41 Pearls – Some Ploys & Trickeries of the Nafs (Part Four)

31. Sinister Looks

 

An elderly man was studying a handsome youth with an evil intention. Due to his inherent piety, the youth immediately sensed and perceived the darkness that was emanating from that look and finding an opportunate moment, he upbraided the elderly person regarding his foul deed. The person admitted his folly and resorted tc repentance at once.

 

32. Bitter Life

 

No person can aspire to become the friend of Allah with this abhorable habit in his life. Never will he enjoy the sweetness and delight of Iman and Ibadah.

 

Hazrat Thanwi Rahimahumullah comments: “The denial of the sweetness of Ibadah and Zikr is no small punishment for the one that recklessly casts his gazes around.”

 

 

33. Heart to Heart…

 

The similitude of one that gazes around is that of a person who sells his heart away to a created being. The heart is not stolen away from the breast; it is snatched through the doorway of the eyes.

 

Alluding to this reality, Shaikh Saadi Rahimahumullah writes: “if you desire to protect your heart from being stolen then close your eyes to the “beauties” of the world.”

 

The heart should be only gifted to Him who is the Creator and Maker of the heart. It is for this reason that the saintly ones are referred to as Ahle-Dil i.e. “People of the heart” because they have done justice to the heart by granting it to the Real Owner of the heart (Almighty Allah).

 

When the heart is stolen away by an ordinary created mortal, its suffering and torment knows no bounds (like a fish out of water). When it is placed in the custody of Allah, then He in return fills it with such peace, tranquility happiness and delight that great and mighty monarchs have not even dreamt about in their lives.

 

The entire creation is unaware of the pleasures that are conferred upon the hearts of the lovers of Allah. He that is the Creator of the sweetness in sugar and honey, alone knows what sweetness, bliss and comfort He can confer upon the hearts of His loving servants.

In the Qur’an: “Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace and tranquility” (13:28)

 

The person that has spent an entire lifetime, bereft of this indescribable joy should attempt to experience the sweetness of Zikr by associating with some saintly personality for some time.

 

The “air-conditioner” of peace and tranquility is ever operating in their company. The heart will testify to this fact provided that the heart be kept completely neutral and unprejudiced. If Majnoon (a lover) could recognize Layla’s (his beloved) grave from its fragrance, it would be much easier to recognize the fragrance that emanates and exudes from the Friends of Allah — the Awliya.

 

The value of the itr (perfume) bottle is in proportion to the value of the itr it contains; thus the physical body and existence of the Awliya Allah is highly precious, due to the invaluable itr of the love of Allah that they contain within themselves.

 

34.  From Frying Pan to Fire

 

A little child that is snatched away from the protective lap of the mother by a total stranger knows no end to his fretting and agitation. Similarly, a heart that has been snatched away from its Creator and given over to a stranger (through lustful gazes and illicit love relationships) knows no peace and tranquility until it is returned to its Creator.

 

Sleep and food become haram upon this unfortunate wretch, and frustration develops to a stage where suicide seems the only escape from the torments of life, but alas, The stages ahead (of the Hereafter) are much severer and dreadful and to his utter dismay, the person finds himself jumping from the frying pan right into the fire.

 

35.  Step-by-Step Towards Hell

 

Lustful gazes lead to inclination, inclination towards affection, affection to love, and love overpowers the intellect and thinking power of the lover. His actions are now based on mere impulse and emotion. His entire purpose of life is gratification of his passions and burning desires. He ignores the consequences and after-effects of his rash actions and ultimately lands himself in the midst of a hornet’s nest; facing disgrace, emotional upheaval, physical harassment in the form of imprisonment, assault and even loss of life, at times.

 

In this way his life is utterly ruined and destroyed. Hazrat Thanwi Rahimahumullah, via authentic sources, has narrated some heart-rending soul-searing incidents of the woeful plight of illicit love-affairs in his works.

 

36. Perpetual Bliss

 

The fleeting dream of life should be envisaged as a place of trial and tribulation. The requirements for success in this trial are a Life of Taqwa and piety.

 

Taqwa is achieved only by consistent striving and effort (Mujahada), the rewards of which is a life of perpetual bliss and pleasure.

 

At times of temptation, the dreadful picture of Jahannum should immediately flash to mind; at the same time the boundless pleasures of Jannah should be visualized in the mind’s eye which will be the reward of abstaining from Sin

 

Death will soon relieve the believer of his striving and soon thereafter he will be granted entry into Jannah where his Hur (beautiful celestial damsel), with big, lustrous eyes and fair complexion will eagerly await to welcome him with outstretched arms. There follows then a life of untold happiness and joy.

 

No pleasure sacrificed, no desire shattered goes unrewarded in the Hereafter. Through sacrifices and striving, Allah Ta’a1a takes half the life of His believing one, but grants him in return countless lives of joy and pleasure.

 

In this life the servant should gladly sacrifice his aspirations and lead a life in conformity to the Shariah and taste the pleasure of submission. His value in the Divine Court will increase manifold. 5 bricks of exact appearance and composition are utilized in different buildings. One is used in a brothel, a toilet, a local Mosque, in Musjide-Nabawi and one in the Kabah. In composition and cost they are exactly the same but due to their usage in various buildings, their value, worth and status varies greatly.

 

Thus if this youth and life is applied to material, the end result is dust and soil; both will perish in a short while. On the other hand, if applied to the obedience and pleasure of Allah, it will result in Divine Pleasure, a shade beneath the Arsh and bounties that are inconceivable to the human mind.

 

To summarize; lustful gazes and infatuation with perishable beings is a terrible chastisement and affliction upon the soul that destroys the life of both the worlds.

 

Neglect of this malady only serves to aggravate this chronic spiritual illness. The remedy is to engage the services of an accomplished spiritual specialist — a Waliullah (saint) and act meticulously upon his advices and directives.

 

Never should the thought that the “patient” will be regarded contemptuously or despicably by the “specialist” prevent the patient from remedying himself. In reality, these personalities are greatly sympathetic and compassionate towards their “patients” and consider any service they could render as a means of their own salvation and acceptance in the Divine Court. Under no circumstances will they ever divulge the private matters of any individual. These are regarded as strictly confidential information.

 

37. Greatest Jihad

 

The person who by repeated protection of the gazes has sacrificed and bled the aspirations of his heart is granted a heart brimming with compassion due to which his speech becomes moving and touches the hearts of his audience, creating a restless urge for reform within their hearts.

 

Striving against the nafs and maintaining iron-fisted control over its rebelliousness is indeed a great struggle and an allegorical Jihad of the highest form.

 

The return of these strivings is the creation of such a fragrance within the heart of a Mu’min that not only overwhelms him, but even those that associate with him. Hazrat Shah Waliullah Rahimahumullah writes regarding himself: “I have within my breast a heart, brimming over with the gems of Allah’s love, who could be more fortunate and honored beneath the kingdom of the heavens than myself, for owning such a priceless treasure?”

 

38. The Taste of Jannah on Earth

 

The person that desires to taste the pleasures of Jannah on earth should spend some time in the auspicious companionship of the Ahlullah (the people of Allah); he will attain such peace and pleasure, that kings would have fought him to snatch this away, had they only but perceived this condition.

 

Living in their company feels like the heavens have descended upon earth.

 

 

 

39. Steps to Success

 

Following this prescribed remedy diligently will cure the malady of lustful gazes:

 

1. Acquiring Taqwa,

2. Spending at least 40 days in the company of a “spiritual specialist”,

3. Informing the Shaikh about one’s faults and practicing precisely upon his prescriptions,

4. Patiently bearing the difficulties of resisting the carnal desires of the nafs. Soon these difficulties are transformed into ease.

 

40. Effective Remedy

 

An anecdote regarding the remedial measures prescribed by my spiritual guide and mentor Hazrat Moulana Abrarul-Haq Sahib Madda-Zilluhu for a certain Mureed who was afflicted by this malady of lustful gazing:

 

Hazrat stipulated a penalty of 5 rupees upon him for every lustful glance be caste. This remedy proved highly effective and within ten days he was completely cured.

 

41. Handsome Lads

 

Some words of wisdom regarding handsome lads:

 

Hazrat Abu Huraira Radiyallahu-Anhum reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam said: “Do not stare at beardless youth.”

 

Hazrat Anas Radiyallahu-Anhum reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) said: “Beware of beardless youth for they are a greater source of mischief than young maidens.”

 

Hazrat Umar Radiyallahu-Anhum used to say: “I do not fear the danger of a wild animal let loose upon an Aalim, as much as I fear the danger of a beardless handsome lad upon him.”

 

Hazrat Sufyan Thauri Rahimahumullah says: “If every woman has one shaitaan accompanying her, then a handsome lad has two.”

 

Imam Ghazzali Rahimahumullah writes: “Turning a hungry lion upon an Aabid (worshipper) is not as detrimental to him as a handsome lad left before him.”

 

by Moulana Hakeem Akhtar Damat Barkatuhum

~ by Shaykh on January 22, 2008.