Seadet-i Ebediyye - Endless Bliss Third Fascicle

[Superiority of these two is explained in detail in the book entitled
Qurrat-ul-’aynayn and in the English book entitled Sahâba ‘The
Blessed’.]
It is idiocy to consider oneself equal to the Sahâba ‘radiy-
Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum’. It is ignorance to liken oneself to the
superior people who came earlier. Let us mention also that the
superiority caused by the honour of being earlier is peculiar to
those who attained the sohbat of the Best of Mankind in the first
century (of Islam). This rule does not apply to the later centuries.
Those who came in the later centuries may be superior to those
who came in the centuries previous to them. In fact, of those who
are in the same century, the later ones may be higher than the
earlier ones. [The disciple may surpass his master.] May Allâhu
ta’âlâ awaken their slanderers from the sleep of unawareness! It is
so base, so abominable to gossip about a Muslim, to swear at him
thinking that he is guilty. It is stubbornness, a grudge to say that a
Muslim is a heretic or that he is a disbeliever through illusion or
supposition. Those who commit such slanders without any grounds
become heretics; they become disbelievers. A hadîth-i-sherîf states
that this is so.
Let us resume our subject. Let us explain the second group of
people who speak ill of the sâliks. [1] They do not say ‘disbelievers’
or ‘heretics’ about those sâliks who say that they are in those
grades, yet one of the two possibilities may be the case: they say
that the Sâlik is a liar. This means to think ill of a Muslim and is
harâm. But if they believe what he says and know that he does not
claim to be equal to the great, there will no longer be any reason
for their slandering him. Why do they swear at him, then? True
kashf should be interpreted in a good sense. Owners of true kashf
should not be blamed, and bad and ugly words should not be said
about them.
Question: Suppose those who gossip about him said, “Why
should the sâliks reveal that state of theirs which will cause fitna
and gossip?”
Answer: Great men of Tasawwuf ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’anhum
ajma’în’ have divulged such states of theirs often. In fact, it has
become a custom. They have divulged such states of theirs with
good intentions, for honest purposes. Its reason sometimes is that
they want to find out if such doubtful states of theirs are right or
wrong by divulging them to their murshids. And sometimes they
[1] Muslims who make progress along one of the paths of Tasawwuf.
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