Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera – Two Types of Meditation [Hikam 262]
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Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim Al Hamdulillah
Al Hamdulillah Hamden cathedral for uban mobile rockin fie Mubarak
and RT he cannot borrow buena Yo La Jolla, La Jolla. Juan Manuel
was salatu salam O Allah say you will have even Mustafa SallAllahu
they're either either you are either early or savvy or Baraka
was seldom at the Sleeman Kathira on Isla yami de in America. In the
last session, we have started chapter eight on meditation,
looking around the world, a creation to get to the Creator. So
today is the last one in that series, which also incidentally,
happens to be the last aphorism that Ignacio Illa placed in his
collection. What we're doing is we're looking at it chapter AST,
where somebody has shahadi and Hotaki has
put all of the wisdoms together in there, according to their theme.
But the way the author had originally compiled them was
different. They seem to be random, though there is obviously a kind
of a chain and an explanation in between them and a connection. So
this one happens to be his last one. Right? But we're still under
chapter eight, in in our 30. So this is what he says it's about
meditation. He says I'll figure to fake return. Thicker to Flickr,
Flickr to fake rota Fakro to the steel in what Iman will fake or to
shoot in war Ian
for OODA loop or Babila Atiba bar was Sania li or Bobby Chu, who the
will steps are now the first part of this easy. The second part is
is easy as well, but it's more based on
proper experience. So it's difficult to explain that but
inshallah Allah Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for us to
understand that inshallah experience as well to a certain
degree. So
what does that mean? He says, meditate meditation is of two
kinds. Last time he was explaining that meditation is the lamp of the
hearts, if it goes away, the heart has no illumination is the only
way to illuminate the heart. So now he's saying there are two
types of meditations that you can do.
One of them is the meditation of belief and faith doesn't really
explain much the meditation of belief and faith. And the second
is the meditation of contemplation and vision.
It will get clearer and clearer. The first is for the depths of
reflective thoughts, as make too much sense. The first one is for
those who
have an ability to do good reflective thoughts.
And the second one is for those who are adepts of contemplation
and intellectual vision, which basically means that those people
who've got the vision, who can see beyond what's apparent. So the
second one is a deeper one. The first one is a more apparent one.
To put it simply, there are two types of meditations. One is the
easier one, which is the external kind of one where you look with
your eyes and you see things and you go from there to Allah
subhanaw taala. And the second meditation is completely
different. I'll wait for his explanation, but it's more of a
deeper vision. And we'll go through there are two explanations
of the second one. The first one is from ignore it, but we'll
actually will, which I'll cover first and then we'll see where
Sheikh Abdullah can go he's saying so that's just to let you know so
the first part of this now is
remember, he said that this flicker in contemplation or
meditation, this kind of reflective process, looking into
things and seeing where everything comes from, not to see who the
manufacturer is, but to see who the real manufacturer is not what
the brand is, but the who the real creator is. Right. So don't stop
at the fact that okay, this is made by Logitech, but go beyond
that.
To Allah subhanaw taala in everything. So that's what he says
that
the people who have belief who can work convinced about Allah
subhanho wa Taala who confirm Allah, believers mostly mean and
people who have Iman, their hearts are going to be
still focused, they can't get beyond the creation. They're just
going to see creation everywhere. So their job is to look at
creation. Look at this mic. Look how good it works.
And look at the jackets, look at the carpets, look at the masjid
look at the Decker
ration and then go from there to Allah subhanaw taala. So he's
saying that a sacral Calbee female renal area is for the heart to be
traversing and going around and reflecting over all of this
creation,
not for the sake of appreciating the creation for ourselves and
becoming obsessed by it, but to understand for whom you're the
fact Karuna Phil Masnou adds. So their job is to just reflect over
whatever is made and created later was so true in America design it,
so they can go from the to the maker,
what could roti he was telling me he will hate it. And from that,
they can figure out that he must be very powerful. He must be very
knowledgeable. He must be the EverLiving one.
And all the other attributes that you can figure out from there. And
regarding these people, Allah subhanho wa Taala says in Surah,
Al Baqarah, verse three Alina up Luna Belhaj, because they can't
see Allah, they can't even feel that sense. But they're looking at
everything and saying all of this can't be created in vain. Look at
the beauty of that thing, Allah must have the maker must have
beauty. Look how majestic that is. The creator of it must be
majestic. Right? Look how sophisticated that is. The creator
must be sophisticated.
Now, I know that sounds like quite a bit of a effort to do that. But
when a person gets used to this and focused on the light, it
becomes kind of second nature that we're always going to be with
alone this Where is Allah? Where is Allah? How can I find Allah
subhanaw taala. So initially, it is difficult, obviously, to have
to think about everything that way. Right? So that means, you
know, we're not very far, you know, sorry, we are very far
River.
These are the people are living in a human want to believe they
believe in the unseen. Nobody ever gets to see a lie in this world
anyway. But it's just that they believe in the unseen in that
sense. Then the second one is for the people who are already
witnessing, and who have a vigilance with Allah subhanaw
taala. Who, for whom the names of Allah and the SIFAT of Allah a
moral reality. So then, this is really interesting, there's so
much more a reality,
that when they see things around them, those things don't matter.
They always they first thought goes to Allah, the people in the
first category they thought goes to productions first, creation
first and then hopefully it goes to Allah, the second already
linked to Allah, so they're always thinking of him and everything
else will just be an effective his. So it's the other way around.
That's essentially what he's going to say. He said, those people who
are witnessing the people of witnesses, their rule, their rule,
there is not their eyes anymore, is the rule their soul. That's
traversing around going around female allinial. Anwar, in the
lights, they just seeing everything as a light from Allah.
So they just seeing Allah's lights, God in the Battle of
geography, him and Warren,
all of this creation are all lights from Allah for them.
They're just a completely different way of looking at
something
that's a different light, that's a different light, that's a
different light. It's just all and when you see light, you usually
think about where the light is coming from.
And
so to use, verse one, one is where Allah says, holy Nauru, Mother
fish summer were developed.
This situation is different. Allah tells them look, what is in the
heavens.
It's not like, look here to find out Allah, it's like, this is the
effect of Allah.
So then he explains the two he says that the first type of
reflection and meditation is the one where you're convincing
yourself. I am a believer. I believe ALLAH is behind
everything. So then you're looking for Allah behind everything is
more based on that elementary level.
These are the people of st learn. They are always looking for proof
for Allah in everything.
Right? They don't have the proof already. There is looking for
everything and making everything into a proof.
Yesterday Yesterday Luna be soon it are the signing. So
they are trying to get to Allah subhanho wa Taala and figure out
Allah subhanho wa Taala in everything by Allah subhanaw taala
is attention if Allah allows them to do so and removes the veils
they'll see it merely they will get to Allah subhana wa dawn.
Then he says the second ones are the people who already have that
witness. They have already ascended beyond the evidences that
he see around us to the maker already. They already have
complete presence of him. They always
Feel him, they always see him. You don't see Allah physically because
we we don't reduce Allah to any kind of physical entity, right?
But
it's the completely convinced of the,
of the witnessing of Allah subhanaw taala. So they're not
going to look at the effects of things they don't care about the
effects were all effects. They're looking at the one who's create
who's
the effector
they are going from the creation, to the lights, they're going from
being different separate to being close.
Right, they're going from the outer creation, to the inner
creation, what they just seeing is that just various different Anwar
and light that are just shining in the different places of ALLAH
SubhanA wa Tada.
So essentially, they just submerged they are, you can say
they just submerged. They are
completely engrossed in that.
In fact, to such a degree that they only use things because they
have to they don't care for them.
You know, when it says that golden dust will become the same for
certain people doesn't make sense? How does golden dust become the
same for someone?
It's not like, you're gonna throw it away, it just means that I got
it and Hamdulillah I got some dust as well. Same thing. I'm going to
use it I need it. But that's it. Because their focus is on the
creator of both of them. And the creator of dust and the creator of
gold is the same is Allah subhanaw taala so they just getting to the
reason make a difference now that's how it becomes the same
otherwise you we wonder how does it become the same. So that's
that's what is being explained here.
That they're just being completely just showered with these lights
from ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada. It's just all light from Allah, they
just enjoying that so much that none of this matters, because is
of who it's coming from.
So these people is that if they did,
eventually when they do have this feeling of presence with creation,
and when they see creation is creation, sometimes when they come
out of that state, and they see creation is creation.
Then they still see it as only standing because of Allah subhanaw
taala and that it's coming from ALLAH and it's only there to take
them to Allah. Say still Allah say that's made by Allah is inspired
by Allah. It can only subsist because of Allah, and it's there
to take us back to Allah.
Now, can you imagine how great their status must be according to
Allah, that they recognize them finally? And that's what Allah
created us for and they've got it.
That's why one of the poet's said who would reach out who will have
known and you call Lehman lemmya tosic be Moran he was for him
Rajon?
These are the real men. These are the real men and is a completely
profitless lossless deceptive idea to say to anybody who doesn't have
their characteristics that they are men
the true men are these people the true inside is this person not
everybody not anybody else. It's completely you lost your profit if
you think somebody else's like that meaning is that it's a it's a
loss maker, if you think that you're deceived is deceptive.
So this is now the way that that was how even RGBA had explained it
now, the way Sheikh Abdullah gonna go he explains it is slightly
different. The first one is the same. He said the Select servants
of Allah are of two kinds. The traveler to Allah the Sadek, and
the Masood, so he brings in the concept of mage Zubia Masood, we
translate as the ecstatic, but do it somebody just to give you a
brief understanding we're talking about my job is somebody who seems
to be out of his senses.
People will call them crazy. I've come across in a few in my life.
They don't they don't talk to you or act in a normal manner. But not
because they're crazy. due to mental health problems.
They're so focused on Allah's attributes and Allah's actions and
so on. That they are oblivious of the dunya like they've gone beyond
this to the to Allah subhanaw taala. They're so focused on that,
that the Dunya doesn't so they do crazy things sometimes, because
these things aren't in their awareness range in their scope.
So that's why I've been told I was in touch with a friend of mine
who's from Singapore. And there was somebody who was acting a bit
crazy. He said, Be careful.
He might be a weenie of Allah, and my job. And if you mess around
with them, and they make a little dua, and that's it, because they
already have Allah. So be careful of anybody who's pious and weird.
Who's pious, but does strange things, they might be on resume.
And it's not a state that we want to acquire. It's not a state that
anybody wants to acquire the animal, say, that's not a state
that you want to be in. You want to be in your senses. But some
people just get lost in the process.
Some people get lost in the process, and Allah just put
somebody in that state. Of course, Allah puts everybody in that
state. But it's not a state to aspire to. Because we're human
beings that we need to work in this world. But these are Malou,
they excused individuals.
I remember we, when we got to,
when we got to go luck in Senegal, it was the guy sitting outside one
of the houses. And our host told us that this guy is a very, very,
very pious guy, but he wants speak since me.
Like you'd call him crazy, but against them so many vicar and so
on that he's just lost his senses almost in that sense. That's just
the category of people. Anyway, the one who logically deduce is
the core. So some of us I mean, the first group are the people who
logically look at things Oh, it must be created by Allah, that
kind of an idea. So the one who logically deduces the cause from
the effect is the first category of the traveler. He meditates on
the effects of Allah and arrives at the knowledge of the cause, who
was the cause of all of these effects is Allah His heart
initially wanders in the objects of Creation, his heart is
wandering around. From these meditation he reaches the way to
the divine attributes.
This is splendid, Allah must be splendid, this is beautiful. Allah
was the beautiful, this is great, Allah must be great. That's his.
That's the way they get to Allah.
For example, He sees people this is really good. By the way. For
example, He sees people transgressing without Allah Most
type punishing them.
Like people are sinning and Allah isn't punishing them. They're
killing others. And they seem to have the whole world on their
sides. They seem to have all of the wealth on their side. Right,
the supporting evil and they seem to be very prominent.
And from this, he appreciates Allah's attributes of patience.
Look at its next how Helene is Allah.
How patient is Allah, how Clement is Allah?
Even that reminds him of Allah. And rather than complain about
What is Allah doing?
Allah is so patient.
He is so patient that he refrains from punishing despite having the
power
to finish them straightaway. And no better example than with the
Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam and those people have thought if I
literally beat him up, now the biller and could have hadn't had
them finished, but the promise that allows him himself showed his
own health.
Love held must be even greater, but the prophets have said no, no,
leave him, don't punish them. The children will become their
grandchildren, their descendants. Moreover, from the beauty
of objects, excellence and perfection of objects, he infers
that Allah is always and beautiful,
and excellent, and perfect. By means of prolonged meditation on
the names and attributes of Allah, the heart finally discovers the
way leading to Allah himself.
No better way to get to Allah than through reading the Quran and
contemplating it and reading the names of Allah the 99 names and
contemplating them. Thus, by meditating on meditating on the
effects, he ultimately reaches the cause, Who is Allah Most High. On
the other hand, the one who acknowledges effects after
meditating on the cause.
This is the one he explained. This is the one who does it the other
way around. Meaning he this is the person who focuses on Allah, and
then figures out everything is from Allah. So he's coming the
other way around.
Initially, and remember, both of these are journey, until you
actually get to whichever side it is, then you become complete.
These are journeys. So then he says, initially, his heart becomes
imbued with the spiritual perception, figuratively speaking
of the being of Allah
He then dwells in the names and attributes of Allah. Finally he
enters into the meditation on creation.
So after focusing on all the names of Allah, then he figures out Oh,
okay, this is the effect of that name, this is the effect of that
is coming the other way around. Thus that the first one, the
traveler is taken from the bottom to the top, creation to God. And
the second one, so to speak, the aesthetic is brought down from the
top to the bottom, only Allah can do that.
However, this is the state of those whose perfection Allah Most
High desires,
Allah will give that to only certain people, since some of
these attracted ones remain in the state of attraction, meaning some
of them stay on that journey and never come out of it. So that's
why they're just so focused on Allah that they have off the world
there. That's the Mizzou I'm talking about, they never get out.
Some people do it and then they come out and Masha Allah, you
know, but others they stay within that Allah keeps them there. While
some travelers remained suspended without attaining accomplishment,
some people don't get from point A to B in the other way around as
well. The Sheikh Rahim Allah is saying that there are two kinds of
meditation, the first form is known as belief and faith,
essentially, that's our belief in faith. That's what we're supposed
to be doing. Right? While the second one is called contemplation
and vision. In the first kind of meditation, the traveler, the
traveler has reached the knowledge of Allah by their meditative study
of His created objects.
They utilize their physical senses, in the observation of
creation, to conclude the greatness of the Creator, they use
their senses to do that. The aim of this meditation is the
spiritual perception of the pure Being of Allah Most High is a
spiritual perception that you get, it's motivating force is not only
belief, because progression is not in this instance, essential from
the Creator to the creation. But in this case, the progression so
to speak, is from the creation to the Creator. Right? Thus, the gaze
of the travelers heart in this state is more focused,
concentrated on creation, then ultimately moves on to the
Creator.
Point A to B. On the other hand, the knowledge possessed by the
second person, the aesthetic dictates to him the reality of
existence of creation. This is this, this is that this is this,
because he's starting from Allah and His attributes. So for
example, let's just say that
you don't know about a certain company or a designer.
There's a certain artist, you've never heard of him. But you're
seeing all of these really beautiful objects.
That's really nice. You noticed it, you might have ignored it. You
notice that one? And then you go back and you look at them again,
you're like, oh, all of these are created by this one artist.
Wow, look at that. Right?
You never knew about the artist, you saw his work. And you got to
the artist. The other one is somebody, you've never looked at
any artwork, or any products or anything, but you were told about
this really amazing innovator, inventor, you read an article on
him, right. And when you read the article said, Oh, he's made and
he's designed this product, and that product and that product,
then you got to look at those products, and you find them and
you appreciate them. So you started the other way around. This
is a very weak example, to understand the two ways that this
is happening.
For us, we already in the products, so it's just usually
that's the way most people will go from the creation to the Creator.
So he says that the focus of his heart, meaning the second person
is initially on the Creator,
later, reaching creation for this reason, the traveler, the first
one is one who sends an intellect, the intellect, because you're
going to need that to be able to reflect from creation to creator,
whereas the second one, generally,
his behavior, and senses and intellect are in conflict with
customary intelligence. They seem weird, they seem different. Once I
said somebody's weird, and a friend of mine says you're weird
as well.
So like, What do you mean? He said, Well, everybody's weird in
some way.
Everybody's different in some way, right? So you want to call
somebody really just probably more weird thing.
Some people really focus on differences, and they make a big
deal and they pointed out
it's just a useless exercise. You don't get anything out of it. You
just need negative, you just be negative or neutral.
It should be understood that the knowledge derived from both of
these meditation is inspired ultimately.
While it seems like the first one you're acquiring yourself, but
Allah has to inspire you an open
The veils otherwise you won't get anywhere you'll keep looking at
creation just appreciate them you won't get to the Creator
it is a bestowal from Allah Most High so you see there was that
slight difference in that explanation in the to where May
Allah subhanaw taala allow us to reach him
next chapter where it's on abstinence right and what exactly
that means is a beautiful aphorism but we'll do that inshallah next
time alone and the sinner woman to sit on the wealthy heterogeneity
very Quran Allah homie Are you are you gonna study alone? Yeah and
then you have and then this Ohana again NO NO NO ONE me there's a
lot of wine
Loma Phil in our home no earth you know what have you know what I'm
talking to? A lot of them are feeling on with the season and
we're humbled in sort of a low it was selling them loving a funeral
see me you know and mostly mad I don't mean what Mina della here I
mean what a month there Allah have mercy on us yeah Allah have mercy
on this ummah Allah have mercy on this on my yeah Allah have mercy
on this Omar yeah Allah bless our brothers and sisters protect our
runs this this deliver our brothers this is your love of
Allah remove their problems or Allah remove their aggression or
Allah remove the oppression of Allah grant them their freedom,
the dignity the respect of Allah grant them much better than what
they have lost. Our love protect the world from chaos. Oh Allah
protect us from chaos, protect them from chaos, protect the world
from chaos of Allah we ask you to forgive us of Allah We ask that
you prolong the lights of Ramadan for us the Anwar of Ramadan, the
blessings of Ramadan, the forgiveness of Ramadan, the beauty
of Ramadan of Allah prolong it for us of Allah do not allow us to
lose it completely. Allah, our lucky passivated of Allah keep us
heightened of Allah keep us focused. Oh Allah, the shaytaan is
backout we are tired of fighting against a sheep on Oh Allah, do
away with him for us. Oh Allah protect us, put us in your
protection of Allah protect us. And oh Allah. We make firm
decisions of Allah we make resolve in the morning and by the evening
we lose it. Oh Allah. Sometimes we make pious intentions in the
evening but by the morning, we have destroyed it. of Allah we ask
that You grant us full and firm result of our law that you grant
has a taste and experience of what we study here and what we what we
read and our love of your grant as your awareness grant us your
understanding. Grant us your presence. Yeah, Allah, Allah allow
us to go from all of these signs to you. Yeah, Allah, Allah remove
your veils so that we can experience and Allah we can gain
vigilance and meditation. Oh Allah make us have these troubles. Oh
Allah make us of the Saudi King of Allah make us of those who are
close to you. of Allah remove the distancia Allah, Allah make it
easy. Oh Allah make all of the efforts that we do in this world
make them easy, grantor sincere, its uniqueness of Allah grant us
acceptance for whatever we have done. Allow us to do a lot more.
Yeah, Allah. Allah bless us and protect us and our families, our
children and our descendants into the day of judgment from all of
the fitness which are out there. Oh Allah, our dear friend and
brother Muhammad Mustafa, Allah Who leads prayers in this Masjid
as well of Allah he's just had a child and Allah his child and his
wife are going through any difficulties of Allah many
challenges of Allah remove those difficulties and challenges grant
his child and his wife the cure, oh Allah grant him happiness and
joy, our love from from his child that he has just had our Allah
make his child from the strong appear Sudha holier and Allah all
those others who have had children who have children of Allah protect
their children from all forms of
challenges and problems and illnesses and sicknesses do not
let us see a bad day with them. Yeah, Allah keep the deen and keep
the tofi can good health within them. Yeah, Allah and Allah Allah
allow them to be a source of sadaqa jariya for us, allow us to
do tarbiyah correctly and properly. And oh Allah bless all
of those who assist in the masjid and who organize the programs are
lucky for us. All right, and Oh Allah, all our other programs that
we have our other projects that we have, oh Allah allow them to be
completed quickly and remove the difficulties and the obstacles in
their path and protect us from all those who seek to harm us. Oh,
Allah subhanahu decarbonised Yanase Fonasa no more sending I
will humbly
the point of a lecture is to encourage people to act to get
further an inspiration and encouragement, persuasion. The
next step is to actually start learning seriously to read books
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At least at the basic level, so that we can become more aware of
what our Dean wants from us. And that's why we started Rayyan
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whenever you have free time, especially, for example, the
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end of that inshallah you will have gotten the basics of most of
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to live, you know, to listen to lectures, but you need to have
this more sustained study as well as aka la halen. Salam aleikum wa
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