7.11.THE STATEMENTS OF RUWAYM, AL-FUDAYL, AND THE BEDOUIN
In the Chapter of Contentment, al-Qushayri mentions a relevant story from Ruwaym al-Muqrl, a companion of Samnun. Ruwaym said: ‘The case of the truly content is such that even if Jahannam(Hell) would be put on his right side, he would not ask Allah to move it to the left.’These words are like those of Samnun: “So test and try me in any way You wish!” If this one could not bear dysuria, will he be able to take Hell on his right side?
Al-Fudayl Ibn Tyad was higher in rank than these men, but when he was afflicted with dysuria the pain was so bad that he said: “I ask You by my love for You, to relieve me, so grant me relief!” Then he was granted relief.
This said, even though Ruwaym was one of al-Junayd’s peers, he was not considered a man of this rank.In Fact,the Sufissay:’Hewent back to the world and abandoned Sufism.’ It has even been narrated that Ja( far al-Khuldl, also a companion of al-Junayd, said: ‘If one is able to keep a secret, let him do so like Ruwaym who hid his love for the world for forty years.’ When someone asked: ‘How could this even be imagined?’ he said: ‘He was close friends with IsmYil Ibn Ishaq al-Qadi who became the judge of Baghdad and drew him close and made him his doorkeeper. He abandoned the garments of the Sufis and started wearing silk, brocade, and garments of Daybaq.He began eating fine foods and constructed his house. He concealed his love for the world when it was not around, but when it came to him his love for it was manifested. Still, in spite of this, he may Allah have mercy on him; he was known for his abundant worship. He adhered to the school of Dawud.’
These utterances made in a temporary spiritual state (hat) without realizing what they entail should not be taken as guidelines, but they might imply, for example, the great amount of contentment and love of the person who said them along with his shortcomings in learning the duties of the path. They also give us a picture of the God-consciousness and patience that the person managed to have or not have.
The Messengers had more knowledge of Allah’s path and provided better guidance and counsel; those who deviate from their established ways will fall short, err, and be deprived of good, even if they are not counted as sinners, hypocrites, or unbelievers.
Close to this It comes from the Bedouin whom the Prophet went to while he was sick as a young bird (i.e. very weak due to his illness). The Prophet asked him:“Did you invoke Allah with anything?” so he replied: “I said: ‘O Allah! Whatever You are going to punish me with in the afterlife, make it happen in this world!” The Prophet said: “Glory be to Allah! You cannot do that and will not bearit! You should have said instead: “Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the afterlife, and protect us from punishment of Hell.”
This person’s fear of Hell and love for a good ending drove him to ask Allah to hasten his punishment and carry it out in this world. This was a grave mistake. Errors and mistakes do happen frequently in spite of the good intentions of the people and in spite of a man’s righteousness, religious virtue, abstinence from vanities, godly cau-tiousness, and miracles. Infallibility from mistakes, even sins is not a requisite of being a protege of Allah. The best of Allah’s proteges after the Messengers was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radiyAllahu ‘anhu), for a sound narration about him states that after he had interpreted a dream, the Prophet said: “You are right in some of it but erred in some.”
It seems to me and Allah knows best that when Abu Sulayman said: ‘Were He to throw me in Hell, I would be content with that,’ someone conveyed to others what he himself had understood from the statement and said: ‘Contentment is that you do not ask Allah for Paradise nor seek His protection from Hell.’
Even though the statement of Abu Sulayman does not indicate contentment with that but determination to have contentment, we know that this type of determination does not last but vanishes at some point. Therefore, it would have been better that he not utter these words. Furthermore, such a statement will be proven wrong just like the claims of Samnun, Ruwaym, and others.
There is a big difference between the two statements here, for the second indicates that whoever asks Allah for Paradise and seeks His protection from Hell is not content. It is one thing for a person to say: ‘If such and such is done to me, I will be content,’ and another to say: ‘One is not content until he refrains from seeking good and fleeing from evil.’
This and other things thus indicate that Shaykh Abu Sulayman was above making such statements, for he was one of the virtuous and leading Shaykhs who adhered to the Sharfah so much so that he said: ‘A subde allusion of the people passes by my heart, but I only accept it by two witnesses: the Book and the Sunnah.’ Would a person who does not even accept the allusions of his heart without two witnesses say something like this?
Shaykh Abu Sulayman has also said: ‘If a person gets an inspiration of goodness, he must not follow it with action until he hears a narration about it. If he hears a narration about it, it will be light upon light.’ Also, his companion Ahmad Ibn Abl al- Hawari was one of the strictest Shaykhs in adherence to the Sunnah, so what about Abu Sulayman himself ?
What frees Abu Sulayman from this speech once and for all will come in the second section where we discuss the statement of the unknown narrator: ‘Contentment is that you do not ask Allah for Paradise nor seek His protection from Hell.’
By Shaykhu’l-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
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