Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera – Don’t Abandon Dhikr Just Because You cannot Concentrate [Hikam 47]
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Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi wa Salatu was Salam
ala so you didn't go to saline what are the early he saw me he he
marine Amma beret
this particular aphorism
and wisdom of Sheikh hypnotically Allah
it's
extreme important for
this constant challenge of trying to do vicar with concentration.
This is obviously something which every Sadek faces, regardless of
which study we're in whether you're doing vicar aloud or
silently, standing up and doing it, or sitting down and doing it.
The way to connect your mind and heart that's a challenge because
we're not used to doing that so often.
We don't meditate. Generally children don't meditate.
And then we're so distracted by things.
So he has some really good advice here he says,
lotta trucchi vikhroli either me who do eurycoma Allah He fee. They
are now half Lautoka and will God decree he assured Domingo of
latika fee will do the victory
for us in your upcoming Vicodin. Ma we'll do the reflejan Illa
Vicodin. We'll do the cotton. Well, I mean, Vicodin, ma we'll do
the cotton Illa Zichron ma we'll do the Hurun I mean, they couldn't
Morrow will do the Hodor in Isla. They couldn't Matt I will do the
live button. I'm sorry. Well with Cody on Urlacher Allah, Allah He
be Aziz. So this is the translation. Do not abandon the
invocation. And invocation here refers to just remember if in
general, whatever type of remembrance you're doing, whether
that's Morocco or any other TSB or anything else of that nature. He
says do not abandon the invocation because you do not feel the
presence of God there in
the academy who do recommend Allah, you don't feel in the
Presence of Allah. But don't abandon the liquor because of
that. Because for your forgetfulness of the invocation of
him is worse than your forgetfulness in the invocation of
your forgetfulness of the invocation totally and not doing
it is worse than your forgetfulness in the invocation of
him. It's a lower form of at least one aspect of us is still doing
vicar. Perhaps he will take you from an invocation with
forgetfulness to one with vigilance, and from one with
vigilance to one with the presence of God.
We didn't even know that
middle
stage existed, but basically that's how it starts. You do
invocation first, then you have vigilance in your invocation. And
vigilance means you're awake to the fact that you're doing vicar
and you're doing vicar. So there's a wakefulness in your liquor. It's
there's a connection, but you're not still in the Presence of Allah
subhanaw taala that requires permission into the entry of the
court of Allah, which is only done after somebody really shows their
persistence and shows their true interest. He will take you from an
invocation with forgetfulness to one with vigilance, and then from
one with vigilance to one with the Presence of Allah. And then from
one with the Presence of Allah
to one wearing everything but the invoked is absent, then it will be
full immersion.
That is full funnel filler.
And then just to prove it, he says, and that is not difficult
for Allah. This is not a big matter for Allah subhanaw taala to
provide for us well Merdeka Allah Allah Hibiya Aziz, he uses verse
of the Quran in the record.
Many people complain of a lack of concentration in their
invocations.
And the incidence of stray thoughts was was was was a lot of
people complain about them. Some even abandon invocation on account
of this. This is exactly what shaytaan wants one to do. The
Sheikh therefore advises that such people, as such people that one
should not abandon invocation because of lack of concentration,
the lack of concentration is only one calamity.
The lack of invocation is only one calamity. But at least the
existence of invocation is with one even though it is accompanied
by forgetfulness means my forgetfulness here is that your
heart is not present. You're forgetting Allah, you're doing
something else with your mind even though you're you're
in I mean in the case of Morocco, but your mind is saying
it and eventually, you get used to sometimes seeing it and thinking
about something else. So that's one of the other stages in this
particular path anyway. Yet in the event of abandoning invocation
altogether, it will not be simply invocation without concentration,
but the loss of invocation itself.
This state of abandoning invocation is therefore extremely
grave
invocation with forgetfulness is far superior to the total
abandonment of invocation. That's why you can sit there for half an
hour or one hour you're doing Morocco by new thinking, I'm not
getting my devotion, you're still spending it for Allah.
Should we stop our prayers because we have no concentration?
At least there's a surah there's there's a, there is a semblance.
There's an outer form, there is a connection to some level of
the our tongue is at least saying it even though it's so at least
some aspects of we're still connected in a sense of still
alive.
And that is far superior to not doing vicar, there's a big
difference between those two.
So hamdulillah sitting for half an hour, one hour, even if it's not
with the full concentration is still for Allah.
You know, you people give you feedback. I don't see the benefit.
You know, I wonder if there's any benefit in doing this just sitting
around sleeping, you know, because sometimes we fall asleep. In
Morocco by especially, we're doing it in the morning. It's completely
fine, that sleep is also beneficial. As long as you're not
trying to do that all the time that I want my vicar to be carried
in my sleep. It's easier. I get my sleep as well done. You know,
although there are some people who will say that I'd, you know, the
few hours I'd like to sleep at night, I'd like to sleep in
Morocco. And that's fine. As long as your Morocco is maraca and then
you turn your sleep into Morocco buzzer it's fine. But don't turn
your Morocco into sleep. You can turn your sleep into Morocco but
not Morocco into sleep.
Because it's still in a state by going to sleep by reading the dua
to Allah subhanaw taala
certain two hours, you wake up with great, you have great
benefits while you're while you're in your sleep. So it's the final
state which is really does matter.
As long as that doesn't become the habit only there is liquor
happening and sometimes this happens like this. In the state of
invocation with a heart that is negligent in the state of
invocation with a heart that is negligent. At least the tongue is
involved with invocation. However, in contrast to the state where
both tongue and heart in it. However, in contrast to the state
where both tongue and heart are inert, having abandoned the
invocation of Allah Most High, even mere verbal invocation is a
valuable treasure, providing encouragement the sheikh Rahima
hula further adds that it is quite possible that Allah Most High may
improve the quality of one's invocation. The initial invocation
without concentration can progress to the stage where concentration
will be achieved and stay and stay stray thoughts cease.
It will then be the invocation of wakefulness and concentration.
We have to ask ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada for that.
It will then be the invocation of wakefulness and concentration.
But you have to ask Allah for it, that's a gift. From our side, we
have to just sit that's the Sheikh Ali says, from our side, we just
have to sit.
Just sit and do this stuff. It's our Allah subhanaw taala to then
see us and then give the gift of concentration to us because that
can only come from Allah smarter, we just have to try our best.
In this stage of invocation the heart will not drift towards the
straight thoughts of the ego anymore. The verbal invocation at
this time will keep the heart alert. And one will then take
pleasure in his every in this very invocation. The progress will then
continue to the stage where the spiritual presence of the heart
accompanies the invocation. So not only will you concentrate, but you
will also have a spiritual presence now.
This is the achievement of the hearts attention to the verbal
invocation.
So there's a stage where one is you concentrate logically,
rationally, but not spiritually. So you get concentration. So you
know you're saying Allah for Allah, Allah, Allah, you know,
you're saying it's not like Allah and your mind is somewhere else.
The second stage is that you are saying Allah, Allah and logically
you know, you're saying it and you are concentrating on the words,
but there's no connection yet. You understand? There's no spiritual
connection that hasn't kicked in. So that's another level. You may
feel that sometimes he may open up sometimes until he doesn't know
Fully, that's why we continue to do this.
And generally say that if you're going to do your thicker, about an
hour a day, for about three months, you'll probably get it.
But if you if you end up doing thicker for about an hour a day,
within three months, you should be able to open up.
That's how long long it probably takes to just dig the dirt out, it
may take more or less. But if you do it diligently, it will
definitely have to open up.
Generally speaking, sometimes there are various other things
that may provide a barrier, certain sins that have been
committed. I mean, this is not a zero sum game, it's not a very
accurate game, do you understand it's not like you do this and it
will happen. Because there are other factors. Of course, it
assumes that sins, because sins provide another kind of
it just takes away the power.
So when you say one hour for three months, that's assuming that we're
avoiding many of the sins and so on. So then he says the progress
will then continue to the stage with the spiritual presence of the
heart accompanies the invocation. This is the achievement of the
hearts attention to the verbal invocation. In a state of
spiritual presence invocation becomes the attribute of the
heart, the heart becomes second nature for the heart to do that.
The heart becomes a Verkehr heart.
It's not the person, it's the heart now is a darker heart. Just
to seeing is the attribute of the eyes, you open eyes and you see
as long as there's light, as long as it's not dark, and you have to
open your eyes, the heart as well, it will become an attribute of it.
Thus invocation becomes the permanent attribute of the heart.
However, in this letter stage, the heart does perceive itself to be
in possession of the attribute of invocation. Here the spiritual
traveler traveler is conscious of his invocation being with
concentration, perception of even such a presence is a kind of
forgetfulness.
This is getting really deep, but this is saying that
if you realize that your heart
if you perceive that your heart is in possession of the attribute of
in concentration, then that is still not the final stage.
That is still a sidetracking issue, because there's still
duniya involved in that, which is ourselves. So he says, because the
perception of even such a presence is a kind of forgetfulness. It
should be totally immersed in Allah, there should be no thing
that we're I'm it's Allah only then do you understand? Not that
Oh, I have got concentration. Now. We'd like to get to that stage
first. But that stage is not the ultimate stage because the
perception itself is an object besides Allah. Hence, there is
even higher stage of invocation where this inner perception of
concentration perishes,
and is assigned to the realm of Oblivion, Oblivion, it enters the
domain of other deities that are negated in the invocation of the
one true Allah.
That's also another deity. That's also another object of worship,
which we don't need at such a juncture. Everything else is an
isolated,
you know, you keep hearing this fun.
There's a concept called fauna, which is an isolation and that is
why it's an isolation.
It's basically that we connect so well to Allah subhanaw taala, that
everything else just becomes nothing. In other words,
invocation predominates, one to such an extent that the servants
entire being
is permeated by the invocation of Allah. You you feel that you're
doing vicar with your entire body. That's why in the shakes do I
constantly says oh Allah allow your vicar to emanate from every
pore of our body.
And basically, he's talking about the high levels of vicar where you
totally become immersed and nothing distracts you that that's
the Sahaba Salaat
where they were able to pray
in such a way that their full experience was of vicar.
When you have your full experience of liquor, then if something
happens to your body, you probably won't even feel it. That's
probably how the Sahaba stood up and then had an arrow
hit him and he carried on praying and then he had another arrow hit
him and he carried on praying and another arrow hit him. And only
then did he decide to wake up his partner because he felt that now
they're gonna think that there's nobody guiding these people. So
he's just for the safety of the muslimeen. Somebody asked him how,
why this is what I was doing was
much more, you know, than the pain that may have been caused. So this
is probably that level we're speaking about the Sahaba used to
just get it by being with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam
and just doing things in his company, because the prophets
Allah, Allah seems outpouring was just so powerful. We have to work
hard to get to this level. But we mustn't think that is beyond us.
Because we're Merdeka and Allah Hibiya Aziz, it's not difficult
for Allah subhanho wa Taala to give it to everybody. If someone
expresses amazement, thinking that such a lofty stage is attainable.
The Sheikh Rahim Allah provides the answer for this doubt, he says
that the attainment of this stage will be impossible by one's own
efforts.
The spiritual station is the consequence of Allah's Bounty.
It is not difficult for him to bestow His bounty to anyone,
therefore, never despair. So you have to ask Allah subhanaw taala
for that.
These aphorisms are just very powerful. They clearly mark the
path and tell us the stages so that things become less muddy.
Become a bit more clear than you when you know the path then, okay,
I understand this. Now insha Allah when we do thicker, it's going to
become that much more easier that look my job is just to keep doing
it ask ALLAH SubhanA wa Tala, for
the concentration, and for these highest stages, so just doing
thicker on its own is a
big accomplishment on its own and an achievement.
In the next aphorism, he says.
Although in his original order, the one I just read is number 47.
And the next one is 256. If you look at ignore, I thought it was
original order and sequence. It doesn't seem to make much sense.
They seem to be haphazardly placed. But obviously, the author
must have something in mind and what some shadows have told me
because it's not that Allah himself or the chef at the
commentary I'm reading that's from a GSD show. But he said the he
said that basically,
there is a special routine even in his original sequence.
And when
similar themes are dealt with over and over again, it's like a
reminder as opposed to putting everything together. But what
Elliott ducky did was he took all the 260 Something aphorisms and
put them together in chapters with a heading so I'm reading right now
the chapter on invocation the vicar Okay, so then the next one,
he says, A Kurama can be Cara Martin philosophy.
A Koroma can be Cara Martin 13 gyla katha Kia en lo. Well, Hola,
fabuleux lambda con leggera yearning victory here I like
that was one where gerada can score on be he it has caca nice
betta hula Lake
wa Tjaarda. Kamath, Cora nine the WHO Fatima manera Mehta who are
like
something like this only a master can see. He says he ennobled you
with three charismatic gifts.
He made you an Invoker of him. He allowed you to remember him, he
made you a worker
and had it not been for His grace, you would not have been worthy of
the flow of the invocation of him in you. He made you remembered by
him. So that the second point is he made you remembered by him
since he confirmed his relationship to you.
So the second stage is that he remembers us
because the hadith is very clear about that. If Allah if you
remember Allah he will remember you. And he mentioned
number three, he made you remembered by those with him.
If you remember ALLAH, he will remember you in a gathering better
than yours.
Thereby perfecting his grace upon you.
I'm not explaining it too much because I'm leaving it to the
commentary. The words of the sheikh are much more powerful
Sheikh Abdullah Al Ganga who did the commentary here. Here the
sheikh Rahim Allah is addressing the obedient person of invocation.
He says that Allah Most High has confirmed three honors upon such a
person.
These honors collectively constitute a limitless treasure of
goodness and excellence for one and are from the immense Mercy of
Allah.
The very first of these orders is that he has enabled one to invoke
him
To do vicar of him.
Hence one is able to engross oneself in his invocation, with
his tongue, limbs and heart.
This applies to all the three because even the next one
rhetorical, which is probably the most silent of all 30, because
because at the end of the day,
even Lakshmi Mondays, they do love vicar.
Which is when you read Subhan, Allah hamdulillah Allahu Akbar,
you're doing something your tongue, it's not loud,
necessarily. In your Salaat this is all thicker at the end of the
day. It's not the formal regimen of thicker, but it's still
thicker, it's still there. So all of this applies. If not for
Allah's Bounty, the tongue, the heart, and the limbs would never
have been able to render the invocation of the ruler of rulers.
One would not have been qualified through one's own efforts to
worship the King of kings. So it's about focusing on the Majesty of
Allah gave what kind of a thought and entity are we worshipping? And
the fact that we can even worship Him when the majority of the world
does not, that in itself is such a massive deal.
So to be able to sit for even five minutes and do vicar is Han Allah,
because deficiency inertia and indolence are inherent in one's
nature. So, it's very difficult to do that vicar. It is through
nothing other than His mercy and grace that whilst keeping millions
of his creation in forgetfulness, he applied you to his invocation.
So that 10 minutes of vicar that we are stumbling around and
suddenly becomes very valuable, isn't it?
The second honor is that he himself remembers such a person.
Allah says in the Quran, remember me and I shall remember you for
the Caroni of curriculum.
What greater honor can they be than that than the servant
constituted of a Handful of Dust being remembered by the true King,
the Lord of all lords, the sovereign of all creation. In this
state people regard one as the Saint of Allah.
In this state people regard one as the Saint of Allah and as the
chosen one of Allah.
Indeed, this is a very high honor to be bestowed upon a person.
This is automatic when he when Allah subhanaw taala will start
remembering a person and people will start remembering the person
because when Allah remembers a person, he means he loves him.
When he loves him, he tells you real danger and start loving him.
And then the world starts loving him. So when they start thinking
well of that person, indeed, this is a very high, high honor to be
bestowed upon a person in this day and age if some puny, worldly
King,
ruler confers the title on a man, he becomes bloated with happiness,
his pleasures boundless, been given the OBE the knighthood, the
star and other.
Now imagine the high state of the honor conferred as one on one when
the true and eternal King proclaims one to be his friend.
The third honor is highlighted in a hadith where the messenger of
ALLAH SubhanA allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said,
Allah said, Whoever remembers me in his heart, I to remember him in
my heart. Whoever remembers me in a gathering. The hadith actually
says whoever remembers me in themselves, I remember, I remember
him and myself, but in my heart is just feeding off. See, that's what
the word is in Arabic.
But knifes and heart heart is a better rendering, in a sense, I to
remember him in my mind, whoever remembers me in a gathering, I
remember him in a gathering, which is no better than his gathering,
the gathering of angels. This in itself just proves that one is
declare yourself and the other one record with others.
Because there's a special for leader for it. So doing thicker in
a modulus has its own benefits. I think that's
a lot to think about. It's a lot to think about.
Inshallah, our vicar now becomes more valuable, that that in itself
has so many people this is generally the biggest complaint
that comes back or the biggest issue, can't concentrate, come see
the benefit.
can't concentrate
15 minutes, stray thoughts they start another, some days are
better than others. Just being able to sit is requires a lot of
diligence.
And it's for Allah. So Nia is there for that
video during the Battle of or after the Muslims suffered that
setback halfway through? If you remember, they were in a bit of a
disarray and chaos. It says Allah subhanaw taala it says
in the Quran, with a manner that niacin Yaksha or if it's a mean
home or thought if I told him
Metal and foursomes also known to be loyal hockey Londo. JD So,
Amanda 10 No Allison.
This feeling of tranquility this feeling of slumber overcame them,
which helped them to come out of the state of chaos and disarray,
disarray, sense of tranquility for anxiety hemos Sakina. Concerning
the Quran, the word of Sakina there's about five or seven places
that it's used in the Quran that Allah caused Sakina to descend
which gives them strength again.
So, when you sleep, sometimes you fall into a slumber during, but
you still feel you still feel sometimes in Morocco or you fall
into a sleep, slumber kind of thing. But you're not fully asleep
you don't you don't go to sleep. You're still kind of there when
you wake up you kind of carry on you understand? So it's this kind
of strange slumber it's not like full you go to sleep and you're
knocked out you're gone. It's not like that. It's kind of a semi
sleep that you fall into. It just makes it easier for you to carry
on you're thicker there. Because you wake you know when you come
back to you're still doing vicar
so it's all part of your thicker alojamento Salon because the other
jewelry will grow.
Allahumma Yeah, you have the un bureau Vaticana study Allah homea
Nana, yum and Isla he learned us of Hanukkah in Akane. Mina Lolly
means aloha and mahalo.
Aloha mursalin wa salam ala so you know him in the wine and you say
you know him and we're vertical selling.
Our likes have to adore us, Allah. Allah accept us for Your
remembrance, or likes atmosphere, remembrance
of Allah grant us concentration and wakefulness in our remembrance
in our invocation of Allah grant us your presence.
Oh Allah, hello, every part of our body to remember you. Allow your
vicar to emanate from every pore of our body. Oh Allah, Oh Allah.
We ask that you make our hearts the way you would want them. You
removed from the any thing that you do you dislike, Oh Allah, make
your obedience beloved in our heart. Oh Allah make your
disobedience hated in our hearts.
Oh Allah make our surroundings conducive for us.
Oh Allah, remove the pollution
that surrounds remove the pollution from our affairs, remove
Remove the attraction of everything but you from around us
of Allah. Allah we ask that you give us single minded
concentration on pleasing you
that you make our worldly affairs easy for us and conducive for us
to remember you wherever we are.
Allah make our studies
easy for us, grant us the righteous intentions.
Grant our make our work easy for us and bless it for us.
Our Allah make our lives easy and bless it for us.
Make our children and our families a source of blessing. Source of
gladness to arise for us. Oh Allah grant us Shiva and cure from all
sicknesses, all illnesses, our law remove our spiritual illnesses
move our spiritual illnesses move our spiritually mental illnesses.
Our likes have to solve for the service of God except us all for
the service of your team except us all for the service of God.
Right has to be from your earlier writers to be from your close
ones, your intimate ones, those who enjoy your special attention
your special mercy. Oh Allah grant us the creme de la la ilaha on our
deathbed.
Oh Allah contester Kanuma La Ilaha illa Allah on our deathbed, and
give us the trophy to remove ourselves from all unworthy acts
in this world. All unworthy acts that we become so used to doing so
used to doing we find it so difficult to remove them from us.
of Allah We ask that you remove them from us.
emancipate us from our sins of Allah, we ask that You grant us
the best day the day that we stand in front of you. Grant us the
company of a messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa salam
and grant him a reward on behalf of this entire ummah. Oh Allah
excepto so Hanabi got obesity or my OC phone was sitting in will
hamdulillah