5. PEOPLE OF ENDEAVOURS STAND BETWEEN THE ULTIMATE DREAM AND THE BITTER REALITY
Know that from the greatest of all calamities (a’zam al-balaya) is when Allah endows you with capability and power to endeavour. But then He averts you from entering your power and acting according to your capacity! The impact of this on you is noted in different aspects, for example He makes you proud resulting in you not accepting the help of others because you are unable to bear the burden of someone having favours on you. Allah then afflicts you with poverty that forces you to accept their aid!
He makes you indulge in high luxury items and about the quality. And the type of food you eat, so you do not accept food that is readily available and easy to acquire. But afterwards Allah makes you in need of money and He reduces the share of your provision! He makes your endeavours depend on what you find desirable then He distances you from achieving any of what you find desirable by making you impoverished!
He makes you long and keen to acquire knowledge but then He makes you devoid of energy and promptitude to revise what you have learnt and also prevents you from earning enough money to buy the books! He may also make you to aspire and be very keen to reach the levels of ascetics and those who know Allah. But then He makes you in need of company of those whose interest is focused on worldly affairs. Indeed, this is a catastrophic trial.
As for those who have lowly endeavours and determination— who neither mind begging people for help nor believe he should find another wife [if his wife distracts him from worshipping Allah], or suffices with a little of knowledge (’ilm) and does not long to be in the ranks of those who know Allah.
These types of people are not sensitive and therefore are not bothered should they lose anything since they see what they have earned is highly potent. They act like children who feel excited about decorations! Indeed, those with lowly endeavours undermine all the virtues they miss.
It is he whose endeavours (himma) are high and who knows his Lord well who will find such a state catastrophic, for his determination and keen interest to assume all the opposites in increasing his level of perfection fail him to reach his intended destination. It is indeed a state where even the patience (sabr) of the patient ones runs out!
Had he not been between intervals of heedlessness (ghafla) in the life of the trialled person, his observation to the state of his slavery and the state of Lordship of Allah would have blinded him, and his exerted efforts in the path of discipline would have made him barefooted. Since he is able to reach some of his objectives sometimes, and some other times he becomes heedless to what he intends— life becomes bearable.
This is a precious insight that only those who are acquainted with its path know its meanings.
(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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