7.17. NOTIONS OF SOME SUFIS, FAQIRS AND DEVOTEES
The second group: This group consists of Sufis, faqirs, and devo- tees who agreed with the first group on the notion that Paradise is nothing but the things enjoyed by the created beings but also agreed with the Salaf and the Imams on the reality of seeing Allah and the delight of gazing at Him. In this they were right. They then began seeking this bliss with great fervor in fear of not achieving it to the extent that one of them said: “I have not worshipped You out of yearning Your Paradise nor fearing Your Fire, but in order to gaze at You and in exaltation of You!” Other similar statements have been made by them.
What they mean with this is that gazing at Allah is a much higher reward than eating and drinking and other worldly pleasures, but they erred in excluding it from Paradise. They are also wrong in thinking that they worship Allah without wanting any share of pleasure for a reward and that everything that is asked from Him indicates selfish desire. In doing so they assumed that man acts without having a will or seeking what he loves, which is but a bad understanding of the reality of faith, religion, and the afterlife.
The reason behind this is that their passion which is solely attached to the One that they seek, love and worship completely distracts them from their own selves and as a result they do not notice themselves and what they themselves desire. They thus assume that their ac- tions are not serving their own desires, yet at the same time the One they seek and attach their hearts to is their greatest desire, goal, and object of love.
This is the condition of many pious and sincere men of spiritual states and stations who experience a real state of spiritual ecstasy and taste but cannot find the words to express it. As a result, they make erroneous statements that lack good conduct even though they intend to say something correct. This said, there are, of course, those as well who really believe the apparent meaning of such statements.
In any case, if those who made statements like this were referring to the desire to see Allah, they were correct but erred in placing that outside of Paradise. By doing so, they stripped the name Paradise of its revered status and opened the door to a number of repugnant things like what is found in the story of al-Shibll, may Allah have mercy on him: once he heard a man recite:
“Among you are some who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the Hereafter.” (Al-’Imran(3): 152)
Upon hearing this, he shouted: ‘Where are those who desire Allah?!’
Here, al-Shibll is naturally praised for wanting Allah, but errs at the same time in thinking that those who desired the Afterlife did not desire Allah; this particular ayah refers to the Companions of who fought at Uhud, and they are among the best of all creations. If they did not desire Allah, could someone else, like al-Shibll and his ilk, do so?
I also know that a Shaykh once asked about the ayah.
“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties (in exchange) for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed.” (al-Tawbah (9): 111)
He said: ‘If lives and properties are the price of Paradise, then with what is the gazing (at Allah) purchased?’ Then someone answered him with something similar to the question.
One has to realize that the bliss of gazing at Allah and everything else that Allah has prepared for His proteges is in Paradise just like everything that He has promised for His enemies is in Hell. Allah, Most High, says:
“And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.” (al-Sajdah (32): 17)
A sound hadith of the Prophet states: ‘Allah says: ‘I have prepared for my righteous servants that which no eye has seen, and no ear has heard, and no heart has thought of, let alone what I have allowed them to witness.’ Then, once we know that all of this is in Paradise, we must know that the people of Paradise are of different levels. Allah says:
“Look how We have favoured [in provision] some of them over others. But the Hereafter is greater in degrees (of difference) and greater in distinction.” (al-Isra (17): 21)
It must thus be known that all things of the Afterlife that the servant seeks through worship, invocation or other means are in Paradise.
By Shaykhu’l-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
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