بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Friday Sermon
HAZRAT KHALIFATULLAH AL-MASSIH AL-MA’UD
Munir Ahmad Azim
29 October 2010
(20 Dhul Qaddah 1431 Hijri)
(Summary of Friday Sermon)
After having greeted everybody with the Salutations of Peace, the Messiah (Massih’ullah) read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and then he said:
Know now that Certainty (Al-Yaqeen) has nine stations, which are repentance (At-Tauba), asceticism (Al-Zuhd), Patience (Al-Sabr), Gratitude (Al-Shukr), Fear (Al-Khawf), Hope (Al-Rajaa), Trust in God (Al-Tawakkul), love (Al-Mohabba) and satisfaction (Al-Ridaa).
We shall now see how each of these stations is achievable only by renouncing one’s own will, and the innate desire in all humans (the need) to govern. It is not enough for the servant to repent of his sins; he must also repent of having a free will which can clash with that of his Lord. For self-will and the thirst of command (Ikhtiyaa) are really deadly sins for the heart and for the secret of creatures (that is, humans).
Repentance is in fact to return to God, after rejecting everything that displeases Him in you; and it is a fact that He detests to see you having such a self-will (which is liable to make you go against His very own will!). Having self-will for man would tantamount to claiming to a share of the divine sovereignty, and also to show a lack of gratitude (Kufr) for the gift granted to the servant that is his intelligence, yet “God likes not disbelief (Kufr) on the part of His servants.” Besides, what credit should be given to repentance of a servant who is concerned to take steps to succeed in this world, and who disregards completely the benevolent solicitude of his Lord towards Him?
Similarly for asceticism: it cannot bear fruit without abandoning one’s own will, because it is part of what you should try to abstain. There are two kinds of asceticism: one is apparent, and the other hidden. The first is to abstain from what is superfluous, though licit such as food, clothing, and other similar things. The inner asceticism is simply the cessation of command and ostentation, which implies a de facto renunciation of self-will – The virtues of patience and gratitude (Al-Shukr) can be acquired only by abandoning one’s own will (desire). One who is patient resigns to abandon what is displeasing to God: in addition, your volunteerism and your leadership (that is, your ego who likes to be in command) when you’re confronted to Him, are unpleasant things to Him. Patience has different aspects, which are (for the servant of God): to renounce the unlawful, to bear religious duties, give up any project or initiative, to renounce self-will (or if you prefer: giving up human desires), and to endure requirements of servitude, an aspect of it being precisely the abandonment of personal desires.
As for gratitude, it is acceptable only when the servant refrain from taking initiatives in the presence of God. Gratitude consists in not using the favours which God has bestowed upon us to disobey Him. In addition, if it were not for the intelligence with which God has distinguished you from the rest of the animals and perfected you, you would not be among those who claim to rule the world next to God! Neither animals nor plants care about their fate because they lack the intelligence to enable them to appreciate the consequences of their actions and to be touched by it.
The stations of Fear and Hope also oppose to the use of self-will. Indeed, a heart in the throes of fear finds no repose in any initiative (Tadbir).
As for the one who places all his hope in God, he has a heart full of joy because of Him, and his time is occupied by his relationship with Him, then where would he find time to take any initiative in the presence of God?
For an even stronger reason, the trusting abandonment to God is incompatible with the desire to govern oneself independently, as it consists of leaving to God to guide us and rely on Him in all circumstances. This attitude goes hand in hand with the abandonment of one’s own will and total submission to the sequence of events woven by fate. The relationship between the abandonment of one’s own will and the two stations of trust in God and satisfaction (vis-ŕ-vis the divine decree) is more obvious than other stations.
Similarly, one’s own will does not accommodate itself well with the station of love, for the one in love is fully absorbed by the love that inspires him his beloved and abandoning to his beloved’s will is his greatest desire. The lover does not have the time to want to show himself self-capable in respect to God, for his love for Him keeps him away from other concerns. Some have said in this regard: “Anyone who has tasted even a little of the sincere love of God shall inevitably turn away from everything other than Him.”
Finally, self-will is opposed to the station of Satisfaction. It is indisputable evidence; he who is satisfied with his Lord is satisfied with the plans He has laid out for him since long, how could he (the servant) therefore go and make plans when he is satisfied with this divine plan? Do you not see that the light of satisfaction purifies the heart of the nausea of self-will? To the person who is satisfied with God, the light of Satisfaction facilitates the submission to divine decisions. He will have no independent will towards God, simply contenting himself of what his Lord chooses for him. So understand that! Insha-Allah, may Allah guide us on the right path. Ameen.
