Jihad al-Nafs - Fighting the Ego

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Imam Nawawi(ra) From his Bustan al-`arifin (The Garden of Gnostics), Beirut: Dar al-kitab al-`arabi, 1405/1985 p 5!-54
"ha#i`i sai$, ma% &o$ ha'e mer(% o) him: *+)l% the si)(ere o)e (mukhlis)

k)o,s h%po(ris% (riya') * -his mea)s that it is impossible to k)o, the realit% o# h%po(ris% a)$ see its hi$$e) sha$es e.(ept #or o)e ,ho resolutel% seeks (arada) si)(erit% -hat o)e stri'es #or a lo)/ time (yajtahidu azmanan) sear(hi)/ a)$ me$itati)/ a)$ e.ami)i)/ at le)/th ,ithi) himsel# u)til he k)o,s or k)o,s somethi)/ o# ,hat h%po(ris% is -his $oes )ot happe) #or e'er%o)e 0)$ee$, this happe)s o)l% ,ith the spe(ial o)es (alkhawass) But #or a /i'e) i)$i'i$ual to (laim that he k)o,s ,hat h%po(ris% is, this is real i/)ora)(e o) his part 0 shall me)tio) i) this book a (hapter, &o$ ,illi)/, i) ,hi(h %ou ,ill see a t%pe o# ,o)$er that ,ill (ool %our e%es -o illustrate the /reat e.te)t o# the (o)(ealme)t o# h%po(ris% ,e o)l% )ee$ relate the #ollo,i)/ #rom the -ea(her a)$ 0mam 1bu al-2asim al-2usha%ri 3the su#i sha%kh4, ma% &o$ ha'e mer(% o) him, #rom his Risala ,ith our is)a$ pre'iousl% me)tio)e$ 5e sai$: *0 hear$ 6uhamma$ ib) al-5usa%) sa%: 0 hear$ 1hma$ ib) `1li ib) 7a`#ar sa%: 0 hear$ al-5asa) ib) `1la,i%%a sa%: 1bu 8a9i$ 3al-Bistami4, ma% &o$ be ,ell please$ ,ith him, sai$: 0 ,as #or t,el'e %ears the bla(ksmith o# m% e/o (haddadu nafsi), the) #or #i'e %ears 0 be(ame the mirror o# m% heart (mir'atu qalbi), the) #or a %ear 0 looke$ at ,hat la% bet,ee) the t,o o# them a)$ 0 sa, arou)$ me a 'isible belt 3i e o# ku#r : the 'estime)tar% si/) o# a $himmi4 "o 0 stro'e to (ut it #or t,el'e %ears a)$ the) looke$ a/ai), a)$ 0 sa, arou)$ me a hi$$e) belt "o 0 ,orke$ to (ut it #or #i'e %ears, looki)/ to see ho, to (ut -he) it ,as u)'eile$ #or me (kushifa li) a)$ 0 looke$ at (reatio) a)$ sa, that the% ,ere all $ea$ "o 0 re(ite$ the #u)eral pra%er o'er them * 0 sa%: -hat h%po(ris% shoul$ be as i)s(rutable as this to the peerless master i) this path 3i e tasa,,u#4 is e)ou/h to sho, ho, /reatl% hi$$e) it lies 5is phrase: *0 sa, them $ea$* is the ape. o# ,orth a)$ beaut%, a)$ sel$om $o other tha) the ;rophet<s ,or$s, Blessi)/s a)$ ;ea(e be upo) him, /ather up su(h ,ealth o# mea)i)/s 0 shall tou(h upo) its mea)i)/ brie#l% 0t mea)s that a#ter he ha$ stru//le$ lo)/ a)$ har$ (lamma jahada hadhihi almujahada) a)$ his e/o ha$ bee) $is(ipli)e$ (tahadhdhabat) a)$ his heart illumi)e$ (istanara qalbuhu), a)$ ,he) he ha$ (o)=uere$ (istawla) his e/o a)$ sub$ue$ it (qaharaha) a)$ a(hie'e$ (omplete master% o'er it

(malakaha mulkan tamman), a)$ it ha$ sub>e(te$ himsel# to him totall%, at that time he looke$ at all (reate$ bei)/s a)$ #ou)$ that the% ,ere $ea$ a)$ (ompletel% po,erless: the% (a))ot harm )or (a) the% be)e#it? the% (a))ot /i'e )or (a) the% keep ba(k? the% (a))ot /i'e li#e )or (a) the% /i'e $eath? the% (a))ot (o)'e% )or (a) the% (ut o##? the% (a))ot bri)/ )ear )or (a) the% take a,a%? the% (a))ot make happ% )or (a) the% make sa$? the% (a))ot besto, )or (a) the% $epri'e? the% possess #or themsel'es )either be)e#it )or harm, )or $eath, )or li#e, )or resurre(tio) -his, the), (hara(teri9es huma) bei)/s as $ea$: the% are (o)si$ere$ $ea$ i) all o# the abo'e respe(ts, the% are )either #eare$ )or e)treate$, ,hat the% ha'e is )ot (o'ete$, the% are )ot sho,) o## to )or #a,)e$ upo), o)e $oes )ot (o)(er) o)esel# ,ith them, the% are )ot e)'ie$ )or $ispara/e$, their $e#e(ts are )ot me)tio)e$ )or their #aults pursue$ a)$ e.pose$, o)e is )ot >ealous o# them )or thi)ks mu(h o# ,hate'er &o$-/i'e) #a'ors the% ha'e re(ei'e$, a)$ the% are #or/i'e) a)$ e.(use$ #or their short(omi)/s, althou/h the le/al pu)ishme)ts (al-hudud) are applie$ to them a((or$i)/ to the @a, But the appli(atio) o# su(h pu)ishme)t $oes )ot pre(lu$e ,hat ,e ha'e me)tio)e$ be#ore, )or $oes it pre(lu$e our e)$ea'ori)/ to (o'er up their #aults ,ithout $ispara/i)/ them i) the least -his the) is ho, the $ea$ are 'ie,e$ 1)$ i# someo)e me)tio)s huma) bei)/s i) a $isho)orable ma))er ,e #orbi$ him #rom e)teri)/ i)to that sub>e(t i) the same ,a% that ,e ,oul$ i# he ,ere /oi)/ to e.ami)e a perso) ,ho $ie$ Ae $o )ot $o a)%thi)/ #or their sake )or $o ,e lea'e 5im #or them 1)$ ,e )o more stop oursel'es #rom #ul#illi)/ a) a(t o# obe$ie)(e to &o$ o) their a((ou)t tha) ,e $o o) a((ou)t o# a $ea$ perso), a)$ ,e $o )ot o'er-praise them 1)$ ,e )either lo'e their o,) praise #or us )or hate their i)sults, a)$ ,e $o )ot re(ipro(ate them 0) sum, the% are as it ,ere )o)-e.iste)t i) all the respe(ts ,e ha'e me)tio)e$ -he% are u)$er &o$<s (omplete (are a)$ >uris$i(tio) Ahoe'er $eals ,ith them i) su(h a ,a%, he has (ombi)e$ the /oo$ o# the )e.t ,orl$ ,ith that o# the lo,er ,orl$ 6a% &o$ the &e)erous /ra)t us su((ess to,ar$s a(hie'i)/ this -hese #e, ,or$s are e)ou/h to tou(h upo) a) e.pla)atio) #or his 31bu 8a9i$ al-Bistami<s4 sa%i)/ -- 6a% &o$ be ,ell please$ ,ith him

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