Advice for the Muslim

[who passed away in Damascus in 205 A.H. (820)] declared, ‘Many
a time thoughts occur to my heart. I accept them only if I find them
to be in agreement with the Book and the Sunna.’ Dhû ’n-Nûn al-
Misrî (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ) [who passed away in 245 A.H.
(860)] said, ‘The sign of love for Allâhu ta’âlâ is to follow His
beloved Prophet, Muhammad (’alaihi ’s-salâm), in all morals and
deeds.’ ” [1]
’Abd al-Ghanî an-Nablusî quotes al-Imâm al-Qastalânî as
writing in Al-mawâhib al-ladunniyya, “Love for Allâhu ta’âlâ is of
two types: fard and non-fard. With the fard love, one obeys His
orders, abstains from prohibitions and resigns oneself to His qadâ’
and qadar. Committing harâms and not performing fards are
indications of slackness in this love. The non-fard love makes one
perform nâfila (the supererogatory) and abstain from
mushtabihât. A hadîth qudsî reported by Al-Bukhârî on the
authority of Abu Huraira (radî-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh) says, ‘Allâhu
ta’âlâ declared, “My human servants cannot approach Me through
anything as close as they approach Me through the fard. If My
human creatures do the supererogatory ’ibâdât, I like them so
much that they hear with Me, see with Me, hold everything with
Me and walk with Me, and I give them whatever they ask of Me.
If they trust in Me, I protect them.” ’ This hadîth sharîf shows that
the worship Allâhu ta’âlâ likes most is the fard. The
supererogatory ’ibâdât mentioned here are those that are to be
performed along with the fard and that compensate for the
deficiencies in performing the fard. ’Umar ibn ’Alî al-Fâqihânî [al-
Iskandarî al-Mâlikî, who passed away in 734 A.H. (1334),] said,
‘This hadîth sharîf shows that the one who performs nâfila along
with the fard gains Allâhu ta’âlâ’s love.’ Abu Sulaimân Ahmad al-
Khattâbî [al-Bustî, who passed away in 388 A.H. (998),] said, ‘This
hadîth sharîf shows that the prayers of those mentioned in the
hadîth will be accepted.’ Those for whom they pray will attain their
wishes.” [2]
’Abd al-Ghanî an-Nablusî (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ) continues:
“Beginning with [the quotation from] al-Junaid al-Baghdâdî up to
here, I have quoted from Ar-risâha of the great sûfî ’Abd al-
[1] Summarized from (page 153 and on) ’Abd al-Ghanî an-Nablusî’s Alhadîqat
an-nadiyya, Istanbul, 1290.
[2] Ibid, p. 182. Saying, “It is polytheism to expect prayer and help of
awliyâ’ and to entreat them for this,” indicates disbelieving this
hadîth sharîf.
– 127 –