In his well-known book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn `Ataa'illah As-Sakandari says: The tree of humiliation stems from a seed of neediness. Nothing deceives you as your illusion. You are free from what you gave up on, and you are a slave to what you are in need of.
Read MoreIn his well-known book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn `Ataa'illah As-Sakandari says: How can the mirror of the heart shine if the material images are covering it? How can the heart journey to God if it is chained by its desires? How can the heart ever hope to enter the Divine Presence if it has not purified itself from its forgetfulness?
Read MoreIn his well-known book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn `Ataa'illah As-Sakandari says: “Actions are like statues that only come to life with the spirit of sincerity”. Sincerity to Allah is more fundamental than relying on Allah, since it has to do with a deeper level of faith in Him, Most High. Yet, it was important to affirm our relying on Allah and hope in His Mercy, before discussing sincerity. This is because pure sincerity to Allah is so subtle and so hard to achieve without much hope in Allah's Grace and strong reliance on Him.
Read More
A human will, however strong it is, can never pierce through the veils of destiny. We started our spiritual journey to God with a word of wisdom that guides us to put our hope in God's Mercy and that our hope should not be affected by committing mistakes. God is so merciful that He forgives any sin as long as there is a sincere repentance. Sometimes when one starts a new leaf he is full of aspiration and enthusiasm. He tries to change himself, his society, and the whole universe over one night. He may also do his best to acquire knowledge or do something good without paying attention to what Ibn `Ata'illah called the veils of destiny.
Read More
In his well-known book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn `Ataa'illah As-Sakandari says: A person is not humble if he thinks that he is above his act of humbleness. A humble person thinks he is below his act of humbleness. Humbleness is a basic trait of those journeying to Allah and a characteristic that every servant should be keen on maintaining. Arrogance is the opposite of humbleness and is a serious flaw, as discussed before.
Read More