MOKHTAR STORK
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, his Family,
His Companions and the Saints. Ameen.
Introduction
Righteous living basically aligns with moral and ethical principles. It is often guided by a sense of duty, justice, and compassion. It involves acting with integrity, honesty, and fairness towards others, and striving to do what is right, even when it is difficult to do so. Many religions adopt this approach, (ref: Gemini AI).
From an Islamic perspective, Righteous Living desires to seek Allah’s blessings with every endeavour. ‘Ali b. ‘Uthman b. ‘Ali al-Jullabi al-Ghaznawi al-Hujwiri better known as Data Gunj Bukhsh, a well-known Saint from Lahore, Pakistan wrote in Kashful Mahjub: “Seeking Allah’s blessings in every endeavour is important because everything begins and ends with Him. To ask blessing means to commit all one’s affairs to Allah and to be saved from the various sorts of contamination. When a man recognises that his welfare does not depend on his own effort and foresight, but that every good and evil that happens to him is decreed by Allah, who knows best what is salutary for him, he cannot do otherwise than surrender himself to Destiny and implore Allah to deliver him from the wickedness of his own soul.” The Qur’an states: “Indeed, We have created everything in a measure,” (Transliteration); “Indeed, all things We created with predestination,” (Sahih International: Surah Qamar 54:49).
Human Intellect
Human intellect has limitations. At the point of being a drop of sperm, you would not have been able to perceive yourself as you are now. Likewise, you will not be able to perceive life after death. All you possess is the torment of the grave until you reach it. As a result of this human imagination takes on the form of intellectualism.
From a logical rational point of view, Iblis (Satan) was right in his argument over having to submit to Adam. How could one, created from “smokeless fire” submit to one created from a “lump of clay” (Surah A’raf 7:12). Allah’s response is clear in the Qur’an. Iblis was clearly told by Allah: "Descend from Paradise, for it is not for you to be arrogant therein. So, get out; indeed, you are of the debased,” (Surah A’raf 7:13).
Intellectualism is permitted within the framework of Allah’s divine laws. It is not governed by emotions or desire arising from self-justifications. Our intellect is just a drop in the ocean. As such, we do not possess the capacity to transcend the divine. We can only dimly perceive nearness to Allah.
We allow ourselves to be trapped by perceptions of freedom when in truth no one is really free throughout the world. We are engrossed with worldly life from our own perspectives and often turn away from Allah’s divine guidance. In this manner, we justify our actions with arguments that have no validity with Allah. “Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil,” (Surah Yusuf 12:53). By nature, we are rebellious and easily fall victim to evil.
Looking Back on Life
Most people in old age are blessed with the capacity of reflecting upon their lives. They reminiscent on the past. They reflect on had they done this or that the outcome would have been different. Freddie Mercury in his song, “These Are the Days of Our Lives,” did so. Many wish they could go back to the ‘good old days’, the ‘good old times’ or maybe the ‘bad old times?’ The truth is: “We all live our lives as they have been planned (or ordained) for us.”
I say this because I have been through it in life. As Muslims, we all know about heaven and hell; about lawful earnings etc., but somehow fell into the clutches of our desires. Blaming Iblis is pointless because the Qur’an clearly declares that he will deny doing so. In truth, you were led by your desires.
Old age has its benefits. Allah grants you the opportunity to repent (tawbah), but can we say many do so? Most possess ambitions of past glories when they were in power or wealthy. Only a handful of people benefit from this ‘extra time’ granted by Allah. I am indeed grateful over it. I may not be perfect but I am not the man I was before, and this means a lot. It is truly sad to witness people being granted this opportunity undergoing no change.
I used to say to Allah: “What is the point in enjoying a long life if it means to incur sins. Better to go now and have less to account for.” However, there are many who wish they could live forever. Many do not visualise accountability in its true context. You may repent and seek forgiveness from Allah and Allah will forgive you, but are you aware that every offended person on the Day of Judgement will come before Allah seeking justice and not even an atom’s weight will be ignored by Allah. Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom's weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.” (Surah Nisa 4:40).
I fear accountability and hope that my repentance will be accepted. I call upon my organs daily, as mentioned in Hadith to forgive me. I call upon them not stand forth against me on the Day of Judgement. I call upon them daily to forgive me for abusing them through speech (utterances) and deeds.
Old age is indeed a time to reflect upon change and if you do not do so, you are doomed to Hellfire. It’s not about the “good old times,” rather the “bad old times”. It about change before you cross to the “other side of the river,” which can become your inherited nightmare.
Seeking A Direction in Life
Establishing a righteous direction in life is important. Seeking it requires effort but understanding it and approaching it may take time. The best approach would be to take a good look at your created state (fitrah). By doing so you will be able to recognise your strengths and weaknesses.
To begin, have you noticed whether you are happy or not at work? If you are not, it is because you are not suited for that type of work. It does not form to your created state (fitrah). In life, one needs to do what one loves doing best. You do not want to do a job that does not suit your created state. It is uncomfortable and stressful. You do not want your conscience troubling you every day over the way you earn a living.
As a young man, I befriended an insurance agent in the sixties. He owned a Mercedes. Maintaining an image was important to him. His car was his home. Every morning, he would go to a petrol pump to brush his teeth and take a bath. He would then dress up, wear a tie, carry a briefcase, and go out to sell insurance. He had a plan, which finally led him to becoming a general manager of his insurance company. That was his goal in life.
What is your goal in life? Some have no goals in life. They just float along like a wave. Some develop goals late in life. I was a late-comer to visualising goals. I started of in the printing industry and after 20 years realised that I would not last long because I was not made out for nights shifts and tough physical work. At the age of 35, I went for Hajj (1976) and switched to preaching. May supplications were answered and I managed to get a job at Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) as a ‘Pegawai Muallaf’ (Converts Officer). That was the best decision I made in my life at the time. To be at peace, one needs to be employed or do the work one loves most. It brings peace and harmony to your physical existence. However, some people want more out of life. Many want to become more than just someone in this world. They want to be remembered not for climbing Mount Everest but in attaining ‘Nearness to Allah”. This is a spiritual destination, the culmination of your existence both physically and spiritually.
Making use of ‘bomohs’(1) to succeed or to harm others may bring about a measure of success but ultimately it signified disaster. Even as healers there are question marks concerning who and what they use. A true servant of Allah, relies totally on Him, while a ‘practitioner of the arts’, employs a variety of entities, ranging from believing and non-believing jinn or spirit entities. There are consequences over these outcomes because others to respond by using them.
The Jinn have a code of conduct. They too have rank, status and position as human do. However, unlike humans, they do not attack one another. They all share the same goal and that is the destruction of mankind. The Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) had mastery over them. They only realised they were free when the noted the crumbling staff of Sulaiman after his demise, otherwise, he appeared to be alive to them and they had to submit to him.
Whatever path you choose, be it good or bad, corrupt, or deceptive, it can be likened to the phrase: “As you sow so shall you reap.” Every success attained the unlawful way brings unwanted luggage along with it. This excess luggage brings with it misery, suffering, and great loss. When people act selfishly out of greed and selfishness, they in truth harm their own souls now and in the hereafter. There are no shortcut or quick fixes in life. Short term gains bring long term losses.
Can Change Take Place?
Just what prevents us from being good? Well, science will tell you that it is your genetic makeup: the genes you inherited. Psychology and philosophy etc., will come up with their own version. Some time back, we read in the news of a nurse in U.K. sentenced to death for killing seven infants and attempting to murder six others. (1). Recently, we read about, Erin Patterson who was found guilty of murdering family members using poison mushrooms. (2), (3).
I have answered this in my book, “God’s Light (Nur) Determines Your Fate”. From Ahadith it depends on the amount of light you receive from Allah at the time of your creation. I have previously mentioned that you are what you are; that the way you were created by Allah. You cannot remove a tiger’s stripes because it represents its identity but you can tame it.
In this respect, one needs to strive very hard to restrain one’s unhealthy desires. As a Muslim, one must refrain from adopting lifestyles that are in conflict with the Shari’ah. What is important here is the effort, not the results. Intentions are rewarded ten times according to the Prophet (s.a.w.) and a further ten times when they take place, but an evil intention is not recorded until it is performed.
Intentions
The Saint Hujwiri said, “When anyone begins an enterprise with the intention of finishing it, he may be excused if imperfections appear in his work; and for this reason, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “The believer’s intention is better than his performance.”
Intentions play an important role in our lives because the Prophet (s.a.w.) has made mention that they are rewarded by Allah in accordance with what they were intended for. It is essential to develop righteous intentions because Allah has said, “Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So, he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion, (Surah Imran 3:185)
Consider the Prophet’s words: “Do good” (from a lengthy Hadith). The power of ‘doing good’ extends beyond responding to an “eye for an eye”, which is your right according to the Qur’an. Regardless of whatever is done to you, you remain firmly entrenched in ‘doing good’, because you have reached the conclusion that everything that comes about does by the will of Allah. However, this does not mean that there is no response from you in accordance with the law concerning those who have exceeded the limits and harmed you. It only means that you submit to the divine will of Allah because He knows best.
Perfection Is an Illusion
Only Allah is perfect. Perfectionism is a disease. Try replacing it with patience and tolerance. Every day, sit on your praying mat after salat (prayer) and take a good look at yourself. Do not waste time seeking the faults of others but instead go about overcoming your own. Seek Allah’s forgiveness, mercy, kindness, love, and affection.
From Matthew 7:3-5 we have the following: “…how can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye' while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye." (Matthew 7:3-5).
Your Physical and Spiritual State
Some people are fortunate. They are born with a golden spoon in their mouths. Others are blessed to become descendants of the Prophet (s.a.w.). Most have to live in accordance with their defective created states and in environments that offer nothing. However, some by the grace of Allah do manage to make it.
There are two perspectives to existence, one is physical and the other spiritual. In Sufism, the physical state (characteristics) and spiritual state are viewed separately. One is what you are and the other (spiritual) is developed.
Your created state (fitrah) represents what you are. You are defined as a person through your characteristics. Your physical state is associated with the egoistic-self (nafs). The lower-self as it is also referred to is driven by desires, passions, and base instincts. Your created state initially was created pure and innocent, however, with the passage of time it becomes prone to evil: “And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful," (Surah Yusuf 12:53). Your spirit (ruh) often referred to as the soul, falls victim to the deceptive pleasures of this world.
Your spiritual state is a struggle that begins the day you were created. The Qur’an mentions several stages of spiritual development. The first begins with the lowest stage known as nafsal-ammara (the animalistic self, (Surah Takathur 102:4-6). The second stage at nafsal-lawwamah (the repenting soul) and the third stage at nafsal-Muthmainnah (the submitting soul, (Surah Ra’d: 13:28).
Spiritual Development
Spiritual development can be viewed from many perspectives. There are many doors to heaven according to the Qur’an and Ahadith. Tasawwuf (the Spirituality of Islam) like Tasfir Qur’an, Ahadith, Fiqh etc., are all educational subjects in Islam. Sufism is a specific approach to spirituality and is based on Tasawwuf.
You do not need to be a Sufi or have a Sufi Shaykh to succeed spiritually. Islamic education has become specialised that it is quite impossible for an individual to acquire knowledge of every subject but can be undertaken in a general context. Abiding by the Shari’ah is important because it establishes the validity of Islam in practice. Like a coconut, every aspect of its existence supports its survival. Many go astray in Sufism due to a lack of Shari’ah.
In general, a Sufi Shaykh play a pivotal role in one’s spiritual development. This age-old practice has lineage going back to the Prophet (s.a.w.). It is similar to a student attending university to acquire a degree. The goal is not to become a shaykh but to attain nearness to Allah.
Sufees are governed by rules and regulations which at times are abused, exploited, and manipulated. It is important to abide by the Shari’ah and to avoid shirk. However, at the same time, I would like to point out that many Sufi beliefs, practices, and approaches, notably those dealing with life after death, the deceased etc., transcend beyond current traditional beliefs. They are not wrong but usually deal with interpretation of Qur’anic verses and experiences of many renowned Islamic scholars such as Ibnu ‘Arabi.
We know from research that after the demise of the Prophet (s.a.w.) not only did many Islamic institutions such as Baitulmal undergo change but also the removal of many Sayings of the Prophet (Ahadith) with the intent of preserving Islam. From research done we know that many Ahadith were removed by Caliphs. Even today, many Ahadith have been refuted or accepted due to what it is being said rather than a defective change of transmission. When it comes to Hadith Qudsi, the list of approved Ahadith has shrunk. Imagine, from a sum of 50, 000 Sayings of the Prophet (s.a.w.), we are left with a few thousand?
Many Hadith quoted by previous scholars are now referred to as statements and not Ahadith. Therefore, if you were to study Islamic Cosmology, all that cosmic literature could be viewed as ‘imaginary fantasy’ when in fact it deals with the very existence of Allah and the creation of everything and not only this universe!
Sufism provides one with a spiritual experience, provided you acquire a true shaykh with a spiritual rank and station. This direct experience (one needs to be mindful here: whether it was jinn orientated or divinely orientated, depending on the type of shaykh you join), proves what is disapproved to be right or wrong.
Servantship (Abdiyyat)
It is essential to understand that we, like the jinn before us, were brought into existence by Allah to serve Him. “I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me, (Surah Dhariyat 51:56). “Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled, (without purpose)? (Surah Qiyamah 75:36). There many qur’anic verses to this effect over who owns us and what is expected of us. Your choice has only two conclusions. You either end up in Heaven or in Hell: that is your choice expressed bluntly!
Servantship in this context can be viewed in this simple example: consider yourself a drop of water falling from the sky. It makes it way to a stream, then a river, and then to the sea, to become one in colour and taste.
Mansour al-Hallaj or Mansour Hallaj was a Sufi. In a state of spiritual intoxication he declared, “I am the Truth”. He was considered a heretic because he had infringed upon the Shari’ah. In truth, he had attained ‘Oneness with Allah’, meaning that he had become that droplet of water who had reached the ocean to become one with it. His state of self-annihilation caused him to utter those words.
The Saint Shibli on standing before the Ka’bah during Hajj uttered: “O Allah, if this is Your House, I have seen better houses than this.” The following year he once again during Hajj stood in front of the Ka’bah and said: “O Allah, I have come to visit the Owner of the House and not the House.” After Hajj, he once again stood before the Ka’bah, this time saying: “O Allah, how can there be You, this House, and Me. This is shirk (idolatry).” It was then that the Qur’anic verse reached his heart: “And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honour,” (Surah Rahman 55:27).
This is a dimensional perception of viewing Allah in accordance with reality. It is related to the level and degree of faith (iman) you possess; your trust (tawakkul) in Allah; your level of submission and obedience etc.
There are grades and states to servantship to Allah. On the authority of Abu Hurairah (r.a.) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said, “Verily Allah Almighty has said: ‘Whosoever shows enmity to a wali (friend) of Mine, then I have declared war against him. And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to me with nafil (supererogatory) deeds until I Love him. When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge.’” (Sahih Bukhari).
An Illuminated Soul
Hujwiri states that only an illuminated soul can attain nearness to Allah. This process was perfected through Muhammad (s.a.w.). Moses (a.s.) desired to see Allah and ended up in a swoon. He literally fainted witnessing the majesty of Allah. Muhammad (s.a.w.) in turn was able to come in the presence the distance of two-bow lengths, (Surah Najm 53:9). This clearly indicates to us that ‘illumination of the soul’ has reached a conclusion with Muhammad (s.a.w.). It is also equally essential to understand that the Path of Muhammad is the Revealed Path of Allah (the Qur’an).
The Prophet (s.a.w.) used to take pride in being “His Servant and then His Messenger”. In essence, Islam means to Submit and to Surrender to the Divine Will of Allah and this can only be achieved through the Path of Muhammad.
Simplified Striving
Our approach to striving can be simplified. You don’t need to be a scholar. All you need to do is “do good” – that was the Prophet’s advice when speaking about destiny (Qada’ and Qadar) in a lengthy Hadith. Abu Lahab is one such recipient. He is in hell; has a Surah named after him, but he received droplets of water every Mondays just for releasing a slave on receiving news of Muhammad’s birth!
Anas Ibnu Malik (r.a.) in lengthy hadith reported that the Prophet (s.a.w.) made mention of "a man from the people of Paradise will now come to you." A man from the Ansar (Helpers) then entered. This happened for three consecutive days, with the same man entering each time. After the third day, a companion, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (r.a.), became curious and decided to follow the man to learn what he did to earn such a high status. He told the man that he had a dispute with his father and wanted to stay with him for three nights. The man agreed.
During these three nights, Abdullah ibn Amr observed the man's actions closely. He noticed that the man did not do anything extraordinary. He would perform his obligatory prayers, and when he would wake up during the night, he would only say a short prayer and go back to sleep.
Disappointed, Abdullah ibnu Amr decided to ask the man directly, "O servant of Allah, I did not have a dispute with my father. I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), say for three consecutive days that a man from the people of Paradise would enter, and each time it was you. I wanted to see what you were doing so that I could imitate you. I have not seen you doing anything extraordinary. What is it that has given you this high status?"
The man replied, "It is nothing more than what you have seen." As Abdullah ibn Amr turned to leave, the man called him back and said, "It is what you have seen, with the addition that I do not hold any rancor or ill-will towards any Muslim. I do not envy anyone for the good that Allah has given them." Upon hearing this, Abdullah ibnu Amr said, "This is what has brought you to this position, and this is what we cannot do."
Wisdom As a Whole
All you have to do is look up the Qur’an and look into the incident between the Prophet Moses and Khidir to understand what ‘wisdom’ means. I offer you two stories, one from Ibnu ‘Arabi and another from me.
The COVID-19 endemic in Malaysia can be attributed to Tabliqh Jama’ah (a missionary organisation, whose founder was a Sufi but later adopt a ‘physical approach to servantship to Allah’. Its ideology includes ‘Trusting in Allah’ (Tawakkul). (4).
The Prophet (s.a.w.) mentioned to forms of Tawakkul. The first, is to tie your camel and place your trust in Allah over its well-being. The second, is like the birds who leave their nests early in the morning and return filled in the evening. In the second approach, they depend on Allah and it is He who provides for them, whereas in the first approach, we adopt an approach, which is preferred by Shari’ah, to abide by the rules.
When you compare both these approaches, which I have presented in my blog: http://marathornsoul.blogspot.com in relation to Tawakkul, you will note that unless you possess total firmness of faith do not adopt and instead observe the Shari’ah approach.
Wisdom Unexplained
Awhaddin Balyani, a Sufi Shaykh from Shiraz of Persia, was a firm believer in “Only Allah”. One day, one of his disciples (murids) while in retreat was bitten by a snake. The Shaykh asked him, “Why did you grab hold of the snake, so that it bit you?” O master, replied the murid, “You yourself said that there is nothing but God. On seeing the snake, I saw only God. Plucking up courage, I grabbed hold of it!” The Shaykh replied, “When God manifests himself to you under the aspect of terrifying power, run away! Don't approach Him, otherwise the same thing will happen to you again!” Then he sat him down and said to him, “Hold back from acting so boldly until you know Him perfectly.” After that he recited some invocations and blew on him. The swelling went down and the student was healed.(5).
Are Accidents Mere Accidents?
A murid (disciple) of mine while on his way to work by car got into an accident with a three-wheeler in Pakistan. These motor-bike cabs are common in Asian countries. While driving his car, he was hit from the left, damaging the front door of his car.
The murid asked: What should a person do in this scenario my Shaykh? When it is someone else’s fault for causing harm. Initially I was angry but then calmed down. Visibly, I noticed that the man was poor and I felt that I should not cause him further distress. I also took a snapshot of the man driving the three-wheeler.
Shaykh Mokhtar: The police should have been called and a police report made in accordance with the law. By not reporting the incident to the police, you may have postponed his punishment from above to a greater one which could be on its way towards him in the future.
Murid: “How so, my Shaykh?”
Shaykh Mokhtar: His attitude and actions at that point in time led him to hitting your car. Your response may appear to be one of compassion but is misplaced. Showing mercy is good towards those who are helpless but not irresponsibility. Now he is moving towards a bigger calamity if he is not repentant. He will be driving the same way without any realisation that Allah is giving him another chance to behave better. Being poor, he can never pay for the damages done to your car. Had you called the police in accordance with the law his taqdir would have been halted. The police in this instance represents Allah. Now he moving towards a bigger disaster. You in turn went through a trial and purification.
Hopefully you did not become enraged but was calm. Remember to always utter: Bismillah hir-Raahman nir-Rahim, Tawwakal Allah-lah, wala howla.... complete sentence. Do so because it was Satan's doing. [The Prophet s.a.w. said, “Whenever your horse stumbles, do not curse and swear, it makes Satan bigger and stronger, instead, recite…..]
Murid: I was getting quite angry but I don’t think I was in a rage. I calmed down quite quickly. At the time I thought my response because he is poor. I thought that I should show him forgiveness, after all, it was just a material loss, a car door. Thank you for this insight my Shaykh.
Shaykh Mokhtar: Alhamdulillah. In all worldly matters abide by the law. In spiritual matters it depends on hikmah (wisdom) from Allah and not just based on rational thinking based on assumption, which does often appear to be correct. Only with 'Ainul Yaqeen and better still with Haqqul Yaqeen can one see beyond.
Realisation
Just what is life all about? Well, it does depend on how you view it and from what perspective. However, we do know that money plays an important role in it. However, those inclined towards the Spirituality of Islam, will say that Nearness to Allah is their prime goal because departure to the ‘other side of the river’ assures safety.
The Sufi approach deals with ‘self-examination, looking-inward rather than outward, guarding one’s speech and deeds, and looking at the good in others rather than fault-finding.
In life, we make use of the tools in our possession. Combined with righteous knowledge, we establish and build a path to success in this world and in the hereafter within our means. Everything is undertaken seeking only His pleasure. You do not want to end your life still possessing a ‘L-License’. You do not want to be a person who does things because of rewards. You want to do so for Allah’s sake without expectations, because you gain far more than you expected when you quit behaving like a kid seeking sweets. [Mokhtar Stork 11 Aug 2025]
Reference:
- A "bomoh" is a traditional Malay shaman and folk medicine practitioner. The term is primarily used in Malaysia and parts of Sumatra. While often translated as "medicine man" or "witch doctor," the role of a bomoh is complex and multifaceted
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lucy-letby-british-nurse-baby-convicted-murder/.
- https://news.sky.com/story/death-cap-mushroom-trial-how-murder-plot-unfolded-and-how-killer-tried-to-cover-her-tracks-13363700.
- https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/malaysian/conservative-group-03202020181010.html
- [https://ia800405.us.archive.org/12/items/know-yourself.-an-explanation-of-the-oneness-of-being/Know%20yourself.%20An%20explanation%20of%20the%20oneness%20of%20being.pdf]
