If you would like to understand how [the two parts of the phrase] “اٰمَنْتُ بِاللّٰهِ وَ بِالْيَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ” [I believed in Allah and the resurrection] – which solve the abstruse mystery of this universe – are such valuable two mysteries unraveling hidden meanings and truths, opening the door of happiness for the human soul; and how relying upon and turning to one’s Creator with patience and asking and prayer to one’s Provider (Razzaq) with thanks (shukr) are such two curing and antidote like remedies; and how important, valuable, attractive of a ticket, a food of afterlife, a light of the grave it is in the journey of eternity to listen to the Qur’an, obey its commands, to pray, [and] to abandon the great sins; listen [and] observe this short allegory:
One time, a soldier falls into an extraordinary situation – in a field of war and trial, an environment of profit and loss – in the following way:`
He is injured with two gruesome deep wounds both in his left and right sides and behind him is an enormous lion standing as though waiting to attack him. And a gallows was set up before his eyes hanging and destroying all those he loves, waiting for him as well. And with this state of his, he has a long journey, he is being exiled. While that poor man thinks in hopelessness in this terrifying [state], a good illuminating person like Khidr appears on his right side. He says to him:
“Do not despair. I will give and teach you two spells. If you use them properly, that lion will become an obedient horse for you. Also, that gallows will turn into a pleasant swing for you for comfort and relaxation. Also, I will give you two medicines. If you use them properly, those two rotten wounds of yours will transform into two pleasant smelling sweet flowers, called the rose of Muhammad (عليه الصلاة و السلام). Moreover, I will give you a ticket. With that, you will travel a distance of one year in a day, like flying. If you do not believe [it] then try for a while; so you may understand that it is true.”
Indeed, he tried it for a while and confirmed it to be true. Yes, I – meaning this poor Said – also confirm it. Because I tried [it] awhile. I saw it to be highly true.
Afterwards, he suddenly saw in his left side that a devil-like deluding, drunk, deceitful man came together with many adornments, decorated pictures, fantasies, [and] intoxicants. He stood in front of him. He said to him:
“Hey friend! Come, come lets drink and have fun together. Let’s look at these pictures of beautiful girls. Let’s listen to these pleasant songs. Let’s eat these sweet foods.”
Question: “What is it that you are secretly reciting in your mouth?”
Answer: “A spell.”
-“Leave this incomprehensible thing\. Let’s not ruin our current pleasure.”
Q- “What is it that is in your hands?”
A- “A medicine.”
-“Throw that away. You are healthy. What do you have? It is celebration time.”
Q-“What is this paper with five signs?”
A-“A ticket. A provisions certificate.”
— “Tear these. Why would we need to travel in this beautiful spring season?” he says. He tries to convince him with every deception. So much so that the poor man inclines a little towards him. Yes, humans get deceived. I too was deceived by such a trickster.
Suddenly, a sound like thunder comes from his right side. [It] says:
“Beware! Do not get deceived. And tell that trickster: “
If you have [or] find a solution to kill the lion behind me, remove the gallows before me, get rid of the wounds in my left and right, prevent the journey following me; then do it, show it, let’s see. Then say “Come let’s have fun.” Otherwise be quite o fool! So that this Khidr like heavenly person can say what he says.
Thus, o soul who laughed in its youth and now cries at its laughing. Know: As for that poor soldier, it is you and human beings. And as for that lion, it is death. And as for that gallows, it is death and vanishment and separation where with the alteration of night and day, every friend bids farewell [and] disappears. And as for those two wounds, one is a frustrating [and] boundless human weakness; the other a painful [and] endless poverty of humankind. And as for that exile and journey, it is a long journey of examination passing through the world of souls, the womb, childhood, old age, worldly life, grave, barzakh (life of the grave), resurrection, sirat (bridge). And as for those two spells, they are belief in the Almighty Truth (Janab al-Haqq) [i.e. God] and believe in the hereafter.
Indeed, with this holy spell, death takes the form of an obedient horse and buraq; taking a believing person from this prison of worldy life to the garden of heavens [and] the presence of the all-Merciful (al-Rahman). It is for this reason that perfect individuals who saw the truth of death have loved death, they desired to die before death came [to them]. Also, with that spell of faith; vanishment and separation, death and demise, and the passing of time which is a gallows, take the form of a means to observe and witness with utmost pleasure the Almighty Maker’s fresh colorful various miracles of embroidery, the wonders of His power, [and] the manifestation of His mercy. Yes, for mirrors showing colors in the sun’s light to change and renew and for cinema screens to change, cause more pleasant more beautiful scenes to form. As for those two medicines, one is trust [in God] with patience; to rely on the power of your Creator, to trust in His wisdom. Is that so? Yes, what fear can one have who relies with the license of weakness upon a Sultan of the universe Who owns the command “كُنْ فَيَكُونُ” [Be, and it was.]? Because when faced with a most terrible calamity, he relies upon his Merciful Lord with a confident heart, saying “اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَاِنَّۤا اِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ” [We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return]. Yes, a God-knowing [person] enjoys weakness [and] fearing Allah. Indeed, there is joy in fear. If a one year old child had intelligence and was asked “what is your most joyful and sweet state? Perhaps he will say “It is the state where I understand my weakness [and] impotence and take refuge in my mother’s compassionate bosom when fearing my mother’s sweet slap”. However the compassion of all mothers is but a flash of the manifestation of divine mercy. It is because of this that perfect human beings have found such a joy in weakness and the fear of Allah that they have vehemently freed themselves of their own power and strength, taking refuge in Allah with weakness; they have made weakness and fear an intercessor for themselves.
As for the other medicine, it is asking and prayer with thanks and content and trust in the mercy of the Merciful Provider. Is that so? Yes, how could poverty and need become painful and burdensome for a guest of The Generous Bountiful One Who makes the whole earth a dining table of favors and Who makes the spring season a bundle of flowers and places them near and sprinkles them over the dining table. Perhaps one’s poverty and need will take the form of a pleasant appetite; like an appetite, one will work to increase his poverty. It is for this reason that perfect human beings have shown pride with their poverty. Beware, do not misunderstand, it means to feel your poverty towards Allah [and] beseech Him. It does not mean to show your poverty to the people and take on the form of a beggar. And as for that ticket [or] voucher it is to complete the obligations, formosetly the prescribed prayers and to abandon the great sins. Is that so? Yes, by the unanimity of all those of expertise and witness and all those of joy and discovery; provisions and food, light and buraq in that long and dark journey of eternity can only be obtained through obeying the commands of the Qur’an and abstaining from what it prohibits. Science and philosophy, art and wisdom are worth nothing on that journey. Their light goes only as far as the door of the grave.
Thus, o my lazy self! How little and comfortable, and light it is to perform the five prescribed prayers [and] abandon the seven great sins. If you have a mind [and] it has not been damaged, you will understand how highly important and great it results and fruits and benefits are. And you will tell satan and that man who tempt you to sinfulness and dissipation “If there is a solution kill death, remove disappearance from this world and take away weakness and poverty from human beings and close the door of the grave, then speak and let us listen. Otherwise, be silent! The Qur’an is reading the universe in the great mosque of this universe! Let us listen to it. Let us enlighten with its light. Let us act upon its guidance. Let us constantly recite it. Yes, that is the word and that’s what they call it. It is the truth which comes from the truth, says the truth, and shows the truth and spreads illuminous wisdom.
اَللّٰهُمَّ نَوِّرْ قُلُوبَنَا بِنُورِ اْلاِيمَانِ وَالْقُرْاٰنِ اَللّٰهُمَّ اَغْنِنَا بِاْلاِفْتِقَارِ اِلَيْكَ وَلاَتَفْقُرْنَا بِاْلاِسْتِغْنَۤاءِ عَنْكَ تَبَرَّاْنَا اِلَيْكَ مِنْ حَوْلِنَا وَقُوَّتِنَا وَالْتَجَئْنَا اِلٰى حَوْلِكَ وَقُوَّتِكَ فَاجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ عَلَيْكَ وَلاَ تَكِلْنَا اِلٰى اَنْفُسِنَا وَاحْفَظْنَا بِحِفْظِكَ وَارْحَمْنَا وَارْحَمِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَصَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلٰى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَنَبِيِّكَ وَصَفِيِّكَ وَخَلِيلِكَ وَجَمَالِ مُلْكِكَ وَمَلِيكِ صُنْعِكَ وَعَيْنِ عِنَايَتِكَ وَشَمْسِ هِدَايَتِكَ وَلِسَانِ حُجَّتِكَ وَمِثَالِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَنُورِ خَلْقِكَ وَشَرَفِ مَوْجُودَاتِكَ وَسِرَاجِ وَحْدَتِكَ فِى كَثْرَةِ مَخْلُوقَاتِكَ وَكَاشِفِ طِلْسِمِ كَۤائِنَاتِكَ وَدَلاَّلِ سَلْطَنَةِ رُبُوبِيَّتِكَ وَمُبَلِّغِ مَرْضِيَّاتِكَ وَمُعَرِّفِ كُنُوزِ اَسْمَۤائِكَ وَمُعَلِّمِ عِبَادِكَ وَتَرْجُمَانِ اٰيَاتِكَ وَمِرْاٰةِ جَمَالِ رُبُوبِيَّتِكَ وَمَدَارِ شُهُودِكَ وَاِشْهَادِكَ وَحَبِيبِكَ وَرَسُولِكَ الَّذِۤي اَرْسَلْتَهُ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ وَعَلٰۤى اٰلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِينَ وَعَلٰۤى اِخْوَانِهِ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ وَعَلٰى مَلٰۤئِكَتِكَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَعَلٰى عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ اٰمِينَ
O Allah enlighten our hearts with the light of faith and Qur’an. O Allah, enrich us with feeling poor towards You and do not impoverish us with feeling self-sufficient towards You. We have freed ourselves from our power and strength and have taken refuge in Your power and strength, so make us from those who trust You and do not leave us to our lowly self (nafs) and protect us with Your protection and have mercy on us and on believing men and women and grant peace and blessings on our master Muhammad – Your slave and prophet and the one You chose, Your friend, the beauty of Your property, the sultan of Your creation, the essence of Your care, the sun of Your guidance, the tongue of Your evidence, the exemplar of Your mercy, the light of Your Creation, the honor of Your beings, the lamp of Your oneness in the abundance of Your creatures, the revealer of the mystery of Your universe, the announcer of the sultanate of Your Lordship, the notifier of what pleases You, the informer of the treasures of Your names, the teacher of Your slaves, the interpreter of Your signs, the mirror of the beauty of Your Lordship, the means for you to be seen and shown, Your beloved one, and Your messenger whom You have sent as a mercy to the worlds – and on all his family and companions and his brothers of prophets and messengers and on Your angels who are brought close to You and on Your righteous slaves. Ameen.
