Ways and means of chastening or fighting the soul

Ways and means of chastening 

or fighting the soul

 For answering we say that strive has ways and means, they help man to reach perfection or Allah's grants, it is by decreasing and increasing.

Decreasing four things and increasing and keeping to one thing.

Decreasing food, talk, sleep and being with people and increasing and keeping to remembrance of Allah and contemplation. Imam Abul-Aza'em collected some of these means when he said:

"Be hungry to weaken it, beware of its error, disparage your eyelids and beware the destruction of ambush."

Firstly: Decreasing food

When man fills his stomach with food, the soul moves at once to push him to sins and faults, so Sayeda Aa'isha said:

"The first heresy that happened after the apostle of Allah (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is satiation (fullness), when people filled their stomachs their souls led them to this life." 

When the belly is filled with food, man thinks of doing sins by his organs and he doesn’t feel the pleasure of worship, but if the belly is empty he can't afford doing sins, instead, his spirituality gets stronger and he loves worship as we all do at the days of Ramadan, this is the greatest strive.

This strive is degrees and degrees, that who seeks Allah keeps striving and promoting until he reaches marvels. Some righteous people have amazing and surprising conditions; my sir Ahmed Al-Badawy used to stand forty days and nights in the cave of Heraa' worshipping Allah without food, drink or sleep, forty days. Imam Al-Jonayd who is the master of these people, used to fast and break fasting every forty days only by one date, don’t say how? Because he reached this after strive and he was granted the inheritance of the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), from the secret of what the prophet said:

"I stay nights with my Lord, He feeds and waters me." 

I repeat again, don’t ask how? Because these people are as Allah says:

"GOD blesses whomever He wills, without limits." (Surat Al-Bakarah, verse 212)

This talk about these high conditions is when they are at the time of striving, but at the time of guiding they should eat to teach people how to eat like the master of mankind (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

One day a man went to Al-Jonayd and said to him: "I want to feel submission in prayers but I can't, what should I do?" He said to him:

"Oh brother, you fill your stomach by food, you put a feedbag between you and your Lord and you want to feel submission in prayers!"

He wants to return him to higher positions like the days of the age of the apostle of Allah (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). When did they use to eat? Three inevitable times? No, they used to eat when they feel hungry, they didn’t use to fill their stomachs and they used to leave food while they still want to eat, this is the way of righteous people.

When man feels hungry, motives of desire in his soul are less, he needs less sleep, he tends to silence, he doesn’t like to listen to much talk and never moves much here and there.

Righteous people found that hunger is among the best means that help man to reach this degree, so they raced and competed in fasting not for counting days or getting more and more rewards but for destroying the power of lustful soul until the angelic soul got stronger and leads the body according to the orders of Sharia and the way of the chosen prophet  (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

Here the intention is completely different, the worshipper fasts to take rewards for his fast, but the righteous man fasts to help his soul to break desires and to stop unlawful wishes to ask for higher things from Allah, as Allah says:

"What is with GOD is far better, and everlasting." (Surat Al-Kasas, verse 60)

So some of them concentrated, while they were striving in this degree, on lessening food, they didn’t say to leave food but to lessen and decrease food. Because leaving food totally affects man and makes him not normal and he might get mania, but decreasing means if he is used to eat three loaves in one meal, he makes them two and half, then two, then one and half, then one and so on, even some righteous people said about this:

"To lessen a mouthful of my dinner is better to me than staying up in worship for a night." 

I.e. if I could decrease a mouthful from my dinner, it is better than staying up for a night because staying up maybe a desire for man, but when he lessens food, he has determination especially if he left food while he still wants to eat.

Did our sir the apostle of Allah need food? No, but he used to eat to teach us how to eat and drink to teach us how to drink, he was at the degree of: "I stay nights with my Lord, He feeds and waters me."

There are lots of righteous people who controlled their souls and their souls never controlled them and they directed their souls according to the orders of Allah, so they said:

"The real man is that who controls his soul not that controlled by his soul."

They used to versatile and innovate in treating it until it follows the master of mankind as it was narrated after him that he used to eat what he found. Let me ask you a question to clarify the matter, tell me by Allah oh brothers, when you sit for food, which of your organs eat the food? Is it the mouth, teeth, tongue and lips? Is it the stomach? Or is it the soul?

The soul is the organ that eats, when you look at the food and the soul likes it, all the other organs move and start to eat, but when you look at the food but you don’t like it, does any organ move? No, the saliva never flows, the mouth never opens because it is the soul that moves the organs, so when you are ill, sad or concerned, your soul never tends to food, so eating is by the soul.

Man continues striving his soul until food according to him is like medicine that cure the illness of hunger as righteous people said: "Food is a medicine for hunger, only put in your stomach what is needed to make your body move, extra food is stored in your body; stomach gets bigger, the belly gets bigger, man gets fatter and he becomes sick." We all know that fatness is the cause of all diseases of the age, that who wants to chasten his soul never eats for his desire but he eats to treat the disease of hunger, he is always occupied by his Lord, saying as Imam Abul-Aza'em said:

"We are hungry, feed us certainty oh our God, and water all by the love of the chosen (Prophet Mohammed)."

He wants you to eat certainty from the knowledge of Koran, divine knowledge and divine secrets; this is the secret of this verse of Koran: "Let us have lunch." (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 62).

The spiritual sign or meaning in lunch here by our sir Moses is not for the fish or food, it is a sign for longing for the food of spirit and knowledge from Allah by meeting the righteous servant (Al-Khedr), food of divine facts that sustain the soul and makes it adore these beauties and always love these perfections and Allah grants it these grants and favors.

Oh brothers, you must lessen food and drink, spiritual life is only promote by this, so anyone who follow this way should have his share of fasting, listen to what he (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) answered his companions when one of them asked about what is useful for him:

"I said: Oh apostle of Allah, tell me something that is useful for me, he said: Keep to fasting, nothing equals it." 

Whoever wants to have a higher degree with Allah, he shouldn’t confine fasting the month of Ramadan only, but he should for example fast six days in Shawal or fast Mondays and Thursdays like the beloved (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or at least fast three days a month and this is the least amount, the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

"Fasting the month of patience (Ramadan) and three days a month equals fasting the era (the whole year)." 

When he eats, he only eats when he is hungry as we said before about their golden age, as the prophet said:

"We are people who eat only when we are hungry and if we eat we never get satiated or full." 

So you don’t see a fat righteous man, Sheikh of Imam Al-Jonayd was his uncle As'ser As'sakty, he used to say:

"I told her that I love her, she said (you lie to me, I can see your bones fleshed, no real love until bones are stuck to leather and you are silent not to answer a caller."

They mention the proof of a man who loves a woman and occupied by her, does he have appetite for food? No, what you think of that who loves Allah, wants to come to Him by all his organs, feelings, dejectedly and devoutly keep to His door, he is in need for hunger.

Before leaving this type of striving and before anyone starts to apply and fast, we remind you, oh who want to fast and decrease food, you should know that there is fasting for counting and there is fasting for victuals or grants.

Fasting for counting is that which is for rewards, whoever fasts by his body, he took his rewards, and whoever obeyed Allah beside fasting by body and organs, he took big grants from Allah.

Fasting that is for grants is fasting of people of striving to reach aims and goals and to be among the people of adjacency and suppliance, Allah mentioned this in His book and says about them:

"I have made a vow of fasting (silence); I am not talking today to anyone." (Surat Mariam, verse 26)

She (Mary) was fasting not to talk with people, with whom were she talking? With those of the Kingdom, with those whose spirits were promoted so they were like them or those who became divine higher spirits although they were like other people moving apparently among them in this life but their hearts and spirits tour the higher Kingdom of Allah without trouble, sadden or pain.

The beginning of fasting for those who seek Allah's satisfaction; firstly to fast from all kinds of fun and amusement that busy or occupy striving man away from his aim and his target, Allah says to us:

"Do not be distracted by your money and your children from remembering GOD." (Surat Al-Monafekoon, verse 9)

Imam Ad'darany said about the attractions that mouse to hearts:

"Everything busies you away from Allah even if it is your money or your children, it is baleful for you." 

Your occupation by your wealth, your children and your wife is legal, you are asked apparently to do it, but occupying your heart by them is undesirable and you are asked to purify your heart from this, so the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said that your greatest enemies are your wife, your children, your wealth, and your self if they occupy you away from Allah and make you as their slave to do what enrage Allah and stop you following the right path. The beginning of the way is to fast from fun, a follower only considered in the way of these people when he fasts from fun first, then he is promoted and fast from doing nonsense, he is a follower at the beginning of the way of the people of chastening only when he stops doing nonsense all over his life, so they assured the Hadeeth of the prophet that addresses those who seek higher conditions:

"If you are to fast, your hearing, your sight and your tongue should fast from telling lies, doing sins and hurting your servant, you should have dignity and tranquility, don’t make the day you fast equal the day you not fast." 

Is it legal to do these things while he is not fasting? Of course not, he strives his soul in fasting to stop doing nonsense until he becomes internally fasting by his behavior even if he is apparently not fasting. He stops doing nonsense all over his breaths because he is careful about his breaths in this life; a single breath is more expensive than life and everything in it.

Fasting from doing nonsense is the beginning of the people of chastening, so they said if your soul rebels and you can't direct it in the way of chastening, keep to the advice of the master of mankind and you will reach your goal and become one of the people of chastening, he said:

"Hold your tongue, keep to your house and weep for your sin." 

Your house refers to your heart, you should keep purifying it, repairing it, cleaning it, pickling it and populating it, after that you can start fasting from omission or inattention, what a fasting! That who fasts from omission never forgets his Lord for a moment either he is asleep, awake, doing something for this life or for the hereafter, as Allah says:

"People who are not distracted by business or trade from remembering GOD." (Surat An'Noor, verse 37)

There is fasting from fun.

Then fasting from doing nonsense.

Then fasting from omission.

These are the stages followers go through while they are striving by lessening food and using the prescription of fasting to control the soul and for adjacency to Allah.

Then the true servant strives in his fasting to reach the degrees of Ihsan (benevolence), Eekan (ascertainment), Ma'eyah (simultaneousness - being with Allah), Endeyah (being near Allah), Ladonneyah (at the presence of God), Mak'ad As'sedk (position of honor) and then fasting in order to see Him as the beloved (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

"Fast to see it (the moon or the crescent) (it refers to Allah too) and break fasting to see it (the moon or the crescent) (it also refers to Allah), if you don’t see it, complete the number of Sha'ban to thirty." 

I.e. you fast so that Allah might grant you and you see Him, you should only break fasting after you see Him, if you can't do this, then continue fasting and do different types of striving until you reach your goal, then your reward is to see The Lord of all people, as the hadeeth preaches people of chastening, Allah says:

"All the deeds of man are for him except fasting, it is for Me and I reward for it." 

As if He says: "I am the reward of those who fast, I let them see My beauty and My perfection and I make them enjoy My adjacency."

So Allah says in the secret of fasting: "Those who are ill," (Surat Al-Bakarah, verse 185) So they can't strive their souls, "Or traveling," Or he still strives in traveling to his Lord, "May substitute the same number of other days," I.e. he should continue striving more and more to oblige it to do what he likes, if it is too hard for him, "Those who can fast, but with great difficulty," He should start another type of striving by fasting from loving money and piling it, he should give charity, "May substitute feeding one poor person for each day of breaking the fast." (Surat Al-Bakarah, verse 185) You should open the door of spending money for the needy and feeding the poor for Allah's sake. 

So Allah finishes the verses of fasting by mentioning to that who reached the highest degrees, he asks for Allah and fasted from everything else, Allah says to His prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and to us:

"When My servants ask you about Me, I am always near.

" (Surat Al-Bakarah, verse 186)

Those who ask for Allah are very few; they are the chosen among people, those who chasten their souls for Allah's sake to continue being with Him (theopathy) and never to be apart from Him by anything.

We beg Allah to make us among them by His kindness and by the blessing of his prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), He always responds to supplications.

  The Formal Site of Sheikh Fawzy Mohammed Abuzeid 

Secondly: How can I chasten or fight my soul?

Secondly: How can I chasten 

or fight my soul?

Allah mentioned in His Koran, the prophet mentioned in his Sunna and righteous people mentioned in their chastening the means that help man to fight his soul until he finishes this fight so quickly, because man's age is short and what he is asked to do is something great and the soul dodges and quibbles man, if he gets it in a place, it goes to another, it has hidden traps even for great righteous men, so Imam Abul-Aza'em said:

"Fighting the soul never stops even for perfect righteous men until the last breath in this life."

Beware not to think that you finished fighting the soul, because this thought itself is a trick by the soul, it stops your way to Allah totally, but fighting and chastening it is something continuous and never to stop, Allah says:

"You shall strive for the cause of GOD as you should strive for His cause." (Surat Al-Hajj, verse 78)

How should I strive? They asked a righteous man: "What should we do to reach Allah?" he said:

"Oh you, who seeks the meaning of our beauty, our dowry is expensive for those who seek us."

The dowry is:

"Gaunt body, lovesick organs and sleepless eyes."

The body is always in striving, the soul is always in fight and the eyes are sleepless. Imam Abul-Aza'em came late at night in the month of Ramadan, he said to his brothers: "Come with me to visit our sir Al-Hussein." They saw some cafes and people staying up there and not leave until after dawn, he said to his brothers: "If people who content their desires and follow Satan sleep after dawn, what about that who wants to content The Most Gracious, what should he do and how does he sleep?"

He said: "How does a beloved sleep while his lover wants him to stay up?"

Once when he was in Hajj, he saw some brothers fell asleep, he said to them: "Come  lets go round Ka'ba." His own servant sheikh Ahmed As-Sobky was with them, he said to him:

"Ahmed As-Sobky, you sleep and say you love us, the sleep of people of adjacency while they are very near is unlawful."

He said this to him to encourage him to strive, this strive doesn’t finish until the heart is clean of places and people and all photos that forbid him from Allah, and then he lives the life of pious people, he sleeps like adorers, even when he is awoke he is like enamored, he is always with Allah, such person has finished.

But that who still does good and bad deeds, he must continue to strive. What will help you in this strive? Righteous people explained this:

The soul only controls man and directs him when he is always with people and if he is careful about its needs and desires like food, drink, coital, clothing, belongings, furniture and talk, the soul naturally tend to vice as we mentioned before.

The beginning of chastening for those who want adjacency from Allah is to fight the souls inside you, i.e. jihad is inside you yourself. Imam Abul-Aza'em said: "Fight the souls inside you by the noble Sharia." I.e. by the medial Sharia that comes to you by righteous people and leaders of pious people and never follow those who are odd (extremists), those who open abandoned parts of Sharia, but be medial and follow the way of Mohammed, as Allah says:

"We thus made you an impartial community."

(Surat Al-Bakarah, verse 143)

So, Imam Abul-Aza'em also said: "Be medial oh you who ask for nearness."

We follow the way of medial.

Lets talk briefly about the field of fighting the soul and how could man fight it? The means and aids that help man in this strive to reach his goal.

  The Formal Site of Sheikh Fawzy Mohammed Abuzeid 

The difference between whispers of the soul and obsessions of Satan

The difference between whispers of the 

soul and obsessions of Satan

You oh who walks, you don’t see Satan, as Allah says:

"He (Satan) and his tribe see you, while you do not see them."(Surat Al-Aa'raf, verse 27)

Satan is the hanger upon which we hang our faults, the noble Koran says: "The devil's power is nil." (Surat Annesa', verse 76) The spite of women is stronger than it, yes, Allah says: "Indeed, your scheming (of you women) is formidable." (Surat Yusof, verse 28) Our problem is not Satan, but it as the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

"Your deadly enemy is your soul that is between your both sides." 

How can I know that the obsession in my chest is from the soul not from Satan? There are many things; firstly, Satan orders me to do sin or stop obedience, he decorates the sin for me to do it or makes me sit and not to perform morning prayers before sunrise, he gets me smart tricks and psychic causes to persuade myself and obey his obsession, but the soul orders me by desires.

There is big difference between them, Imam Abul-Aza'em said:

"The soul is the desire for food, drink, clothing or coital relation, beware, in it is the hidden disease."

This is the first difference, the second difference is that when Satan asks me to do sin , he doesn’t insist on a certain sin, he wants me to do any type of sins, when I refuse to do one sin, he decorates another one for me because he is only interested in doing sins.

But the soul insists on its desires and never stops until I do what it orders me. For example, my soul wants to eat a certain type of food, it never stops until I eat it, if I want to wear certain clothes, it continues to ask for it, without the soul, Satan can't do anything, so some righteous people said:

"Some people are occupied by fighting Satan, this led them to imposture or cheating, others are occupied by fighting the soul and they put the whole life behind their backs, so Allah protected them from Satan and all other things."

I can't occupy myself by fighting Satan, the wise man comes to Allah until he is among those Allah says about them:

"You (Satan) have no power over My servants." 

(Surat Al-Hejr, verse 42)

I.e. beware not to come near of these people, this is our sir Omar, when he was passing in a street, Satan couldn't pass through this street, this means that our sir Omar was protecting the people of that street from the obsessions of Satan, so the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said about him:

"Satan is frightened of that man (Omar)." 

  The Formal Site of Sheikh Fawzy Mohammed Abuzeid 

promoted at Allah

The follower who strives his soul should have Werd (certain amount of remembrance done regularly) reciting the book of Allah, he shouldn’t close the book of Koran at the night of Eed (feast) and leave it until next Ramadan, this is not the action of servants who want higher degrees and want to be promoted at Allah the Praiseworthy and the Glorious. He should recite the Koran every day, the apostle of Allah (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained this and said:

"Whoever stays up by reciting ten verses, he won't be one of heedless people, whoever stays up by reciting hundred verses, he is one of submissive people and whoever stays up by reciting thousand verses, he is one of those who pile up rewards." 

I.e. those whose rewards come to Allah by kantar or quintal, this means that one should recite not less than hundred verses every day and night, how long do hundred verses take? Not more than ten minutes, but the eye should look in the book of Allah and the ears should listen to the words of Allah and the tongue moves by uttering the words of Allah, this is an immunity for these organs against all diseases in this life.

The companions of the apostle of Allah (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to feel chopfallen during all the day if they didn’t start in the morning by reading in the book of Allah, why? Because he didn’t start by the book of his Lord, you should have permanent Werd of the Koran as they used to have. The book of Allah was their amusement, their sociable and their supply when they stayed up nights, Badr-Eddeen Al-Einy mentioned in his book Omdat Al-Kary their great conditions, he said:

"Obayy Ibn-Ka'b used to finish it every eight days, Al-Aswad used to finish it every six days, Alkamah used to finish it every five days, it was narrated after Mo'az Ibn-Jabal that some of them used to finish it in one night or one prostration, this was also narrated after Othman Ibn-Affan and Tameem Ad'dary, Abu-Obayd mentioned that Solaym used to finish the Koran three times a night, the writer of At'tawdeeh said: The most that reached us is reading the Koran eight times by a day and a night. As'salmy said: I heard sheikh Abu-Othman Al-Moghraby saying: Ibn-Al-Kateb finishes the Koran four times by day and four times by night."

They used to see each other's ways in reading the book of Allah to know the bounties Allah granted to everyone of them, they didn’t use to carp or criticize each other, no one of them saw himself better than his companions by his deeds, listen to this great conversation between our sir Abu-Moosa Al-Ash'ary and our sir Mo'az Ibn-Jabal, Mo'az asked him:

"How do you recite the Koran oh Abu-Moosa? He said: In my prayers, on my pack animal, walking, riding, standing, sitting and in my bed, I make it as parts or sections. Abu-Moosa said: How do you recite oh Mo'az? He said: I sleep at the beginning of night to afford staying up at its end and I expect rewards in my sleep more than in my staying up." In the narration of Al-Bokhary: "Mo'az said: I sleep at the beginning of night then I get up having my share of sleep, then I recite what Allah wills for me and I hope to get rewards for my sleep the same as my staying up." 

Look at this high understanding in worshipping Allah, they always had truthful worship at every moment, when they slept, they hope to get rewards in their sleep as they did it to afford staying up more than staying up itself.

Every moment in their age is worship, if they are walking or riding, moving or standing still, even their sleep is great light, wage and worship deserve rewards from Allah, its amount only known by Allah.

The famous worshipper Sayedah Hafsah Bent-Sereen; the sister of Mohammed Ibn-Sereen used to read half of the Koran every night during prayers, when she was standing at her mosque at night, the lamp might be extinguished, the house was full of light for her till morning she was one of the worshipper females of Al-Basrah.

When her brother Ibn-Sereen needed to ask anything in Koran he said: Go and ask Hafsah how she recites it. She used to say: Oh young people, exploit your youth, I think I could only work during my youth. 

These are few examples of the deeds of previous men and women, what you do yourselves oh young people? What you do oh you who have money, health and time for most of you?

Everyone claims that he is a great sheikh and conductor in striving his soul, where is the proof?

Remembering Allah by reciting the noble Koran

It is one of the greatest acts of worship, so my beloved and the joy of my eyes (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

"The best worship of my nation is reciting Koran." 

Reciting is a kind of remembrance, listening to Koran is also a kind of remembrance, if I recite, it is remembrance, if I can't recite and I listen to a recorder, it is also remembrance, the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

"The listener and the reader have equal rewards," In another narration: "The scholar and the learner have equal rewards." 

The most important thing is when I hear the Koran either at home or in the car or at work, I should apply what Allah says: "When the Quran is recited, you shall listen to it and take heed," Why? "That you may attain mercy." (Surat Al-A'raf, verse 204) The word may in Koran doesn’t mean possibility as it is in Arabic language but it means certainty.

When we listen to the Koran, we should be all ears and stop talking, if someone wants to talk to me while I am listening to Koran, I should say Sadaka Allah Al-Azeem and close the radio or the recorder until we finish talking, someone may say that it is the words of Allah and let the radio switched on, but who is listening here? Are Jinn and angels here more polite than me in listening to the words of Allah? No, listening to Koran not only requires me to listen carefully but also to be reactive or go with verses, if it is a verse with invocation Allah mentioned, I should repeat it or say amen or oh Allah respond oh Lord of Mankind. 

If the verse urges for supplication, I should supplicate, when I hear the reader recites: "Your Lord says: Implore Me, and I will respond to you." (Surat Ghafer, verse 60) What should I do? I should invocate by what comes to my mind as it is my provision and grants from Allah and He will respond to me God willing. My sir Ahmed Ibn-Attaa'-Allah Assakandary says in his great aphorisms:

"If Allah opens the door of invocation to you, then He surely opens the door of respond."

If I hear verses talking about paradise, I ask Allah to make me among its people, if I hear verses talking about the Hell, I ask Allah to protect me from its torture.

Herby I am reactive with the book of Allah during listening.

I should be alert at situations the noble prophet was interested, if I hear a verse of prostration, I should turn towards Ka'ba and prostrate if I have my ablution, but if I am not having ablution, or on a journey and can't turn towards Ka'ba, I should say Sobhan Allah Wal-Hamdulellah Wala-Ilaha-Illa-Allah Wallah Akbar, if I am in consolation and there is no suitable place for prostrating, I should also say Sobhan Allah Wal-Hamdulellah Wala-Ilaha-Illa-Allah Wallah Akbar.

If the reader recited the last verse in Surat At'teen: "Is GOD not the Most Wise, of all the wise ones?" (Surat At'teen, verse 8) I should say secretly as the prophet said: Yes, and I am one of those who testify that, if he read the last verse of Surat Al-Keyamah: "Is He then unable to revive the dead?" (Surat Al-Keyamah, verse 40), I say: Yes, He is able to do. And so I should be reactive with the verses of Allah.

If I am going to recite the Koran to myself, then it is better to read in a book with explanation, there is the original Koran and beside it there is simple summarized explanation of difficult words and also the causes of revealing some verses that I don’t know; why they were revealed, as the first duty for me after believing in Allah is to learn the book of Allah and know its meanings, if I don’t know the meaning, I refer to the explanation margin, as it is not the matter of the number of verses I read, but it is the matter of understanding and remembrance, Allah calls and says: "And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to be understood and remembered: then is there any who will receive admonition?" (Surat Al-Kamar, verse 17), He didn’t say: Is there any who will recite. He didn’t also say: Why do they not read the Koran? But He said: "Why do they not study the Quran carefully?" (Surat Annesaa', verse 82) It is not the matter of reciting, but it is the matter of the study or understanding, so it was narrated in the noble Hadeeth:

"There is no usefulness in recitation without study, or in worship without understanding." 

Sayedah A'isha said:

"To read Surat Azalzalah with study is better than reading the whole Koran harmazah."

Harmazah means to read without understanding as lots of people do in Ramadan.

That who reads and understand the Koran in Ramadan, does he take holiday from Koran after Ramadan as people do now? Who permitted such holiday? Do you forget that the Koran comes at the Day of Judgment and complains from you to Allah, Allah says:

"The messenger said: My Lord, my people have deserted this Quran." (Surat Al-Forkan, verse 30)

How is it deserted while we put it on the table of the lounge or hang it in the car or put it in bedrooms or on desks? We put it only for decoration but do we open it, read it, understand it and the most important thing after that do we apply it? Desertion here is not desertion of reciting but desertion of applying and following Koran. When I read or listen to the Koran, I should think carefully, contemplate and remember the meanings of Koran, it is the moral or the philosophy of Koran that it is easy to be understood for all people and Jinn, if there is an illiterate man and he reads and thinks in the Koran with a present heart, Allah grants him types of knowledge never read by explanation scholar, this is what Allah says:

"And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to be understood and remembered." (Surat Al-Kamar, verse 17)

We made it easy means that we facilitated it so that any Muslim reads and thinks with pure heart, he will certainly understand; some of you may have seen this.

Even Muslims who can't speak Arabic like those we see in Haramain (Mecca and Medina) but they want to read the Koran, all that they do is to open the book of Koran and they read the Koran in good Arabic.

When you listen to such person you think he knows Arabic, but when you talk to him you discover that they don’t speak Arabic, why he reads the book of Allah, it is the facilitation of Allah the Sublime and the Grand. Someone may say that they read but they don’t understand, no, because you see them reading and tears flow from their eyes and this means that they are reactive by the words and understand what they read, why did they understand while they don’t speak Arabic?

It is the facilitation of Allah to the verses of Koran for all Muslims; those who can read and those who can't read. The aphorism of revealing the Koran from Allah to the prophet while he is illiterate to let us know that Koran is not only for those who read or for those who have fluency or those who have good knowledge of Arabic language and grammar because all these things come after revealing the Koran.

Understanding the Koran is for every believer who has certainty in his heart and thinks deeply in its verses while reading or listening to it. Our good ancestors used to have divine talent and some people still have it. Sometimes a blind man who doesn’t know the Koran by heart asks another one to read for him to listen to Koran, during recitation the reader may forget a verse, the blind man says to him: You are mistaken, the same thing happens again, the reader asks the blind if he knows the Koran by heart, he says: No, he asks him how he knew that he was mistaken, he says: While you were reading I saw light, when the light stopped I knew that you were mistaken.

This happens everywhere and at all times as they were listening to Koran and still do as Allah the most Gracious says: "That any listening ear may understand." (Surat Al-Hakkah, verse 12)

It is not the known corporeal ear but it is called listening ear if it listens to knowledge and wisdom or disporting ear if it listens to songs and fun, but the listening ear is the ear of the heart that listens to the words of Allah. So the greatest type of remembrance is the words of Allah, it becomes so easy now, if I can't recite, I should listen, the broadcast of Koran never stops by day or night and there are recorders and there are the tapes of the most famous readers, the most important thing is to listen carefully.

  The Formal Site of Sheikh Fawzy Mohammed Abuzeid 

Remembering Allah and permanent contemplation

: Remembering Allah and

permanent contemplation

Man should keep to permanent remembrance, this is the fifth mean, some heart doctors (righteous people) may make it two means or two medicines, that is ok as remembrance and contemplation are connected together, your tongue should be wet by remembering Allah and your unseen or hidden facts occupied by contemplation and thinking in what you remember and noticing its meanings, lights and secrets.

The prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to remember Allah all over his life and permanently think and contemplate in the bounties and signs of Allah. Oh you follower who strives his soul and seeks satisfaction of his Lord, you should permanently remember, think and contemplate in the signs and creatures of Allah until the follower is guided by the power of Allah to the light of Allah spread in the universe of Allah and be as Allah says:

"We will show them our proofs in the horizons, and within themselves, until they realize that this is the truth." (Surat Fos'selat, verse 53)

Nothing can help a servant to be near Allah like keeping to remembering Allah, of course this is after duties, duties is unquestionable matter, we must do them as ordered by Allah and explained by His apostle.

Those who ask for more from Allah; the Praiseworthy and the Glorious, like that who went to the apostle of Allah (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asking for some kind of Nawafel (optional deeds) that can suffice him. When the man asked the prophet to mention something that he can keep to, he said:

"Oh apostle of Allah, legislations (orders) of Islam are so much for me, tell me something I keep to, he said: Keep your tongue wet by remembering Allah."[1]

Someone may say that he sometimes remembers Allah while he is occupied or heedless, we say to him that he should train himself gradually but never stop it, remember Allah because my sir Ahmed Ibn-Ataa' Allah said:

"Don't stop remembrance owing to inadvertence, remembrance with inadvertence may lead to remembrance with presence (thinking) and remembrance with presence can lead you to hear remembrance from whom you remember (Allah)."

Allah says boding and preaching those who remember Allah, what a great grant! It is greater than eyes and necks (life), Allah says:

"You shall remember Me, that I may remember you." (Surat Al-Bakarah, verse 152)

So it was narrated after the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the rewards of those who remember Allah and remembered by Allah the Lord of Mankind, he (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

"Nothing man can do to protect him from the torture of Allah better than remembering Allah, they said: Nor Jihad (fighting in the cause of Allah)? He said: Nor Jihad except that who hit by his sword until it is broken three times."[2]

Who oh apostle of Allah amongst your companions has the highest degrees? It was narrated after him (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him):

"The apostle of Allah was walking in Mecca, he passed a mountain called Jomdan, he said: Go, this is Jomdan, Al-Mofredoon preceded or distanced, they asked; who are Al-Mofredoon oh apostle of Allah? He said: Those who remember Allah a lot." Narrated by Muslim, verbally in At'termethy: "Oh apostle of Allah, who are Al-Mofredoon? He said: Al-Mostahteroon by remembering Allah (those who are easygoing by remembering Allah), remembrance forgave (destroyed) their sins until they come to Allah at the Day of Judgment very light."[3]

Some young men who joined Khawarej (extremists) at the time of companions, they were concerned with reciting Koran, fasting and staying up praying at night, they asked about the acts of worship of the companions of our sir the apostle of Allah, they went to our sir Abu-Dardaa's wife, he was called Owaymer, the apostle of Allah (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said about him: "Owaymer is the prudent (wise man) of my nation."[4] She said to them:

"His worship was not like yours, but he used to sit and think."

If he lessened his talk with people and not talked with Allah the King and the Knower, he occupied himself by thinking and contemplation, the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said in this respect:

"Contemplation for sa'ah (a moment) equals worshipping for a year."[5]

He also said:

"There is no worship equals contemplation."[6]

Sa'ah here means a moment, i.e. if he contemplates for a moment, he takes rewards from Allah as if he worshipped for a year fasting in days and staying up nights, Imam Abul-Aza'em said:

"Contemplating for a moment with certainty is better than worshipping for years."

Because it removes the veils and stains from the heart and gets bounties from Allah, it is the only worship that causes the hearts to submit and get nearer to Allah and the noble prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). You never reach the highest degrees from the beginning of the way, but you need to be patient and work hard to reach your goal, whoever prays and find submission from the first prayer? He should prays first and strive his soul to reach the degree of submission, this is the prayer Allah likes. A believer should always remember Allah and always contemplate if he is standing, sitting or whatever he is.

How you remember Allah oh brother who wants to seek His support by remembering Him?

You remember Him by reciting the Koran, repentance, keeping to Awrad (certain amount of Koran or remembrance recited every day) and Azkar (different types of remembrance), you remember him by praying upon the noble prophet, we'll mention this in details by the help of Allah:

   The Formal Site of Sheikh Fawzy Mohammed Abuzeid 

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[1] After Amr Ibn-Kays Al-Kendy after Abdullah Ibn-Beshr in Mosnad Al-Imam Ahmed and Sonan Al-Bayhaky Al-Kobra.

[2] After Mo'az Ibn-Jabal, narrated by At'tabarany, his men are the men of Saheeh, Majma' Az'zawa'ed.

[3] After Abi-Horayrah in At'targheeb Wat'tarheeb and lots of others, Al-Mofredoon and Al-Mostahteroon are those who are fond of remembrance, those who keep to it, they don’t care what is said about them or what is done to them.

[4] Al-Ha'res after Abel-Mothana Al-Maleeky Morsalan.

[5] Narrated by Ibn-Hebban in the part of Al-Azamah (the greatness) from the Hadeeth of Abu-Horayrah verbally: sixty years, by weak authentication.

[6] By Abu-Bakr Ibn-Kamel in his Mo'jam and Ibn-An'najjar after Al-Ha'res Ibn Ali.

The guide, the applying scholar

 

The fourth basis: The guide,

the applying scholar

Fourthly: There must be the guide, it is the guide that takes his hands to the right path, he should be respectful to him at this, the same politeness that the companions used to have with the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

Although Allah chose our sir Moses as a prophet and revealed His message to him, when Allah wanted him to reach perfection and degrees of perfect men, He saw that his soul was still alive, He ordered him to go to a righteous man to seek perfection.

I'll mention the story in brief:

After Allah granted Moses and his people and they went out of Egypt and He destroyed the pharaoh and his soldiers, they were very happy by the favor of Allah and they met to thank Allah, our sir Moses numerated the grants of Allah over him and his people, he mentioned a lot of them even their eyes were always teary. When Moses finished, they asked him: "Oh Moses, is there anyone who has more knowledge than you?" He said: "No." Allah expostulated him at once because Allah likes his slaves to be modest to Him, He said to all of us in the noble Koran:

"Above every knowledgeable one, there is one who is even more knowledgeable." (Surat Yusof, verse 76)

Never feel arrogance or that you not need the guide in the way of these devoted people even if you studied so much, got much knowledge, wrote lots of books and have lots of audiences, you surely need sheikh, conductor and the knowledgeable applying guide who directs you because Allah said to His beloved (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) whom He taught things that He never taught anyone else:

"And say, "My Lord, increase my knowledge." (Surat Taha, verse 114)

Although Allah taught him all types of knowledge and gave him knowledge of past, present and future,[1] He also asks him to keep seeking more knowledge and never stop doing that.

There is no end to seeking knowledge and no end to studying it from birth to death.

So, Allah revealed to Moses and expostulated him: "How you say that while there is on earth someone who has more knowledge than you." He was astonished and asked: "Who's he? Oh my Lord, take me to him." Allah says:

"One of our servants, whom we blessed with mercy, and bestowed upon him from our own knowledge." (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 65)

"Go to Al-Khedr." He asked: "Where is he Oh my Lord?" He said: "You find him at the meeting of the two seas, take your servant, a roasted fish and food in a basket, when the fish jump into water, this is his place." Our sir Moses prepared what Allah asked him, he traveled with his servant, the basket with the fish and the food, he ordered his servant to watch the fish and tell him if he sees it moving, Moses vowed to walk to the servant (Al-Khedr) hundred years to learn from him as Allah says:

 "I will not rest until I reach the point where the two seas meet, no matter how long it takes." (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 60)

That who seeks knowledge shouldn’t stop or feel bored or tired, he should ask for more, whatever Allah taught him he always asks for more knowledge from Allah as the prophet said:

"Two crapulous never feel satiated; a knowledge seeker and life seeker."[2]

Moses and his servant walked, when they reached the rock where they were to meet the servant, they were tired and they slept, the servant came and did ablution, the water  (drizzle or spray) reached the fish, it got back to life and it went into the sea, then the servant went, Moses and his servant woke up and continued traveling, they felt tired and hungry and wanted to eat, Moses said to his servant:

"Let us have lunch. All this traveling has thoroughly exhausted us." (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 63)

The servant looked in the basket but he didn’t find the fish, he remembered and they went back, when they reached the rock, they saw Al-Khedr asleep, Al-Khedr said: "You are Moses of Bani-Israel?" He said: "Yes, who told you about me?" He said: "That who sent you to me." As Allah says:

"Moses said to him, "Can I follow you, so that you may teach me some of the knowledge and the guidance bestowed upon you? He said, "You cannot stand to be with me. How can you stand that which you do not comprehend?" (Surat Al-Kahf, verses 66, 67, 68)

At that moment, a bird came down and drank from the sea, Al-Khedr said:

"Oh Moses, you have knowledge from Allah that I don’t know, I have knowledge from Allah that you don’t know, both my knowledge and yours, according to the knowledge of Allah, is like what that bird drank from this sea."[3]

I.e. the drop, that the bird took from the sea, and so how much knowledge do all people have from Allah's knowledge, secrets and inspirations? All the knowledge of people from the beginning of this life to its end according to the knowledge of Allah doesn’t even equal an atom, because the knowledge of Allah never to be counted or known as He is The All-Knowing and The All-wise.

Moses asked the good servant to follow him and to teach him from the guidance of Allah with him although Moses is the prophet of Allah, His interlocutor and one of the greatest apostles, the servant explained to him that they are higher conditions, it is not easy for him to understand or be patient when he sees them although he knows about Sharia because he doesn’t know their secrets, but Moses promised to be patient, the servant stipulated that he shouldn’t ask him about anything until he himself tells him about it first.

They are the manners and the commandments between the teacher and the learner, between the guide and the pupil between the chastening sheikh and his student.

Allah teaches us that the scholar of legislation should learn from the scholar of fact and the scholar of fact should also benefit from the scholar of legislation.

The true scholar is that who follows Sharia externally and gets knowledge and facts from lights of Allah internally until he becomes as Allah says:

"He bestows wisdom upon whomever He chooses, and whoever attains wisdom, has attained a great bounty." (Surat Al-Bakarah, verse 269)

Moses walked with the servant and the journey of the learned prophet and the teaching servant started, Allah mentioned it in His noble book to be as a guide and a way to us.

After this oh brothers, whoever scorn or disapprove to look for the conserving sheikh and guiding teacher however knowledge or deeds he has?

I'll explain it in more details oh brothers and readers, the need to conserving sheikh in the way of Sufis, and the guide who clarifies the way of chastening the soul and exposing what is hidden in it is essential because no one can chasten his soul by himself.

There should be the guide (sheikh, teacher, conserver), lets express this by modern terms, there should be the doctor, experienced doctor and expert in medicine graduated from the faculty of:

"Muhammad - the messenger of GOD - and those with him." (Surat Al-Fat'h, verse 29)

He should have certified rays by:

"Say, "This is my path: I invite to GOD, on the basis of a clear proof, and so do those who follow me." (Surat Yusof, verse 108)

He examines me by his rays, shows me my faults and gives me medicine from the pharmacy of Koran and the drug-store of the prophet, they are drug stores but I not to know my illness or the prescription, there should be an experienced licensee adviser as mentioned by Allah:

"The Most Gracious; ask about Him those who are well founded in knowledge." (Surat Al-Furkan, verse 59)

He knows my case and gives me the suitable medicine as the apostle of Allah (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do with his companions, for example:

Someone asks him for preach, he said to him: "Never get upset." He said to another one: "Never tell lies." He puts his hand on the chest of a third one and supplicates for him, he said to a fourth one: "Recite the Koran a little louder." He orders a fifth one to recite the Koran a little quieter, a sixth one asks him to be with him in paradise, he supplicates for him and delights him, he orders a seventh one to prostrate a lot as this is to chasten his soul, he orders an eighth one to eat legal food, he orders a ninth one to tell the truth.

Another one asks him to give him a part of Koran to recite (as purvey), he tells him not to finish it in less than three days, he tells another one to finish it in a week and he advises another one not to be interested in numbering the verses.

He takes from someone all his wealth as charity because he sees him ready for this, he tells another that he should only give one third and that one third is much.

A poor man asks for money and he asks people to give him and he asks another one to buy an axe and collect wood to sell and comes to him after a week to see what he did.

Someone asks him to let him fast more days, he tells him to fast only three days a month and he tells another one to fast day after day.

Enough examples?

By Allah, if we numerate different prophetic prescriptions and numerous recipes of Mohammed and most of them are apparently similar but they are internally different, he gives everyone who asks him what suits his spiritual power and the organs of his body, we couldn’t mention all these examples.

So, we assure and say: "Never pay attention to those who oppose the way of Allah." The experienced guide should have the rays of insight and permission from luminous prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he doesn’t help followers to reach Allah's favor by himself but by Allah's bounties and His support he guides and promotes people to his Lord because he took permission and signs of the way from his Lord as Allah says:

"Inviting to GOD, in accordance with His will, and a guiding beacon." (Surat Al-Ahzab, verse 46)

So, we say if the doctor hasn’t got permission from the beloved (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he may give me a thousand unit antibiotic while I only need a two hundred unit one. He must give me the suitable dose or he ruins me and leads me to death, then he is not the spiritual doctor who can help me to chasten my soul.

He is a luminous doctor and spiritual wise man educated by a previous doctor. Oh you who is arrogant to know the tracks of the way by an experienced guide, you should know that this experienced guide only knew the way and followed it by a previous guide and previous smart expert, and so they follow one another to the greatest expert (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

Can anyone learn medicine only from books? Without working in practical hospital? Or being taught by a doctor? He should apply this knowledge in a hospital, he should watch doctors and they teach and direct him that he should perform this surgery by this way and the other one so and so, and so in everything. If this is the medicine of bodies, what you think of the medicine of hearts? If the medicine of bodies needs practice and experience, then the medicine of hearts needs more and more, as the righteous man Ibn Al-Banna Assarkasty said:

"These people are traveling to Allah. They needed in their way to a guide, who knows when to go and when to rest. He went through this way and came back to tell people what he learned."

So, I do need learned applying experienced permitted smart guide or doctor, if I go to the applying knowledgeable guide, he will teach me and take my hands.

  The Formal Site of Sheikh Fawzy Mohammed Abuzeid 

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[1] Our sir Ammar Ibn-Yaser said about that: "Mohammed (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) left us after he mentioned us knowledge about everything even birds that move their wings in the sky." After Abi-Zarr, Mosnad Al-Imam Ahmed.

[2] After Anas, Al-Bazzar after Ibn-Abbas, Jame' Al-Ahadeeth Wal-Maraseel.

[3] Tafseer Rooh Al-Bayan and Tanweer Al-Azhan by Ismail Al-Brosawy.