Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera – Attaining the Characteristics of the Most Merciful (Rahman)
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Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim
Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa salatu salam ala so you did not
anymore I knew he was army he he marine Amma burned Allahu Allah
Galicia in Kadir Ignatov. Allah says Mata our taka, a headache, a
biro, who are Mata Menaka Ashada Tahara, who for who have equally
the Lika motor artery from ileka will not be alone, we will do the
look for he or like
when he gives, He shows you His kindness
when he deprives, he shows you His power.
And in all that, he is making himself known to you and coming to
you with His gentleness.
What he means by this is
we are all human beings are in two different states, either of the
two states. Sometimes we're just enjoying bounties, things aren't
going wrong.
There's no obstacles in our path, everything seems to be going
smoothly.
So this is considered the time of fit. Allah subhanho wa Taala is
dealing with us with his generosity,
apparent generosity, it's all generous generosity, but apparent
generosity.
So he's giving us humans love to get. That's why Allah subhanaw
taala says in the Quran,
that when Allah subhanaw taala gives you, then you're excited and
happy.
And when he doesn't give you then you become extremely mean.
So the encouragement in this is to understand that Allah has a wisdom
in all of these states
that he keeps us in and how he's dealing with us. They're all part
of the plan.
It's not that Allah subhanaw taala necessarily hates us because we're
in difficulty, or that difficulty has come to us because he hates
us.
The biggest aspect of Tofik is the fact that we actually see through
it.
And we can see above this, that these things not be
things that
push us down. Despite the nature of them being such it's the fitna,
it's that is what it is. The straightforward definition of
fitna, the most easiest, the easiest definition of fitna is
something that detracts you from Allah. Simple as that. And the
more something distracts you from Allah the bigger the fitna, it is,
so if my phone is detracting me from ALLAH, if clips on YouTuber
then that's a fitna.
The more it does that the bigger fitna, it is for me and everybody
needs to recognize what fitna is in their life. If it's playing
pool or snooker or computer games, and that is the fitna, if it's
just sitting down and being lazy, being
stagnant, then that's another fitna.
sitting down and thinking about Allah subhanaw taala, not doing
anything wrong, taking a moment of rest.
That's part of a rather that's part of a Buddha. But if that
becomes the life that a person just sits down and does nothing
doesn't fulfill the responsibilities, sleeps all day,
then of course, then that becomes a fitness. So anything that
detracts from Allah is a fitna That's why Allah says in the word
Okoma, Allah can fitna the verily you're
unwell while your wealth
somebody's
rarely your wealth. And your children are a fitna because they
have the propensity to distract you from Allah subhanaw taala.
So a person just needs to recognize where things are coming
from. That's why he says, mete out a parka. A shadow can be a row,
when he gives you he wants to you to witness his kindness.
He wants you to
win recognize his kindness, were either woman automata mana aka
shahada, Cara, who and when he withholds from you, then he just
wants to show you that he has the power to do that, and you have no
ability. So the power he's withholding from you. How does
that How is that a sign of power?
That it's a sign of power in the sense that when he's withholding
from you, the way we understand it is that something is we're not
getting something.
So it's a deprivation of sorts. But really what it is, is that
from our perspective, we feel that we can't attain what we want to
attain. Things aren't going right for us. These obstacles aren't
removed from our path. These challenges that come
On deal with, so he's preventing, but we see it as us being
prevented us being not being not able to get something because he
has an enabled it. So when he's withholding, he's showing his
power that I can withhold from you, and you have nowhere to turn
and you can't do anything.
Those states are good to go through the states, it's really
good to go through the states with understanding of course, without
understanding that they are a major problem, because people lose
their faith like that as well. But you're not going to lose your
faith if you have some Eman built. That's the point of making the
Iman and strengthening the heart with the Dhikr of Allah, that when
these states come a person is able to deal with them.
So then,
from Allah subhanho wa Taala is beautiful names as we know is one
is Latif, the subtle one, the one who does things in the most
complicated, elaborate ways because everything is under his
jurisdiction, everything is as his will. So at the same time that his
Latif is also Rahim, the Most Merciful One, which is the
dominant name that he has. So when you have Rahim and Latif that
shows that he can be merciful in the most subtle ways, we only
realize after was that that was the aim and goal of it. The order
this difficulty that just came to actually prevented me from a much
bigger problem.
And it's happened so many times, it's happened so many times. So
Allah subhanho wa taala, who allottee from very Buddy, he is
Latif with his that's the way he deals with the servants, or human
behavior, okay, he if he calmly walked in, and he is merciful to
his creation, at all times, adequately * and in every
state, whether he is giving them at that point in time, or whether
he is withholding from them, it's still a part of His mercy and
subtle movement within his creation. So if he does give them
and he does open up for them, and
he does give them an opening, then he is giving them he is making
them witness, his his generosity, his benevolence. So then they
recognize by that they recognize that Allah subhanho wa Taala does
show kindness to His servants. And he deals with them in certain
subtle ways. He is extremely benevolent, noble, generous, and
has Goodwill for them. So then what happens with that? What is
supposed to happen with that, with all the bounties that we have
Alhamdulillah that the clothing that we have the clothes that we
have the place and security that we have? What are we supposed to
give back to Allah, the idea of all of this is to recognize that
all of this is coming from Allah subhanaw taala for that aloo Maha
Maha, but to whom the love for him should increase.
If it doesn't increase, then that's where the delusion is.
So this is what this path is teaching us how to deal with Allah
in every act that we live in this world.
That's why when we come here on Saturdays, the idea of this is not
just to be a band that you can, you're supposed to hear anywhere
else, we wouldn't be speaking about these things in general
gatherings, because people will misunderstand many of these things
people are, you have every type of person, listen to a gym or buy a
gun, but you're not going to have every type of person coming to a
measureless in the path. So what is required here is the subtleties
and this is what if not Allah is giving us here. So the whole idea
of this son is that although Momo has a habit to home fi, but not
contingent on that this is the big mistakes other people make, where
they, when Allah gives them they love him. When he doesn't give
them then they
complain about
Subhan Allah, this is the beginning you complain about Allah
because you don't recognize Allah and you think you have a right to
complain children do that.
Children do that. You know, I've had some feedback on this and they
will actually make a decision to complain about Allah. Oh Allah,
you being stingy La hawla wala Quwata illa Allah.
So it's a conscious decision in that childish mind of theirs that
they're doing this.
When something doesn't go right, they go so frustrated that they
start complaining to ALLAH SubhanA thinking is going to help them
they haven't recognized Allah. It's as simple as that. Once you
recognize Allah that He is just totally transcendent and above and
most powerful and there's nothing what we do that can affect him.
Then you just say forget it. What's the point then it's best to
just be on his side. So when the bounties come the Mahabharat and
the love of Him should increase in fact, yep through Shoku who wish
to go home lay the zeal the Ashok they further should increase to be
closer to him.
I want to be closer to him
where
throat chakra room and their sugar and gratitude should increase
fires that do not even go home. And when you do that, then Allah
will give you even more, because he's promised that if you are
thankful Allah will give you more.
On the other hand, when he prevents something from us, when
things go become difficult for us, that's him preventing when he
constrains matters for us, tightens the situation, you get a
contraction, as opposed to an expansion. You know, these are
cons, these are terms bust and cold. In the so called means when
you feel contracted, things aren't going right. You just don't feel
like doing something happens.
It happens you just have to write it out.
And then there's a state of bust when you enjoy your worship.
When you feel like doing more, let's bust to easiest state.
But the club is also part of this life because this life is not
supposed to be so predictable.
It's supposed to be the ups and downs of this life.
It's the dunya and we have a heart. And the heart is known for
it's the heart is called talbin Arabic and called means to be up
and down. When you do taglib of something, you put it upside down.
So the word called actually comes from that doesn't stay in that
place. He has to be worked on very hard for it to stay. That's when
you when you when you get the enough signal to my inner
work the totally satiated, tranquil soul. That's when you've
got when we have more chance of it staying straight.
When Allah subhanaw taala withholds from us and has a point
of contraction there. Then he is making us witness His power, His
wrath, his greatness, His Majesty, so that we can also recognize that
Allah subhanho wa Taala
is the most powerful one is the independent one is the Mighty One
and the majestic one are the moon jelly, Yun kabhi, Rune Kahan, all
of these names, he has to manifest them
for her form in subtlety. So then people become fearful. This is
supposed to make a person fearful of Allah subhanaw taala,
reverently, fearful, helplessly, fearful, in the sense that it's
supposed to make us think that at the end of the day, I recognize I
am his servant.
Because in the first state, a person could be misguided to think
that everything is coming from him. So sometimes this States
forces us to make us feel helpless. And feelings of
helplessness in this world is quite helpful sometimes.
So, they melt minha Shetty, they they melt in his fear. All the
arrogance goes.
And they have to succumb to His Majesty.
So then, they're a bother becomes better. They increase their
worship, to make Allah happy. Their sins decrease
their evil traits, they get a grip on them. Have you seen people who
are arrogant and then they've had a problem in their life like a
court case or something. You see all of their arrogance con. Before
that, you'd see them in the masjid arguing left, right and center
strutting along, shouting up people, right as though they are,
you know, the big hill ones. And then suddenly, one day you see
them very calm, considerate, looking down, soft spoken, you've
never seen them soft spoken.
And what happens, and then somebody else tells you Oh, he's
got a problem. This is what he does to people.
They would never address somebody with nice words. And now they're
addressing because now they've recognized what it feels to be on
the other side. Subhanallah so the evil traits become erased
on the Day of Judgment, when they come
people who have been now the thing is that Allah subhanaw taala kick
there are certain people for example, I had a friend
when I was in Santa Barbara, he was actually instrumental in
bringing me to Santa Barbara in America because he's the one who
was looking, put it on some boards that were looking for an Imam and
so on. And then from India, I went there, and then he moved out of
the area. And then he went to more he went moved to another place.
But I saw that each other he was such a nice guy. Probably the the
most righteous guy in that area always considering about the
masjid soft spoken all the rest. But I also saw that he had many
tests
accidents, this than the other, you know, but at the end of the
day, this is just what happens to certain people to raise their
status. May Allah Maybe Allah subhanaw taala. Now if he was an
arrogant person who this was happening to we could say it's a
punishment. But when you think that he's a righteous individual
and these kinds
And of tests are constantly coming on him. I can only say that his
I've done business with him. So I know he's a very righteous he, he
doesn't care for the world. Right he doesn't care for the world. You
know, we can only say what we see from the apparent we can't
guarantee anything. But at the end of the days to always think you
know each other, it's him, it's him that it's happening to.
But that's just the way of Allah subhanaw taala, possibly raising
his status. So then on the day of judgment, some people will arrive,
prefer often mata hurryin, light without burden, burden of sin.
Purified free heme extremely happy, extremely satisfied.
Because there's a hadith to the effect that if Allah Yajima Allahu
Allah Riba, the whole Fini wala Amin, Allah subhanaw taala will
not ever combine two states of fear on a person or two states of
security on a person
and to be understood, whoever Allah subhanaw taala takes through
a fearful gives whoever Allah gives fear in this world, meaning
when these kinds of things happen, they are fearful of Allah, they
are fearful of Allah in general, they don't have this sense of Aman
insecurity, that nothing is going to happen to me. They're always
constantly fearful that look, I need to preserve my faith,
wherever Allah has given that state in this world, a man who
Yeoman Qiyamah, he will have safety on the Day of Judgment, he
won't have much fear and that the amount of fear you have in this
world of Allah, that's how much security you'll have in the
hereafter.
Because Allah doesn't combine the two, you kind of fear in this
world and in the hereafter. Now, you might be saying, well, even
the prophets will be fearful, yes, they will be fearful according to
their status. But they will also have room to, to feel good about
things. Right? It won't be a feeling of total, total
despondency, there's always going to be fear, I might, he might pick
me up for this, he might pick me up for this. But generally, it
sounds good, it sounds good.
And Allah subhanho wa taala, whoever Allah has kept with
a semblance of security in this world completely. And by that the
person has become diluted. So there is nothing wrong with
having had all good things in this life without having too much
persecution or problem. There's nothing wrong with that, that's
Alfia as long as the person did not become deceived by this, into
thinking that this is my doing, this is my virtue. So if a person
has become deluded than a half a who Yamanaka Yama, Allah subhanaw
taala, will place him into fear on the Day of Judgment.
So
what the Sheikh is saying right here, is do not
accuse your lord
or person of the path.
Do not accuse your Lord, when he prevents something from you.
Because when he gives you, you're supposed to recognize that he's
the Kareem load. And you're then supposed to be only turning to him
for your needs, and not to anybody else, because he is reminding you
that all good benevolence and gifts come from him. So you should
only be asking him and not anybody else, which is the status of the
sahaba.
Once a hobby says that, once the broccoli symbolism told me that
don't ask you need from anybody but Allah. So then, on some
occasions, if I had gotten on top of my animal, to write it, and my
whip that he drives the animal with had fallen down, most of you
will just say, Can you please pass it to me because it's quite a
struggle to get often on an animal.
But he wouldn't even do that he would get off because it was
awesome. I told him Do not ask anybody but Allah.
So that's the level of the Wakulla he was trying to get them to, and
which he did. So
the whole idea of this is that you we recognize it comes from Allah
and then we only ask him. So that's the second benefit here.
First to recognize it comes from Him and to thank him and number
two, is to only depend on him.
This way, a person will become free of the disease of extreme
greed and avarice.
Extreme greed and avarice
desire for the dunya dunya dunya.
When you know it's all coming from Allah,
then after that a person should become free of this
sadness and sorrow should go
because you're fully connected to Allah that you know he's giving
anyway and that he can give
and then what it should do for a person is that it should also make
them in
by these character, these these praiseworthy character types
within them as well. So a person should start to help others. A
person should start to be benevolent to others compassionate
towards others gift others help others and assist others because
Allah subhanho wa Taala loves it that a person that people take on
his godly character
and they reciprocated this way there's a hadith which says the
HELOC Qube the HELOC will be a HELOC Rockman.
The HELOC will be a HELOC Rockman which means
adopt the character of the Rockman
and when are inshallah the Allahu anha was asked about Rasulullah
sallallahu Sallam to describe him she said his character is the
Quran.
She said that other than her maksud her objective was to say
that his character is like Allah's character.
But she, out of other to Allah subhanaw taala How can Allah you
know, how can you compare? She said the Quran but the Quran is
filled with the character of Rama and that's how we know him. So
that was just her way of saying it.
So when Allah subhanaw taala prevent something from us, gives
us contraction, then he's just showing us his mate and his
greatness. So then we recognize that he is the Kahan Jabbar and
he's the one with wrath and greatness and majesty and
grandeur. Five out of them whole folk, our hope should increase and
our offer him should increase our higher and modesty in front of him
should increase. And
a person is only going to worship Allah subhanho wa taala. According
to how much he knows him,
a person is only going to worship Allah subhanaw taala according to
how much he knows about Allah, and his workings, how close he feels
to him, and his fear for him. So Allah subhanho wa Taala through
his subtle acts of giving and withholding is trying to make
himself known to us. That's his kindness. He's not a passive Lord.
Now you understand from this, that our belief is that Allah is not a
passive load, but someone who is extremely engaged in every moment
of a person's life.
There's something happening, he's an active Lord, that's doing
something. That's our belief.
He's telling us he's asking us recognize me understand my
Seaforth, understand my characteristics understand my
names.
So for example, his name of Al Karim,
the demand of that name is that he gives, and he acts benevolently,
because that's means the noble one, the gracious one, the kind
one, Kadeem, that's what it means.
So that's clear. That's that's how he manifests among his creation.
Then he has another name, Al Merner al mining, that's another
name of Allah.
Man, it means that withhold the preventer
that obviously demands that some kind of prevention is manifested
in the world, that a person doesn't get something that he
wants. So that applies,
then he has a woman duck him,
the Avenger, the one who takes revenge for the evil that a person
does.
He has another name alcohol, the one with rough, the Mighty One
that
demands that that is manifest amongst certain people or
individuals,
among certain nations sometimes.
So every name of his is like that. It expects some kind of
manifestation in the world. So sometimes it's sometimes it's that
sometimes there's two together, that's what's happening here.
That's the way of Allah working in this world.
So when a person recognizes what's happening, whether a person is
receiving, or a person is being withheld from, then you will
recognize that it's Allah subhanaw taala just dealing with his
creation with his look.
It's just Allah doing what he what he's doing. So they will, things
will take on a better meaning. Initially, it just felt like we're
being deprived. We feel bad inside. That's the worst part of
it. And what what is, what is the problem with being deprived of
something when something doesn't go right? When you can't get what
you want? You feel bad. It's the human nature to do that. So we're
being taught here how to overcome that problem. Then being given or
not being given becomes the same to a person in the sense of being
able to deal with it. We still have to thank
Cola, and be patient and be satisfied with this decree all of
that works. But at the end of the day, it's not going to trouble us
too much. You see people SubhanAllah. Once I remember,
I used to be part of this clergy group.
We used to meet once a month or something like that for lunch.
In this was in Santa Barbara, all the priests, the pastors and
church leaders. And there were some few Jewish rabbis, one of the
Jewish rabbis who had spoken to a few times before and he was
from the Reformed Church, because the Orthodox wouldn't come. But
the Reformed Church and he lost his job.
They took him, you know, like, the mom loses his job, right? They
took him out, right. And the next time I met him, I can't believe
the kind of depression I saw him. And I've never seen any mom that
depressed. Imams lose their jobs, they have problems with their
communities. I've never seen any mom that depressed, they just go
and find another job. And if they can't do it, they go and get a
taxi job. Right. At the end of the day, they get something or the
other, never seen somebody. So this person, I felt sorry for him.
Subhanallah he sounded so helpless, so despondent, yes, he
must have had a bad experience. I can understand a gripe of
experience, but it was just a sign of proper despondency.
So when you have trust in Allah subhanaw taala, then this won't
affect you like that? Yeah, you will learn from mistakes, all of
this, the vahidi aspect of it will be there, but the internal aspect
will be strong, no problem, we'll do something else. And that
Tawakkol is what drives the person in swell, and is what gives it the
success, the inner fortitude. That is what is the secret of the
people of Allah, they have the inner fortitude. That doesn't
matter what odds they're in front of.
Because they know that Allah subhanaw taala knows their state.
So a person a seeker should try to always seek out what Allah
subhanaw taala is doing at that moment with them. And understand
that this is just the manifestations of His Jalil and
Jamal, his beauty and His Majesty, that is just taking place. Okay,
this is His Majesty, I'm gonna just succumb to it. This is Allah
subhanaw taala I can't do anything Subhanallah you know, this is
Allah's manifestation, that kind of affectionate response that we
give.
Now,
* Abdullah, who was one of the great scholars, one of the great
only of India, I remember reading one of his stories that once he
became sick, he became ill.
Now this is not something we can do. But it's something somebody at
a very high level does. And this is just a manifestation of this,
that when they recognize that everything comes from Allah,
they're so in tune to that. They're so in tune to that, that,
then it doesn't matter.
They literally become
they succumb to Allah subhanaw taala as will and desire,
literally all pretenses, all arrogance, all independence,
ghosts, they become true a blood of Allah. So when he became sick,
he literally told Allah subhanaw. Now this is getting this is more
than the level we're speaking about. This is another level. So
he says to Allah subhanaw taala, I'm not going to ask you for
getting better. You can keep me like this as long as you want. And
his idea was that I'll just see how long he keeps me like that
for.
So he is undergoing this suffering, not asking Allah
subhanaw taala to make him better, because he wants to just see how
long Allah wants him to be like that. Now, that's another state
that's a state when the person is accomplishing this stage, then
they get into the stage of a friendship
of some sort, where they can push it in that see how much it's a
very special relationship and nobody can do this unless a person
really knows that they can. Anybody else would be silly to do
that. Right?
Oh Allah, I'm leaving it to you. I don't care. You keep me like that.
He just wanted to see how long Allah subhanaw taala wanted to
keep him like that. Like a you Valley he's Salam
doesn't matter.
I mean, if you said this outside, it almost becomes like a
relationship between two lovers.
When you read these stories, common people find this like, how
can you put Allah down to such a level that you are, you know, this
kind of love relationship develops this. People who have experienced
it can say, I can't say it. Nobody else can say it.
But we don't deny it.
But anyway, this is an extremely important perspective to be had
to live this life and to be successful, because without this,
we will recover.
Send you faltering This is extremely important that a person
recognizes that Allah subhanaw taala is dealing with them in his
own way, in any state that he keeps them. May Allah subhanaw
taala grant us our fear may Allah keep us away from trials and
tribulation we don't ask for them. But if they do come upon us then
we know how to deal with them. And that is what we need to develop.
That's why in the next one which we're not going to read today, it
says in nama Ulema in NAMA, you li mukha ailment rolly either mica,
mica and Allah He fi
something being withheld from you, only brings you pain, because you
don't understand Allah subhanaw taala is acting that
that's why it brings you pain. So the whole purpose of this is that
the pain goes the and that's one example that the Mashgiach say is
that the difference between a woody of Allah and others is that
they both get pain and sorry, they both they both and undergo trials
and physical pain, these kinds of things. The only difference is
that
the what do you have Allah
has what may be considered like a glass,
house or structure over him. So the pain the difficulties that
calamities are shot, showering down on him and are coming down on
him. But internally, he is protected. So his heart is
protected with this glass box. So everything is happening, but he's
still fine. He's still doing his worship.
May Allah help us. So He says here, the purpose of man's
creation is that he acquires the gnosis of his Creator and his
lofty attributes. That's the purpose.
How Allah helps us to do this is what this is all about. Hence, he
says that he did not create jinn and men except that they worship
Him. The Hadith literature clarifies that the acquisition of
his Gnosis is not possible without his bestow. We can't understand
Allah without him wanting to understand him.
The way of gaining Gnosis is to reflect on the predestined
circumstances and conditions that may overtake one in this way, does
the servant gain insight into the workings of his master.
Now, if you're, if you're at work,
if you are at work, when you first start work, or you go to a new
school or something, sometimes
some things happen.
Which upset you in the beginning, you feel that
you feel that people may be against you, or something like
that, just certain things, they cause you discomfort. But once
you've been there for one or two years, and you understand the way
it works, and that this happens to everybody, then you just suddenly
feel like, okay,
if you look back that upset you before, but now it doesn't,
because you know why it happens. And that this is just one of those
peculiarities of this place. I can't think of a particular
example, but I can feel the experience of this, that you start
something, you're going to university or whatever, and then
something happened just seemed really weird, made you
uncomfortable, and you felt it personally. But then after a year
or two, once you've been then you know, the ropes and yeah, it's
just normal. So it's about understanding the grand affairs of
things with Allah subhanaw taala. And if a person does that, then
they feel normal.
This doesn't come with experience. It comes with knowledge, to
recognize that this is the case, because we're going to have to go
through the experience.
But it has to we have to, but we always going to feel bad. So when
you know that it's from Allah subhanho wa Taala and Allah wills
wish wishes well for us, and we want to get closer to him, then
this becomes easier to understand.
Gnosis reaches the servant according to his circumstances, he
who possesses proper intelligence will, will therefore gain Gnosis
from Allah in every condition. expanding upon this concept, the
Sheikh is saying that oh traveler, when Allah Most High bestow some
bounty on you, he is in reality displaying his generosity and
kindness to you. And when he withholds his gifts from you,
involving you in difficulties in hardship, he displays to you his
attribute of anger and power. He, the traveler who derives the
lesson from every state is the most fortunate. He derives the
gnosis of his master in every moment. You understand how his
master acts in each of these states? His heart brims with
delight on account of the treasure of Gnosis that you might be
thinking, what pleasure you're going to get from knowing that
it's coming from Allah subhanho wa taala. Still a pain isn't it? It's
still harm. It's still being withheld.
but it's still deprivation. So why what kind of happiness are you
gonna get? The happiness you're gonna get is that I understand
Allah, he's given me something, this has to be a gift. This is not
a personal achievement.
I think this is where it's the most common. This is the crux of
it.
This is the crux of it. And I think this is something that has
to be experienced to really be benefited from otherwise it just
seems like a theory. So when a person recognizes that Allah has
given me the ability to
withstand this,
and not be influenced by this, that's a massive liberation.
The servant shown of intelligence directs his attention to the gift
bestowed upon him while he is forgetful of Allah.
So he's focused focus becomes the objects. He regards himself
deserving of the gift He thus develops pride during conditions
of adversity, then he suffers because he doesn't recognize that
it's coming from ALLAH, it's just an act of Allah. Hence, he
complains and proves his ingratitude. We seek refuge in
Allah.
So when you get frustrated with something,
don't start complaining to Allah subhanaw taala that he did this or
he did that.
It's not the case.