7/27/2019 7- UMMA Discussions on Early Islamic Mysticism- Sufi, Qur'an, Mi'Raj, Poetic and Theological Writings by Michael S

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5-18-10In the Name of the Merciful...

From Muhasibi's Book on the Observance of the Rights of God

Chapter on the Knowledge of the Power of Sincerity

Sell's Preliminary Remarks

While the discussion is presented in terms of following the shari'a and rejecting impulses to neglect it, the

psychological acuity of Muhasibi's analysis can be applied to any situation. Particularly important is his dissectionof the self-deluding nature of procrastination and his analysis of the way in which egoism can affected the

intentionality of an act, causing the act to fail.

Two points here:

-Not just appropriate for discussion of right/wrong

-Analysis paralysis.

Muhasibi

I said: Are those who reject conceit in a single station of promptness and slowness, of accomplishment and

deficiency?

When the enemy wishes to gain from him something that would detract from the accomplishment and

perfection of his prayer and the like, he suggests to him that if he quarrels with him in trying to make him reject theaction, and struggles with him, this will make him purer in sincerity and more successful. So the servant enters into a

quarrel...This only brings about more deficiency, however, because he becomes preoccupied with his struggle from

his prayer.

Here, the servant gets caught up in useless struggle that does not affirm his belief but rather detracts

from his belief and his actions to get nearer to God on the false pretext that it will make him stronger. Perhaps this

can be understood in the case of an alcoholic- he should simply stay away from alcohol, but in his delusion he

decides to test himself by going to the bar to see if he can strengthen himself. In the end he drinks and falls into the

dark pit of alcoholism.

This is the lowest stage of attempting to reject a bad thought or wass-wass. Muhasibi does not even discuss

those who don't even attempt to struggle.

As for the person in the second station, he is one who accepts giving-the-lie to the occasion [of conceit]

without need or struggle.

This individual hears the call and rejects it.

And the thirdhe continues in his state of disdain and rejection [of the occasion of temptation], knowingthat was his portion of giving-the-lie-to-falsehood, struggle, and quarrel, and proceeds to go on doing what he was

doing...

The servant at this station already is disgusted at any egoism or satanic whispers and thus kind of floats by

the rejection phase and continues his normal worship.

As for the fourthhe is one who knows even before the call of conceit can occur to him that it will

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5-18-10In the Name of the Merciful...

nothing other than to make him lose the grace of his lord, out of jealousy toward him. This knowledge has alreadycome into his heart before the call of temptation. Thus, even if his heart is already fully occupied with the Most

High, he increases his occupation...

The difference between the 3rdand 4th station is that at the 4th station the servant is aware of temptation

before it comes AND increases his worship and devotion, and he races even more quickly to rememberance,meditation, and occupation with God Most High, out of spite for the temptation. He is, in effect, practicing pro-

active, preventive spiritual medicine.

Description of Wariness from the Enemy Iblis

Sell's Preliminary Remarks

...Muhasibi makes a crucial distinction between wariness, on the one hand, and expectation and

preoccupation on the other. To be expecting the egoistic inclination, and to become preoccupied with one's own

egoism, is to fall prey to it all the more.

What do you think or understand this difference to be?

Muhasibi

I said: What is wariness (hadhar): Is it the expectation and preparation for the occasion that will arrive? Or

are we to be wary of the unexpected?

He said: The believers in wariness through the command of God have divided into three positions, only one

of which is correct.

One position maintains that God orders us to struggle against one we do not see...Distraction from[wariness] of him entails forgetfulness and forgetfulness entails the acceptance of inclination without intuition

(ma'rifa)--and that leads to ruin. This group believes we should keep our hearts in a state of anticipation for Satan,

awaiting each inclination from him.

So the first group believes they should preoccupy themselves with Satan by trying to be always aware of

Satan's inclinations.

Another group maintains that the first position is wrong because of its preoccupation with anticipatingSatan. They say it is not for us to believe in that. Satan wishes us to make our hearts desolate of the remembrance of

God Most High nad the memory of the finality...Instead, we should make our hearts persist in remembrance of the

finality (akhira)...At the same time we should not forget the one concerning whom we were commanded to be wary,

or else he will come upon us in a state of neglect and ruin our remembrance.

The result is that with this group, the remembrance of Allah Most High and remembrance of the whispering

insinuations of Satan become two equal contraries in the heart. Every time they remember the finality, they

remember the enemy out of concern for an occasion of his temptation, so that their hearts fall away from the

remembrance of God Most High and fixate themselves on what might ruin their actions when they are displayed

before their lord Most High.

31:22. Whoever surrenders his heart to Allah and is virtuous, has certainly held fast to the firmesthandle, and with Allah lies the outcome of all matters.

The third group, who represent the people of knowledge and those most secure in the truth, state that bothof the first two positions are wrong. The first position makes the heart desolate of the rememberance of the finality.

The worship of the first group is the clinging of the heart to the remembrance of Satan...If our hearts give upremembrance, then the enemy can attain what he wants...

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The second group shares some of the position of the first group insofar as they have made the

remembrance of God Most High and the remembrance of Satan equal within the heart...the friends of God Most

High and his pursest servants are completely occupied with remembrance of their lord and remembrance of what he

has entrusted them and caused them to love. They make their hearts cling to wariness of that which he commandedthem to be wary, without anticipating it or being preoccupied with remembering it. Wariness makes the heart cling to

the concern for salvation from the enemy and fear of the ruin he brings.

So what is the difference between preoccupation and wariness?

Such is one who does all his works for Allah Most High, preoccupied with remembering him. Through his

occupation with God Most High, heis oblivious of any remembrance of Satan. If any occasion from him presentsitself, the wariness in his heart makes him mindful of it, and his mindfulness enables him to be aware of the

inclination, instigating opposition to it and alarm at his ruin that lies within it.

If an [egoistic] inclination occurs, the seeker is mindful of and more able to reject it, because it has

occurred to a heart preoccupied with Allah Most High, overwhelmed by the light of a preoccupation that has killeddesire, strengthened reason, chided away intemperance, and accompanied him with the light of knowledge. Thus he

easily rejects the inclination.

One who makes his heart cling to preoccupation with God Most High is like one who makes a dam and

barrier; when the water comes, it is rejected by that dam and barier without effort and worry.

They make their hearts cling to wariness without occupying themselves with the enemy. They have no fear

of the enemy's power in relation to their lord Most High whome they obey alone, on whome they rely alone,

following his command...

They are untiringly ocupied with their lord, and becaues of their wariness, whenever there is an occasion

for an inclination, they are awake.