By: Al-Ḥabīb `Umar bin Ḥafīz
Source: www.muslimvillage.com
Sayyidī al-Ḥabīb `Umar bin Ḥafīẓ (may Allāh preserve him and benefit us by him) asks us if we are truly acting upon what is contained in Sūrat al-Fātiḥah. This is an extract from a lesson in Imam al-Muḥāsibī’s book, Ādāb al-Nufūs. The lesson took place in Dār al-Muṣṭafā on 12th Jumad al-Akhirah 1434 /22nd April 2013.
How is your state in relation to In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful? Do you do anything in other than His name? Do you forget His divinity and His mercy?
How is your state in relation to All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds?
Do you perceive blessings as coming from other than Him? Do you forget His bounty upon you? Do you praise Him as He is worthy of being praised? Do you witness that He is Lordship over all of the Worlds? Or are you deceived by some created thing? In this you are being tested.
You are being tested by the verse: The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Are you conscious of His mercy which encompasses you? Have you shown mercy to His slaves for His sake? Have you shown them mercy or animosity? Do you want good for them or evil?
You are being tested by the verse: Master of the Day of Recompense. Do you have complete certainty in the Day of Recompense? Have you prepared for it or not? Are you thinking about it or have you forgotten about it?
You are being tested by: You alone we worship. Do you find tranquility in worshipping him? Do you know that worship is the purpose of your existence and creation? Have you given worship its due? Do you love it? Have you perfected it? Have you studied the rulings pertaining to it?
From You alone do we seek aid. Do you truly rely upon Him or have you been deceived by the means? Do you seek aid from your intellect, your ideas and from people while forgetting the One Whose aid you truly seek? If He causes someone to receive assistance from you, do you see it as coming from you or coming from Him?
Show us the Straight Path: have you been truthful in seeking this guidance? Have you expended your efforts in attaining it? Do you know the features of the Straight Path? Have you done your utmost to remain firm upon it or not? You are being tested in this.
The Path of those whom You have blessed: do you know their station? Do you love them? Have you taken them as allies? Have you tried to imitate them? Or does your state or the state of your family or children resemble the state of their enemies?
Not those upon whom is the wrath [of Allah], nor those who are astray. Do you resemble any of them? Do you believe any of the things they say which go against the way of your Lord? Are you fearful of being resurrected with them? If you are fearful, have you acted accordingly? You are being tested in this.
