to our Beloved Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] and all god-fearing persons to surrender to Allah unequivocally and wholeheartedly. Allah had commanded to the effect:

 

“And I (Muhammad) am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam.” [87]

 

Say: “Allah’s guidance is the (only) guidance, and we have been directed to submit ourselves to the Lord of the Worlds.” [88]

 

Say: “We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Ibrahim, Isma’il, Ishaq, Ya’qub, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Musa, ‘Isa, and the Prophets, from their Lord: we make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam).”

 

To surrender wholeheartedly and unequivocally to Allah is Islam. Allah had commanded to the effect:

 

“And to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam).” [89]

 

O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly[90]

 

Hammudah Abdalati gave the meaning of “Islam” as”

 

In the religious sense the word Islam means submission to the Will of God and obedience to His Law.[91]

Even people of the olds surrender to Allah wholeheartedly and unequivocally. Allah had commanded to the effect:

 

Ibrahim was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah’s (which is Islam), and he joined not gods with Allah. [92]

 

When ‘Isa (Jesus) found unbelief on their part he said: “Who will be my helpers to (the work of) Allah?” Said the disciples: “We are Allah’s helpers: we believe in Allah, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims. [93]

 

Al Junaidi opined that Faith is, to surrender wholeheartedly to God. [94] To this end, Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani had also said that a true God-fearing person will surrender himself wholeheartedly to God. [95] He added that in all situations, a true God-fearing person must surrender (to God) with patience. [96] He further added that a person who accepts Islam must surrender wholeheartedly to God. [97]

 

In finality, the act of surrender is to be alike that of a corpse, a soccer ball or a new born infant.[98] It must be total resignation to God’s Will.

 

If thou dost stretch thy hand against me, to slay me, it is not for me to stretch my hand against thee to slay thee: for I do fear Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds. [99]

 

Say: “Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds”.[100]

 

He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs). [101]

Moreover, He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: “Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly.” They said: “We do come (together), in willing obedience.” [102]

 

He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, (all) governed by laws under His Command. Is it not His to create and to govern? [103]

 

After your total resignation to God’s Will then will God’s works are done through you. You are now referred to as “Abdal”. You are one of the Elects of Allah. Allah Had commanded to the effect:

 

For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever). Allah will be well pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Truly it is the Party of Allah that will achieve Felicity.

 

Thereafter you are not to carryout God’s work with much a do (as it comes) nor do you question the task given to you. The Elects of God may appear strange to many as they do not conform to the normal norms.

 

And they say: “We hear, and we obey, (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys.” [104]

 

Say: “It is Allah I serve, with my sincere (and exclusive) devotion”.[105]

I (Khidir) did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those acts) over which thou wast unable to hold patience. [106]

 

But neither (Harut and Marut) of these taught anyone (magics) without saying: “We are only for trial; so do not blaspheme.”[107]

 

Many of all the Prophets’ Companions were also the Elects of Allah as can be seen in the verse of the Quran to the effect:

 

And those Foremost (in Faith) will be foremost (in the Hereafter). These will be those Nearest to Allah: In Gardens of Bliss: A number of people from those of old, And a few from those of later times. [108]

 

As for “a few from those of later times” which refers to Prophet Muhammad’s time, Allah had commanded to the effect:

 

The vanguard (of Islam), the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds, well-pleased is Allah with them, as are they with Him: for them Hath He prepared Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever: that is the supreme Felicity. [109]

 

Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] had said to the effect:

 

My best ummah are those during my time, after my time and after their time.[110]

Uwais Qarni preferred the skin mantle he was using than the beautiful textiles offered by the Prophet’s Companion. His fear for Allah is akin to committing sin of murdering all the inhabitants of earth. He would not supplicate Allah for any individual because his supplication was exclusively for the whole world. The world does not know him but the angels do.[111]

 

Ibrahim Adham forgo his throne and traveled the trodden path as a vagabond devoting his life to Allah. [112]

 

Bisyru Al Hafi gave up his wealth and devoted himself to Allah. He walked barefooted until his demise. [113]

 

Abdullah Ibnu Umar often cried for fear of Allah and his old age he became blind because of too much crying.[114]

 

With regard to the Elects of God, Jesus had the following to say:

 

Faith is a seal whereby God sealed his elect; which seal he gave to his messenger (Muhammad).[115]

 

God shall give unto His messenger (Muhammad) a book, in which are written all the names of the elect of God. [116]

 

God shall (instruct to) open the book in the hand of his messenger, and his messenger reading therein shall call all the angels and prophets and all the elect, and on the forehead of each one shall be written the mark of the messenger of God. An in the book shall be written the glory of paradise. [117]

 

With regard to the elect of God, Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] had narrated to the effect:

 

Musa asked, “Oh God, who are the esteem dwellers of paradise.” God replied, “Those who I have elected who for them I created with ‘My Hand’ grandeur which none have seen nor hear not even visualised.[118]

 

In relation to the above narration, is the following verse in the Quran to the effect:

 

Now no person knows what delights of the eye are kept hidden (in reserve) for them, as a reward for their (good) Deeds.[119]

The Bibliography

[87] Az Zumar (39):12; An Anaam (6):14.

[88] Al Anaam (6):71;Al Anbiyaa (21):108; Al Hajj (22):34.

[89] Ali Imran (3):83; Hud (11):14; Al Ahqaaf (46):15.

[90] Al Baqarah (2):208.

[91] Hammudah Abdalati, Islam In Focus, 7 (1980).

[92] Ali Imran (3):67.

[93] Ali Imran (3):52.

[94] Thiblawy Mahmoud Said, Tasauf menurut Ibnu Tamiyah, 217 (1995).

[95] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Op cit, 83.

[96] Id, 40.

[97] Id, 189.

[98] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Op cit, 19.

[99] Al Maidah (5):28.

[100] Al An’aam (6):162

[101] Al Anbiya (21):23.

[102] Fushshilat (41):11.

[103] Al Araaf (7):54.

[104] Al Baqarah (2):286

[105] Az Zumar (39):14

[106] Al Kahfi (18):82.

[107] Al Baqarah (2):102

[108] Al Waqiah (56):10-14.

[109] At Taubah (9):100.

[110]Terjemahan Sahih Muslim Bk.4, 449 (1994). And as stated by earlier Quranic verse, “and those who

     follow them in (all) good deeds.”

[111] Hj Zainal Ariffin Abbas, Ilmu Tasawuf, 276-277 (1991)

[112] Hj Zainal Ariffin Abbas, Ilmu Tasawuf, 288-308 (1991)

[113] Hj Zainal Ariffin Abbas, Ilmu Tasawuf, 288-308 (1991)

[114] Muhammad Zakariya Kandhalawi, Kisah Kehidupan Dan PerjuanganPara Sahabat  59 (1996).

[115] Gospel of Barnabas, 114 (?)

[116] Gospel of Barnabas, 73 (?)

[117] Gospel of Barnabas, 73 (?)

[118] Terjemahan Sahih Muslim, Bk 1, 261 (1994)

[119] As Sajdah (32):17