Documents of the Right Word

for instance, to satiate one’s hunger or for other purposes. Sufyâni-Sawrî
[1] states, “If a person invites (others) to a dinner without
making niyyat (intention), one sin will be recorded (in his book of
deeds). If a person attends an invitation for dinner without making
niyyat, two sins will be recorded for him.” It is not sunnat to attend
an invitation one of whose conditions has not been fulfilled.
You write that your darling son has passed away. “Innâ lillâh
wa innâ ilaihi râji’ûn.” May Haqq ta’âlâ bless you with great
rewards in return (for your bereavement)! May He equip you with
patience and bless you with complete acquiescence in the Qadâ-iilâhî
(destiny preordained by Allâhu ta’âlâ)! The real loss would
be to deprive oneself of the thawâb (which Allâhu ta’âlâ gives
Believers for patience). It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf, “The qadâ
befalling a Believer is (an) amazing (event). When something
good befalls him he makes hamd and thanks. When a disaster
befalls he makes hamd and shows patience. A Believer is given
thawâb for everything, even for offering a piece of food to his
wife’s mouth.”
FIRST VOLUME, 23rd LETTER
Tawhîd, i.e. belief in the unity of Allâhu ta’âlâ, is of two sorts:
Tawhîd of the awâm, and tawhîd of the khawâss. What is termed
Tawhîd of the awâm is the tawhîd held by common Muslims.
Tawhîd of the awâm consists of uttering the expression “Lâ ilâha
il-l-Allah” and knowing and believing in its meaning. It naturally
comprises rejecting and denying the wrong and false idols
worshipped by disbelievers, not calling anyone ‘God’, and
believing that Allâhu ta’âlâ alone is to be worshipped. While
holding this belief, the awâm (common people) feel deep affection
for some creatures, too, and their nafs-i-ammâra denies and defies
Allâhu ta’âlâ. The Khawâss, or Ârifs, hold the same belief.
However, in addition to this naked belief, they occupy two
different grades:
Those who are in the first grade do not feel affection for
anything except Allâhu ta’âlâ. Their hearts do not see or know any
being except Him. In other words, when an intelligent and vigilant
disciple carries on his dhikr and religious contemplation steadily
[1] Sufyân-i-Sawrî passed away in Baghdâd in 161 [A.D. 778].
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