5.              DIVINE ACCEPTANCE

In order to be accepted by our Lord, we too have to accept Him. To this end, Allah had commanded to the effect:

 

Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them forever; that is the mighty achievement.[1]

 

Their reward with their Lord is gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein for ever; Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him.[2]

To accept Him, our belief in Him must be of the highest order, in that:

1.              We are no longer “blind”, our mental eyes see the infinitesimal fraction of His Infinite Essence as the source of all creations (including space and time) encompassing all.

We have removed from you your veil, so your sight today is sharp. [3]

You shall most certainly see it with the eye of certainty.[4]

2.              Once we are no longer blind, we must not ascribed partner to Him either visibly or not because this is an unforgivable sin and which will wipe out all our good deeds.

 

Surely I am Allah, there is no god but I.[5]

If your mind is focus onto other than the remembrance of Allah then you have ascribed partner to Him. Thus do not ascribe partner to Allah either visibly or not.[6]

Be very careful in not falling into ascribing partner to Allah subtly. [7]

Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and He forgives what is besides this to whom He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he indeed strays off into a remote error. [8]

And certainly, it has been revealed to you and to those before you: Surely if you associate (with Allah), your work would certainly come to naught and you would certainly be of the losers.[9]

3.               Nothing is comparable to Him. When our Holy Prophet (pbuh) demised, many could not accept this fact but Abu Bakar, the Companion of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), made the following statement which brought back many to their senses:

Whosoever worships Muhammad let it be known that he has died but whosoever worships the God of Muhammad, He is Eternal.[10]

 

The above statement of Abu Bakar was supported by the following verse in the Quran:

And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; there were many messengers already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful. [11]

4.              We understood that the infinitesimal fraction of His Infinite Essence is The Hidden and The Manifest.

The Manifest and The Hidden[12]

5.              We accept that if The Manifest and The Hidden are but the infinitesimal fraction of His Infinite Essence then in reality there is only One True Player and that is Him.

If you know yourself and you know your God than you know you did not exist. [13]

Indeed I created you before, when you were nothing.[14]

(In the end) Everything shall perish except His Essence.[15]

Say, “He is Allah, The One and Only.[16]

6.              We feel His proximity.

He is with you wherever you are.[17]

We are nearer to him than his life-vein. [18]

Turn to Him: for my Lord is near. [19]

7.              Consciousness of His Existence moved us to tears and in awe of His Greatness so that this big world is, we felt, diminutive.

And when they hear what has been revealed to the messenger you will see their eyes overflowing with tears on account of the truth that they recognize; they say: Our Lord! we believe, so write us down with the witnesses (of truth).[20]

And to the three who were left behind, until the earth became strait to them notwithstanding its spaciousness and their souls were also straitened to them; and they knew it for certain that there was no refuge from Allah but in Him.[21]

As for those who fear their Lord unseen for them is Forgiveness and a great Reward. [22]

Their hearts are full of fear (knowing) that to their Lord they must return.[23]

Those only are believers whose hearts become full of fear when Allah is mentioned, and when His communications are recited to them they increase them in faith.[24]

8.              His position is one of Loftiness and Absolute, over and above all His creations (who are but variables).

Allah is the Creator of everything and He has charge over everything. [25]

Serve Allah alone and be of the thankful.[26]

And He is Allah, there is no god but He! All praise is due to Him in this (life) and the hereafter, and His is the judgment, and to Him you shall be brought back.[27]

9.              For Him are the absolute homage, respect, trust and submission.

Our Lord!” (they say), “let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thee: for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure.[28]

(The Believers) put (all) their trust in their Lord.[29]

 

And Allah sets forth, as an example to those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh: Behold she said: “O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to Thee, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong”.[30]

 

When she was delivered she said: “O my Lord! behold! I am delivered of a female child!” And Allah knew best what she brought forth, “And is not the male like the female. I have named her Mary and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from the Evil One, the Rejected.”[31]

 

And We strengthened their hearts with patience, when they stood up and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; we will by no means call upon any god besides Him, for then indeed we should have said an extravagant thing.[32]

 

And Allah sets forth, as an example to those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh: Behold she said: “O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to Thee, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong”.[33]

 

Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty; to the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (her) chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: “O Mary! whence (comes) this to you?” She said: “From Allah: for Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases, without measure.” There did Zakariya pray to his Lord saying: “O my Lord! Grant unto me from Thee a progeny that is pure; for Thou art He that heareth prayer!” While he was standing in prayer in the chamber, the angels called unto him: “Allah doth give thee glad tidings of Yahya, witnessing the truth of a Word from Allah and (be besides) noble, chaste, and a Prophet, ? of the (goodly) company of the righteous.” [34]

Bibliografi

[1] At Taubah (9):100

[2] Al Bayyinah (98):8

[3] Qaaf (50):22.

[4] At Takathur (102):6-8.

[5] Thaha (20):14

[6] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Op cit, 27.

[7] Imam Ghazali, Rahsia Hakikat Sembahyang Menurut Tauhid, Fekah & Tasauwwuf, 130 (1994).

[8] Az Zumar (39):65.

[9] Al Maidah (6):88.

[10] Al Hujwiri, Op cit, 41.

[11] Ali Imran (3):144.

[12] Al Hadid (57):3

[13] Imam Ghazali, Ihya Ulumiddin Bk. 7, 427 (1981).

[14] Mariam (19):9

[15] Al Qasas (28):88

[16] Al Ikhlas (112):1-2

[17] Al Hadid (57):4

[18] Qaaf (50):16.

[19] Hud (11):61

[20] Al Maidah (5):83

[21] At Taubah (9):118

[22] Al Mulk (67):12.

[23] Al Mukminun (23):60

[24] Anfal (8):2

[25] Az Zumar (39):66

[26] Az Zumar (39):66

[27] Al Qasas (28):70

[28] Al Imran(3):8

[29] Al Anfal (8):2

[30] At Tahrim (66):11.

[31] Ali Imran (3):36. Mariam’s mother put her complete trust in God in relation to her newborn (Mariam).

[32] Al Kahfi (18):14. The Cave dwellers; how Allah saves them and their faith because of their steadfastness.

[33] At Tahrim (66):11. Asiah (the wife of Pharaoh) who sacrificed her life for her belief (in Allah).

[34] Ali Imran (3):37-40. Mariam complete trust in Allah brought about glory to her and Zakariya.