INTRODUCTION
Just as the world is brought alive by sunlight, so too are human beings given life by the divine light of Allah. It is this Breath, Spark or Light (Nur) of His that keeps us alive. We are given life in this fashion just as sunshine brings to life every insect, flower or seedling.
Abu Sa'id Khudri (r.a.) reported that Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.) said, “The world is sweet and green (alluring) and verily Allah is going to install you as vicegerent in it in order to see how you act,” (Sahih Muslim).
Life is like a bed or roses with thorns. It is the ability to endure patiently that brings success. This is no easy task because Satan swore to Allah, "I will mislead those who are on the straight path (siratal-mustaqim) from in front of them, behind them, from their right, and from their left, and You will not find most of them grateful," (Surah A’raf 7:17).
Since man is made up of body and soul, real success cannot be measured in worldly terms only. For success to become wholesome, it needs to be both mundane and spiritual. It has to incorporate elements from both realms. Climbing 31 times or 100 times up Mount Everest means nothing in a spiritual context.
PURIFICATION OF THE HEART (QALB)
Being blessed with the capacity to perceive beyond arises from the purification of the heart (qalb). It enables one to see the truth as it really exists with Allah. Some refer to it as wisdom (hikmah), however, it extends beyond this. People acquire wisdom through knowledge and experience but hikmah transcends this. It is bestowed upon an individual by Allah. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “Beware of the discernment of a believer, for he looks with the light of God.” (Tirmidhi).
Allah has revealed: “O you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty.” (Surah Anfal 8:29).
According to M. Fethullah Gulen: “If you keep from disobedience to Allah in reverence for Him and piety, He will make a criterion arise in your heart to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and right and wrong.”
DEFINITION OF SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE, AND DOING GOOD
I offer you a simple approach to submission and servitude to Allah. The first is to submit and to obey Allah’s commands. The second is to do good as advised by the Prophet (s.a.w.).
Submission and obedience to Allah, means submitting to His commands. You do not have to be perfect because no one is perfect. However, one needs to strive towards improvement to enjoy nearness to Allah. Obedience and servitude need to be undertaken willingly with proper understanding and not as an obligation. It is important to understand why Allah requires you to submit and obey Him in the right context. Being told to merely comply produces a robotic, ritualistic, Muslim.
Doing good seems to be straightforward but in truth it can be deceptive and misleading. Doing good in a true Islamic context means expecting nothing in return. It more than just an act of kindness. It also an act of gratitude to Allah. It is not a calculative act seeking reward but one that comes from within your heart, seeking only Allah’s pleasure. This is the best approach because it has no expectations.
Rewards for deeds done belong to kids. This reward incentive approach is presented in the Qur’an and Ahadith. It is intended to encourage beginners or kids towards goodness, not grown-ups. I refer to it as an L-License (Learner’s Driving License).
Often, you will come across ungrateful people, who after having helped them let you down. It would be wrong and slanderous to backbite by speaking bad about their ungratefulness or lack of consciousness.
Doing good is an act of gratitude to Allah and a desire to seek His pleasure. Just these two simple approaches i.e. submission and obedience to Allah, and doing good as advised by the Prophet (s.a.w.), will enable you to attain discernment.
BLESSED WITH THE CAPACITY OF DISCERNMENT
FIRASA (discernment) can be defined as profundity and coherence in thought when forming opinions. It has the ability to penetrate the meaning of existence through insight. The Qur’an describes this development in three stages: Ilmul-Yaqeen (Knowledge of Certainty), ‘Ainul Yaqeen (Conscious Insight) and Haqqul Yaqeen (Reality as it exists with Allah).
Those blessed with the capacity of discernment are capable of perceiving things beyond what is apparent. The Prophet Moses (a.s.) had to acquire this knowledge from Khidir (a.s.). We are indeed fortunate, because the leader of the prophets, Muhammad (s.a.w.), was blessed by Allah and bestowed perfection, thus enabling us to enjoy spiritual states in a refined and easy manner.
Every individual born into this world is blessed with the capacity of discernment. In Surah Shams 91:8-10: Allah has revealed: “And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness. He has succeeded who purifies it, and he has failed who instills it [with corruption].”
The Tafsir of Ibnu Kathir states that: “fa-al-hamaha fujuraha wa taqwaha” (then inspired it with instincts concerning evil and piety. The word ilham denotes 'to cast into the heart' and the word fujur denotes 'open transgression'.
Both wickedness and piety are inbuilt mechanisms established by Allah within every individual. It provides everyone with the capacity to choose freely the righteous path or the sinful path, and then to be rewarded or punished accordingly. As such, Freedom of Choice is actually a gift from Allah but it is constantly abused.
DO YOU POSSESS THE CAPACITY TO HANDLE DISCERNMENT?
When you look at the world today and witness the increase in immorality and lack of justice, it indicates mankind’s inability to handle discernment with responsibility. Human perceptions of life today in a Secular World, centres on intellectual justifications based on egoistic desires rather than on piety. Under such circumstances, it is obvious that wickedness will predominate our existence.
The ordinary man no longer possesses the capacity to purify himself. I can assure you that no amount of religious knowledge can sustain your efforts to ward of Satan. It is like putting up Qur’anic verses in your house but yet Jinn are able to enter it to strike you through shir. Only the spiritual approach is capable of developing the capacity to handle discernment.
WHAT FAITH CAN DO FOR YOU
Let me offer you two exemplary examples of what Firmness of Faith and Perfection of Character can do for you. What we are witnessing today arises out of emotions and sentiments. It is based on settling scores. It has resulted in justified responses in the form terrorism. Do not misunderstand me: There is a need to stand up against injustice but responding requires wisdom and not emotions and sentiments, arising out of hatred and revenge. Both these examples prove a significant determining element which centres on the need for spiritual development because it is a means of attaining ‘Nearness to Allah’.
SHAYKH ABU NI’MA MASLAMA AS-SARUJI
He is the epitome of Iman (faith). It was his nature to treat guests with hospitality; strangers with dignity; paupers with sympathy; the weak with civility, and the wretched with mercy. During his lifetime the town of Saruji was attacked by the enemies of Islam. They killed, looted and took prisoners.
The Shaykh’s followers, on hearing that their retreat was about to be attacked, went to their Shaykh and said, “O our master, the enemy has come.” He replied, “Be patient!” They kept repeating the warning until the distance between them and the enemy was no more than a stone’s throw. Only then did the shaykh step outside.
With a wave of his noble hand, he ordered the enemy to retreat. Their horses promptly carried them away with such compelling force that they could not reverse their stampede, however hard they tried. Fatal casualties were many indeed among both the cavalrymen and their horses. Their formations were scattered, and they reached the town walls in terrible shape. They then dismounted and acted in keeping with chivalry, turning their faces to the Muslim retreat. Later, they sent an envoy to the shaykh, apologizing and begging his forgiveness. The Shaykh replied, “Tell them (your leaders), He will send you the answer you deserve for what you have done tomorrow morning, if He so wills.”
The enemy were thus left wondering what the answer might be. It came to them early the next morning, when the army of the Muslims arrived on the scene, root them out and utterly annihilated them. [Neckless of Gems, Shaikh Muhammad Ibnu Yahya at-Tadifi/Pearls of Wisdom (2012), Mokhtar Stork. Pg. 101]
KHAWAJAH HAJI SHAREEF AL-ZANDANI AL-CHISTI
Once a very poor man in distress presented himself to Khawajah Haji Shareef al-Zandani al-Chisti, explaining that he had seven daughters and he did not have enough money to get them married. He requested assistance from Khawaja Haji Shareef (Rahimullah) who listened attentively to his plea and told him that he should not worry and that he should return the next day.
On his way home the poor man met an inquisitive Jew. The poor man told him that he had just visited Khawaja Haji Shareef al Zandani, to seek financial help to get his daughters married. The Jew knew the financial state of Khawaja Haji Shareef, and remarked, “He himself has nothing, so how is he going to help you? Go tell your shaykh to become my servant and I will give you 7,000 gold dinars to get your daughters married on the condition that he should work for me for seven years to my satisfaction after which I will give him his freedom.”
The poor man immediately went back to Khawaja and reported the entire story. Khawaja Haji Shareef readily agreed and said, “If by my seven years of work your problem can be solved, I accepted to work for the Jew on his conditions.’’
After saying this they both went to the house of the Jew and got the contract signed and presented it to the Qadi (Muslim judge). The Jew then handed 7,000 gold dinars to the poor old man and then told Khawaja Haji Shareef, “From now on you are my slave and you have agreed to work for me for seven years to my satisfaction.’’
The Jew then instructed Khawaja to guard the entrance of his house day and night without any sleep so that thieves could not enter his house. The news spread throughout the city like wild-fire. When the king heard about it, he immediately ordered 7000 gold and 7000 silver dinars to be sent to Khawaja and requested him to give it to the Jew so that he may regain his freedom.
Khawaja Haji Shareef (Rahimullah) accepted the money but distributed it to the poor and needy instead. He said that he had given his word to the Jew to serve him for seven years and under no condition will he break his promise.
The Jew on witnessing this was amazed. He immediately released Khawaja and sought his forgiveness. Khawaja al-Zandani then told him, “Just as you have freed me Allah will free you from the fire of hell.’’ Immediately thereafter he became a Muslim and a disciple of Hadrat Khawaja Shareef al-Zandani.
Khawaja Haji Shareef al-Zandani originated from the city of Zandani, Iraq. He always treated the poor and needy with so much respect and would often be found saying, “O Allah! Haji Shareef is at the service of the poor and keep my love for them firm.’’ He never associated with the rich and wealthy. Like all the grand masters he adopted the path of faqir, (generally translated to mean poverty but in fact reflects spiritual enlightenment in tasawwuf). [http://www.spiritualfoundation.net/chistiya.htm#111405339]
Both these examples provide insight to a spiritual dimension that demonstrates Firmness of Faith and Perfection of Character. Both these states dominate existence, causing it to move in accordance with the divine will of Allah in a wholesome rewarding context. It is wholesome, complete and perfect.
CONCLUSION
Note the importance of keeping your promise. Note the importance of developing total faith and reliance in Allah. Note the need to develop the realisation that ‘there is no power greater than Allah’s. Without these basic elements how will your submission and obedience to Allah, combined with your good deeds materialise in a wholesome context, blessed with success in this world and in the Hereafter.
The Sahabah possessed these qualities to succeed at Badr, Uhud and every battle during the early days of Islam. Reflect upon all that has been said because we live in a world that no longer possesses a conscience or the capacity to reason. In today’s world, you are on your own and only nearness to Allah can protect and save you from being struck down at will by an enemy. [Mokhtar Stork 24 Sept, 2025]
