12. THE CONDITIONS OF RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE
We heard of some righteous (salihun) who had great kindness for Allah and were gentle and loving for His sake. He in turn, also treated them likewise. This is because their nature does not withstand anything else.
Barkh the worshiper told Allah while praying for rain, ‘What is this that we have never known of You? Let the rain fall promptly’, and so they received rain.
The Companion Anas Ibn Al-Nadr (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) said: ‘By Allah Al-Rabi(’s tooth will not be broken.’ And this was what happened in fact. So the Prophet said: “Some of Allah’s servants if they swear that something will happen, Allah will make it happen.”
Such people were gentle (luft) and lenient (rifq), so Allah was gentle and lenient with them and rewarded them for being so.
Other people are of a higher status. Their prayer is never answered, and they are content with this depravation. They are too afraid to be relaxed and are chained with fear (kawf, and their heads are down with caution (badbar). They do not see themselves worthy of being answered. All they seek is forgiveness (‘afu).
When any of them is not answered for his prayer, he says, “You are not worthy!” or, “Perhaps it is better for my prayer not to be answered.”
These are true men (rijdlbaqq). He is foolish who believes that his prayer is worthy to be answered, so when his prayer is not answered he becomes disgruntled. As if he is asking for payment for his job, and as if he is benefiting Allah by worshiping him!
A true servant (‘abd haqq) is he who is content with what Allah does to him. If his prayer is answered he sees this as a favour from Allah. And if his prayer is not answered then he sees this as the Owner doing what He wishes with that He owns. So he never contemplates objection.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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