The Path To Guidance

3 Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, "Chapter: Ways that bring about the Love (of Allaah) and necessitate it, and they are ten in number. One: Recitation of the Qur'aan with reflection and understanding of its meanings and what is intended by it, as one reflects over a book which he has memorised and which he expounds so that he may understand what its author intends from him. Two: Getting closer to Allaah with the supererogatory acts of worship, after the obligatory ones, for they will take him to another level of love that comes after love. Three: Constant remembrance in every circumstance by the tongue, the heart, actions and (one's) condition ²⁰ , so a person's share of love is in accordance with his share of this remembrance. Four: Preferring His love over your own when desires overcome you and climbing to reach His love, even if the ascent is difficult. Five: The heart's comprehension of His Names and Attributes, witnessing them and having knowledge of them, to immerse himself in the garden of this knowledge and its fundamental pillars. ²¹ Whoever knows Allaah by His Names, Attributes and Actions, will, no doubt, love Him. For this reason the deniers of His Attributes (Mu'attilah), Fir'awniyyah and Jahmiyyah are like highway robbers to the hearts, (they come in between it and) between reaching the beloved (i.e., Allaah). ²² Six: Witnessing His generosity, His benevolence, His favours and blessings, both hidden and open, for these things call to His love. Seven: And this is the most amazing of them all, the heart's total defeat and humility in front of Allaah, the Most High, and there are no other words and considerations which give expression to this meaning. Eight: Being alone at the Time of the Descent of Allaah ²³ for having private conversations with Him, reciting His Words, investigating the heart, displaying the manners of servitude whilst in front of Him and then to seal all of that with seeking forgiveness and repentance. Nine: Sitting with the truthful lovers (of Allaah) and gathering the good fruits (arising) from their speech, just as one picks out the best of fruits, and that you do not speak except when the benefit of the speech prevails and when you know that there is a betterment for you and benefit for others in it. Ten: Keeping distant from everything that comes between the heart and between Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. So from these ten ways, the lovers will reach the (various) levels of love and will enter upon the Beloved. And the chief and fundamental principle behind all of this comprises two matters: preparing the soul for this matter and opening the eye of keen insight/sure knowledge.” [Madaarijus-Saalikeen (3/17).

---

  20 All of that being based upon what conforms to and is restricted by the Messenger's Sunnah and not upon what the astray Soofees invent and innovate of misguidances and corrupt practices from their own intellects, satanic whisperings and innovatory ejaculations of the mind and soul. Ibn al-Qayyim said, “He (i.e., Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah) said, ‘And as for what many of the people of imaginations and foolishness say, ‘Haddathanee qalbee 'an Rabbee' (meaning) ‘My heart informed me from my Lord-,then it is correct that his heart informed him. However from whom? His devil or from His Lord? When he says, ‘My heart informed me from my Lord,’ he is ascribing this informing to someone about whom he does not know whether such a one actually informed him or not. And this is a lie. And the muhaddath of this Ummah [(i.e., 'Umar ibn al-Khatatab) in reference to the hadeeth in Bukhaaree, “Indeed, in the nations before you there were people who were inspired (muhaddathoon) and if there was one in this Nation it would be 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab,"] never used to say this and this saying (i.e., ‘My heart informed me from my Lord...’) was never uttered by him on a single day. Allaah protected him from saying that. In fact his scribe wrote one day, ‘This is what Allaah showed to the Chief of the Believers, 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab.’ So he (Umar) said, ‘’No. Erase it and write, ‘This is what Umar ibn al-Khattaab saw. If it is correct it is from Allaah and if it is wrong then it is from 'Umar, and Allaah and His Messenger are free from it.' And he said, ‘I speak about it with my opinion. If it is correct it is from Allaah and if it is wrong it is from me and Shaytaan.’ So this is the saying of al-Muhaddath (i.e., Umar) who has the testification of the Messenger (r) and you will see the one believing in the Divine Union with Allaah (Ittihaadee) and the one believing in the inclusion of Allaah in His creation or parts of His creation (Huloolee) and the licentious unrestrained strayer giving rise to forgery saying, ‘My heart has informed me from My Lord.’ So look at these two sayings (that of 'Umar and that of those claiming to receive knowledge of Allaah directly, from their hearts) and (look at) these two grades, those who say both these sayings (i.e., 'Umar and those making this claim) and these two states (that of 'Umar and of those besides him) and give every owner of a right his due right and do not make the counterfeit/impostor and the sincere, one and the same thing.” Madaarijus-Saalikeen (1/64). 21 Imaam at-Tirmidhee (d.279H) said, "It has been stated by more than one person from the People of Knowledge about such ahaadeeth, that there is no resemblance (tashbeeh) to the Attributes of Allaah, and our Lord, the Blessed and Most High, descends to the lowest heaven every night. So they say, ‘Affirm these narrations, have faith in them, do not deny them, nor ask how.’ The likes of this has been related from Maalik ibn Anas, Sufyaan ath-Thawree, Ibn 'Uyainah and 'Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak, who all said about such ahaadeeth, ‘Leave them as they are, without asking how.’ Such is the saying of the People of Knowledge from the Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah. However, the Jahmiyyah oppose these narrations and say, ‘This is resemblance (tashbeeh)!’ However, Allaah the Most High, has mentioned in various places in His Book, the Attribute of Hand, Hearing and Seeing, but the Jahmiyyah interpret (make ta'weel) of these aayaat, explaining them in a way other than how they are explained by the People of Knowledge. They say, ‘Indeed, Allaah did not create Aadam with His own Hand,’ they say that Hand means the Power of Allaah.” Sunan at-Tirmidhee (3/24). 22 Al-Haafidh Taqiyud-Deen Aboo Muhammad ‘Abdul-Ghaniyy al-Maqdisee (d.600H) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “And know, may Allaah have mercy upon you, that Islaam and its people are attacked and destroyed by three groupings. (i) A group who reject the hadeeth pertaining to the Attributes of Allaah and who reject their narrators. They are more harmful to Islaam and its adherents than the Disbelievers. (ii) A group who speak with the authenticity of these hadeeth and accept them, but they perform Ta'weel (figurative interpolation) of them. They are mightier in their harm than the first group. (iii) And the third group, those who avoid the above two sayings, and begin- as they claim to ‘purify’ (tanzeeh) Allaah from all imperfections but in fact they are liars, and this leads them to the very same above two sayings. So they are more harmful than the first two groups.” ‘Aqeedatul-Haafidh 'Abdul-Ghaniyy (p. 113) 23 Fudail ibn 'Iyaad (d.187H) said, “When you hear the Jahmee say, ‘I disbelieve in a Lord that Descends,’ say, ‘I believe in a Lord that does what He wills.” Sharh Usoolul-Itiqaad (no.775). Yahyaa ibn Ma'een (d. 233H) said, “When you hear the Jahmee say, ‘I disbelieve in a Lord that Descends,’ then say, ‘I believe in a Lord that does what He desires.’” Sharh Usoolul-Itiqaad (no.776). Imaam Ahmad (d.241H) said, “He descends as He wills, according to His Knowledge and Power and Greatness. He encompasses everything with His Knowledge.” Sharh Usoolul-Itiqaad (no.777). Abul-Hasan Al- Ash'aree (d.324H) said, “And we believe in all of the narrations that the People of Narration have considered to be authentic concerning the Descent to the Lowest Heaven and that the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, says, “Is there one asking? Is there one seeking forgiveness?” and the totality of what they quote and consider to be established, in opposition to the people of deviancy and misguidance.” Al-Ibaanah (p.60).