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Connection with
the People of Allah Taala and to be close to them,
is to be connected with Allah Taala and standing in
His Presence. Because they are the Means to the
Mercy of Allah in this Life and in the Here-After.
And from their hands descend Blessings from the
Merciful to all those who are deprived and they are
the Mediators between us and Allah. And if it were
not for them, nothing of this world would exist.
Allah said, "Oh you who believe, if you help Allah,
Allah will help you." [47:7] And Al-Tirmidhi
narrated from a Hadith Qudsi,
" If you Honour my Awliya, I will Honour
You."
Allah Taala says, "He who wishes for the Reward for
this Life, we will provide it for him. And he who
wishes for the Rewards of the Here-After, we will
provide it for him." The Knowers of Allah said, "The
Reward of this Life (means) the Association with the
awliya. And the Reward of the Hereafter is the
Association with Al-Haqq. Allah taala says, "Assist
one another in Righteousness and Taqwa. Don't assist
one another in Sin and Enmity." [5:2] Some of the
Knowers of Allah said, "To assist one another in
Righteousness and Taqwa (means) Obedience to the
Grand Ones amongst the Masters and the Shaykhs. And
do not withhold your portions from them in
assistance. And they did not assist one another in
Sin, (means) being busy with this life. And with
Enmity, (means) agreeing with the Desires and the
Purposes of the Ego."
Allah Taala says, "From within every group in their
midst some shall refrain from going forth altogether
and should devote themselves to acquiring Knowledge
of the Religion" [9:122] Al-Araais said, "That is to
understand the Realities of the Rulings of the
Knowledge of Allah, the Way, Reality and Divine Law.
The best Travel is from desire to (using) intellect,
from ignorance to knowledge, from this life to the
hereafter, from ability to do something to
participating in it from strength and power, from
following the ego to God-Consciousness, from the
earth to the Heavens, from creation to Allah taala.
Al-Murtaash said, "Travel is
of two kinds:
To learn of the Judgements of the Religion and the
fundamentals of Divine Law.
To learn the proper good conduct of worship and to
battle with the self.
He who returns from learning the rulings (ahkaam),
invites creation to Allah. And he who returnsfrom
learning the battle with the self teaches the
creation proper conduct from his example (which he
learned from the Shaykhs). This kind of travel is
for Allah, which entails seeing the People of Allah
and by their examples and teachings learning proper
good conduct (adab). For this is Allah's Blessings
for everyone in every land."
It is said in reference to what Allah says, "Those
who migrate or who are banished from their homes and
and their properties while seeking Grace from
Allah…." [59:8] "It is said that they left for the
sake of the Love of the Poor and to accompany and
emulate them because Poverty is the Way of Truth.
Did you not see that The Chosen One (S.A.W.) sat
with them and said, 'Our dead for your dead and our
living for your living.' And when Allah says, "And
incline not to those who do wrong, or the Fire will
seize you," [11:113] it means to diverge from the
example of those who worship for show, the ignorant
ones and those who gather for the sake of evil and
the love of being honoured among people and to lead
others. And not to depend on your tyrannical ego
that is ignorant of the rights of Allah Ta'ala. Al-Kashaani
said, "One who does not sit with a Guide (Imam) who
is a Physician (hakeem), is always in error." Hamud
Al-Qasar said, "Do not sit with the People of
Mischief. If you do, you will be prevented with
sitting with the People of Virtue." Ja'far said,
"Don't trust your ego, because it is a tyrant". And
Sahl said, "Don't sit with the People of
Innovation".
Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) says, "Oh you who
believe, seek a Means to Allah..." [5:35] Our
Shaykhs say, "Seek a means to Allah that doesn't
separate from Allah so that you may reach Him And
there is no Greater Means to Allah than the Prophet
(S.A.W.). And there is no Greater Way to the Prophet
(S.A.W.) except invocation (salawat) on him (S.A.W.).
What is desired in using a means (waseela) to Allah
is a Perfect Shaykh. For He is the Greatest of the
Ways to Allah. A person is with the one he loves and
who loves a people, he is one of them. As narrated
from Al-Bukhari (Radi Allahu anhu) that a man came
to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and asked about the Hour
saying, "When is the Hour?" Muhammad said, "What
have you prepared for it?" the man said, " Nothing
except I love Allah and His Messenger." Muhammad (S.A.W.)
said, "Surely you will be with the one you loved."
Anas said, "I love the Prophet (S.A.W.) and Abu Bakr,
and 'Umar, (may Allah be pleased with them). And I
hope to be alive while they are living." Muhammad (S.A.W.)
said, "A man is gathered on the Day of Judgment on
the Religion of his brother. So be careful for the
one you befriend."
And if you know this my brother, you should not
befriend any except one who raises you up to Allah
and shows you the Way to Allah. And this is not to
be except one who is free from everything except
Allah. There is no enjoyment (for the True Believer)
except in their Friendship and no happiness except
in their service and their associations. So always
be with them with your Heart. Happiness will reach
you through there associations and you will benefit
greatly from them. If you sit with those who are
happy, you will be happy. And if you sit with the
neglectful, being neglectful will be pleasing to
you. And if you were to sit with those who Remembers
their Lord, it will arouse you out from your slumber
and being aware will be pleasing to you. For they
are the Group in which there is no distress in
sitting with them.
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