Are they attributing as partners to Allah that which cannot create anything and are themselves created? (Al A’raf:191)
Station One, you are with the created. No matter what it is, you are not going to be happy.
Station Two: you are with your nafs, with yourself. You are not going to be happy either.
Station Three: you are with Allah, that is where the happiness is.
Q & A
Murid: I have a question. Like, you can be in station three but then you deteriorate sometimes and go to station one and so on. So how can you…?
Shaykh Taner: Catch yourself. You catch yourself and then you say, “Oh I am back to the first station again.”
Murid: Just by realization?
Shaykh Taner: Yes. When you see you are unhappy, you know. Why are you unhappy? Because I am with this idiot, who is pulling my strings. You must have some strings. He knows your weak points. Okay, so if you were a true Sufi and advanced, then you do not have those weak points anymore and so they cannot bother you. They can do all they want, because you do not care what they say or what they do.
We care only what Allah does.
But aren’t there in our daily life that tick your button, pushes your button? Yes, there is. But as soon as you catch yourself, what must you do? You must go back to number three.
Murid: Is there something to help you say it?
Shaykh Taner: See, we have to say something all the time. There is a pill for everything.
The ayat is this,
La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah,
that is the ayat. And there is another one for you:
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil Aliyil Azim.
So who is my ex-husband?! Nothing! Who is Satan? He has no power. People have power as much as you give them to certain people. If your ex-husband is bothering you, then you are giving him this power.
Murid: “Return to your Lord and be content for His being pleased with you.” Oh thank you shaykh because you are showing us the way to return.
Shaykh Taner: Alright, so I am so happy now, I feel good! In this case, like Anjum said, when people thank you, just pass it on to Allah and get out of the way so your nafs cannot snatch something, you know, the credit, “See I did it!”
Qur’an References
Are they attributing as partners to Allah that which cannot create anything and are themselves created? (Al A’raf:191)
They are happy because of the favor from Allah and His grace, and (the understanding) that Allah will never let the reward of the mu’minin be lost. (Aal-e Imran:171)
Allah is happy with them and they are happy with Him. This is for those who revere and heed their Rab. (Al Bayyina:7-8)
Have taqwa, as Allah has prescribed, and the mu’minun [believers] should be happy with what Allah decides for them. (Al Ma’ida:11)
And Allah is happy with those who led the way, the first among the emigrants for the cause of Allah and the helpers, and those who followed them in goodness. And they are also happy with Allah. (Al Tawba:100)
Return to your Rab, He is happy with you [Radziyya] and you being happy with Him [Mardziyya]! (Al Fajr:28)
Click here for more references from the Qur’an…
The seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification
1. Nafs-i Ammara, Nafs al Ammara: Dominant Self
2. Nafs-i Lawwama, Nafs al Lawwama: Blaming Self
3. Nafs-i Mulhama, Nafs al Mulhama: Inspired Self
4. Nafs-i Mutma’ina, Nafs al Mutma’ina: Tranquil Self
5. Nafs-i Radziyya, Nafs al Radziyya: Satisfying Self (heart is happy)
6. Nafs-i Mardziyya, Nafs al Mardziyya: Satisfied Self (brain is happy)
7. Nafs-i Safiyya, Nafs al Safiyya: Purified Self
Keywords
Fi’il-i Muhammad: the example shown in Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) daily actions of how human beings should live in accordance with Allah’s wishes; Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) implementation of sharia; tariqa
tariqa: path; Sufi order
This is an edited excerpt of a Sohbet given on May 10, 2008 by Murshid Shaykh Taner Vargonen Ansari and published on August 28, 2023. The translation of the Qur’an verses are also from Murshid Shaykh Taner Vargonen Ansari.
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Love, peace and togetherness in goodness
Ya Wadud Ya Salaam Ya Jami Ya Nafi