In His Love... {Eternal Ishq #2}

An Address to the Reader

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

'Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet and Master Muhammad (s.a.s), all his blessed descendants and noble companions.'

- Aameen.

Dedicated to onyiza, because you said for the kittens that 'their Maker will provide for them,' and He did Alhamdulillaah ❤

Sorry to disappoint but this is not a chapter, rather something more beautiful and precious, something that Aflaha would suggest Maryam to read and which upon perusing I found it worth sharing here with you.

An Address to the Reader

(From a letter by Shaikh ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jilānī r.a)

Dear Friend, Your heart is a polished mirror. You must wipe it clean of the veil of dust which has gathered upon it, because it is destined to reflect the light of divine secrets.

When the light from Allaah (Who) is the light of the heavens and the earth . . . begins to shine upon the regions of your heart, the lamp of the heart will be lit. The lamp of the heart is in a glass, the glass is as it were a brightly shining star . . . Then within that heart, the lightning shaft of divine discoveries strikes.

This lightning-shaft will emanate from the thunderclouds of meaning neither of the East nor of the West, lit from a blessed olive tree . . . and throw light upon the tree of discovery, so pure, so transparent that it sheds light though fire does not touch it.¹ Then the lamp of wisdom is lit by itself. How can it remain unlit when the light of Allaah's secrets shines over it?

If only the light of divine secrets shines upon it, the night sky of secrets is lit with thousands of stars . . . and by the stars (you) find (your) way . . .² It is not the stars that guide us but the divine light. For Allaah has . . . decked the lower heavens with beauty (in) the stars.³

If only the lamp of divine secrets be kindled in your inner self the rest will come, either all at once or little by little. Some you already know, some we will tell you here. Read, listen, try to understand. The dark skies of unconsciousness will be lit by divine presence and the peace and beauty of the full moon, which will rise from the horizon shedding light upon light,⁴ ever rising in the sky, passing through its appointed stages as Allaah has. . . ordained for it mansions,⁵ until it shines in glory in the centre of the sky, dispensing the darkness of heedlessness.

(I swear) by the night when it is still ⁶ . . . By the glorious morning light. . .⁷ your night of unconsciousness will see the brightness of the day. Then you will inhale the perfume of remembrance and repent in the early hours of the morning ⁸ of unconsciousness and regret your life spent in sleep.

You will hear the songs of the morning nightingales and you will hear them say,

They were in the habit of sleeping but little by night, and in the hours of early dawn they (were found) praying for forgiveness.⁹

Allaah guides to His light whom He pleases.¹ᴼ

Then you will see from the horizon of Divine Reason the sun of inner knowledge rising. It is your private sun, for you are the one whom Allaah guides and are on the right path and not the one He leaves in error.¹¹ And you will understand the secret that

It is not given to the sun to catch up with the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day. Each swims along in (its appointed) orbit.¹²

Finally, the knot will be untied in accordance with the parables which Allaah sets forth for men, and Allaah is the Knower of all things,¹³ and the veils will lift and shells will shatter, revealing the fine beneath the coarse; the truth will uncover her face.

All this will begin when the mirror of your heart is cleansed. The light of divine secrets will fall upon it if you are willing and ask for Him, from Him, with Him.

                                             NOTES

¹All the above are quoted from the Verse of Light (Sῡra Nῡr, 35).

²Sῡra Nahl, 16.

³Sῡra Saffat, 6.

⁴Sῡra Nῡr, 35.

⁵Sῡra Yaa Sīn, 39.

⁶Sῡra Duha, 2.

⁷Sῡra Duha, 1.

⁸Sῡra Al Imran, 17.

⁹Sῡra Dhariyat, 17-18.

¹ᴼSῡra Nῡr, 35.

¹¹Sῡra A'raf, 178.

¹²Sῡra Yaa Sīn, 40.

¹³Sῡra Nῡr, 35.