Of the four grades above, the first one is the tawhîd of munâfiqs and is like the outer shell of a walnut. As the outer shell of a walnut is bitter and looks ugly from within though a lovely green from outside, and when burned it makes lots of smoke and puts the fire out and is useless except that it protects the walnut for a few days, so the munâfiq’s tawhîd has no other use than to protect him against death in the world. When the body rots away and the soul is left alone after death, it will be useless. The tawhîd of the ignorant and of the savants of Kalâm, the second grade, is like the wooden second shell of the walnut. As this wooden shell of the walnut does not avail except to protect the walnut for a while, so this grade of tawhîd avails only in protecting one from Hell’s fire. The third grade is like the walnut’s kernel. The kernel is the useful part of the walnut, yet, when compared to the oil of the walnut, it will be seen that it only bears the sediment. What makes the third grade look like the sediment is the state of seeing creatures in this grade. The real tawhîd is in the fourth grade and nothing other than Allah is seen. One even forgets about oneself.
Question: It is difficult to attain to the fourth grade of tawhîd. How is it to see all the things as one being? We see various means and we see the earth, the sky, the creatures. Are all these the same one thing?
Answer: It is easy to understand the first, second and third grades of tawhîd. It is the fourth grade which is difficult to understand. Yet this kind of tawhîd is not necessary for tawakkul. It is difficult to describe it to someone who has not tasted it. Let me say briefly that many different things may be alike in one respect. Therefore, they may be thought of as the same one thing. Likewise, when an ârif sees all the things as the same one thing in one particular respect, he sees all of them as one thing. For example, there are such things as flesh, skin, head, feet, eyes, ears, stomach and lungs in man. But with respect to being human, they are all one body, and, when we think of a man we do not remember his different parts, but we think of thim as one body. When we are asked what we are thinking of we say that we are thinking of nothing but one thing. When we see a man we say that we see no more than one body. There is such a grade of ma’rifat [knowledge] in tasawwuf that an ârif who reaches there sees all the things existing as related to one another in one respect. He sees various things in the world in one respect only, he finds it like the position of the man’s limbs with respect to his mind and soul. A person who does not understand the meaning of the hadîth, “Allâhu ta’âlâ created Adam in His own attributes,” cannot understand these words of ours. We have explained this hadîth a little at the beginning of the book Kimyâ-i sa’âdat. It would not be right to explain it any more. Mind could not comprehend it and it would be misunderstood.
The third grade of tawhîd suffices for tawakkul. We have explained this grade of tawhîd at full length in our book Ihyâ-ul-’ulûm. You can read that. As we have said in the chapter about shukr (thanks) in the book Kimyâ-i sa’âdat, the sun, moon and stars, the clouds, the rain and the wind, and all the forces in nature are under Allah’s will and command. They are like a pen in the writer’s hand. Nothing moves unless Allâhu ta’âlâ wishes it to. Then, it is not right to say that the work is done by the causes. It is like thinking that a director’s decree and command are from the paper and pencil. It is wrong to think that man has some authority in as much as he has will and option. For, Allâhu ta’âlâ, again, gives man option. Man does something with his power. And this power is dependent upon his option. But [according to the Ash’arî madhhab], his option wishes what it is created for. Since his option is not within his power, so his power, and what he does, is not within his power. For understanding this better, let us classify men’s actions in three groups:
1 - Natural [physical] movements, e.g. to sink when stepping on water.
2 - Involuntary actions, such as breathing.
3 - Optional actions. Talking, walking, etc.
The natural movements are not within man’s power. Like any object which is heavier than water, man will sink in water. As the stone’s sinking in water is not of its option, so man’s sinking is beyond his option.
So are the involuntary actions such as breathing. For, we cannot help breathing even if we do not want to breathe. The will to breathe happens automatically. If we thrust a pin at a person’s eye, he will close his eyes willy-nilly. He cannot help closing his eye. For, the will to close the eye will happen automatically at that moment. For some natural reasons like in sinking in water, the eye will be closed spontaneously. This comes to mean that men are compelled in their involuntary actions.
It is difficult to observe the optional actions such as talking and walking. Man does such actions if he wants to, and he does not if the does not want to. But man’s wishing to do something requires mind’s liking it and saying that it is good. In fact, after mind’s thinking for a while if it will be good or not and then deciding that it will be good, the wish happens compulsorily and the limbs start moving. Like the moving of the eye upon seeing the pin, the limbs spring into action. The mere difference is that the pin’s harm to the eye and the use of closing the eye are known every moment and without any need to think, the will happens, and from the will originates the power. Since there is no thinking here, the closing of the eye is like sinking in water. For instance, if they run after a person with a cudgel, and if the person is suddenly confronted with an abyss on his way, he will prefer the one which is less harmful. That is, if he thinks that jumping down into the abyss is less harmful than being battered, he will jump down and escape. If he thinks it is dangerous to jump down, the feet will stop willy-nilly, he will not be able to go any further. As it is understood, action is dependent upon will and will depends upon mind. As a matter of fact, if a person wants to kill himself, he cannot do it though he may be holding a pistol in his hand. For, the power that will make the hand move is dependent upon will and will depends upon mind. When mind says that it is good and useful, the will starts moving. But mind is not independent, either. Mind is likened to a mirror. The vision of something good is seen on mind’s mirror. It is not seen if it is not useful. If a person faces some trouble that he cannot endure and thinks that death will be better, then it will be seen. The reason why such actions are called optional is because (they are done after) their benefits are seen. Otherwise, if their benefits are seen spontaneously, they will be compulsory like breathing and closing the eye. The compulsion of both will be like that of sinking in water. As it is seen, the causes are connected to one another. There are many links in the chain of causes. We have explained this in detail in our book Ihyâ-ul-’ulûm. The power which has been created in man is one of the links of this chain of causes. As it is understood, it is not right for a person to boast of having done something good. What falls to his share from a good deed is no more than acting as a means. In other words, the option and power which are the causes for doing something useful have been created in him. Since power and option were not created in a tree, we say that the tree’s swaying in the wind is an indispensable and compulsory movement. When Allâhu ta’âlâ creates everything, His divine power is not dependent upon anything but Himself, so His deeds are called ihtirâ’, that is, creation. Man is not so; his power and will are dependent upon causes that are beyond his power and his deeds are unlike Allah’s; so man’s deeds are not called creation or ihtirâ’. However, man is unlike a tree. He contains power and will, which happen in him willy-nilly, so his deeds cannot be said to be compulsory, either. In order to distinguish them from both types of deeds, the savants looked for another name, at last calling them kasb (acquiring). This means to say that though man’s deeds are done by him optionally, his option is not within his power. Then, he can do nothing.
[The Commandments of Allâhu ta’âlâ are classified into two groups: awâmir-i taklîfiyya, awâmir-i takwîniyya. The first group includes His commandments and prohibitions enjoined on genies and human beings. Actions contained in the first group are willed and created by Him after they have been wanted and opted by men. The second ones are created immediately with their causes. All natural events are examples of this. The ripening of a fruit over a long process of time is a collection of events (each of) which He creates instantly.]
Question: Since man can do nothing, why should he be rewarded or tormented; and why were dîns and Sharî’ats sent down?
Answer: This question is called tawhîd in the Sharî’at and the Sharî’at in tawhîd.Many people were drowned here. Escaping its danger has fallen to the lot of only those who can float on this ocean or who can at least swim in it. The majority of people escaping the danger has been due to their not going into the ocean. Because ignorant people do not know how to swim, they should be pitied and protected from being drowned by not being left near the shore. In addition, they do not think of learning how to swim. Most of them drown and annihilate themselves by saying, “We can do nothing. Allâhu ta’âlâ makes everything. A person predestinated as a shaqî, disbeliever, cannot change it no matter how hard he may try. And a person who has been predestinated as a sa’îd, for Paradise, does not need to work.” Such words are always the results of ignorance, of wrong reasoning. Though it is not proper to explain this subject by writing in books, we will explain it a little, since our words have taken this course.
In answer to the question, “What are thawâb and torment for?” we say: Torment is not someone’s hurting you in revenge for your having committed an evil deed. Nor is thawâb (reward) his rewarding you because he likes your deed. That day there will be nobody besides Allâhu ta’âlâ to revenge. As we call it illness when there is a change in man’s body because there is something wrong with his bile or because other harmful substances in his body have increased, and as we call it health when medicine has cured him, so a sort of fire falls into the soul when anger and lust increase in man. It is this fire that brings man to ruin. It is for this reason that a hadîth declares, “Wrath is a part of the fire of Hell.” As the light of mind extinguishes the fire of lust and anger when it gets strong, so the nûr of îmân extinguishes the fire of Hell. As a matter of fact, Hell will say to Believers, “O Believer! Pass quickly, or else your nûr will extinguish my fire” This statement will not be through sounds, but as water extinguishes fire so Hell, not standing against the Believer’s nûr, will go out. And the fire of lust will be extinguished with the light of mind. In the next world they will not bring your torment from some other place. As a matter of fact, it is declared, “Hell is nothing but the evil deeds you have done in the world. They are returned to you.” Then, the seed of Hell’s fire is man’s lust and wrath. They are inside man. He who knows through ’ilm-yaqîn can see this. As a matter of fact, it is purported in the sûra of Takâsur, “If you knew through ’ilm-i yaqîn you would certainly see Hell.”
Poison makes man sick. And sickness puts him into the grave. But it cannot be said that poison and sickness become angry with man and revenge themselves on him. Likewise, sinning and lust make the heart sick. This sickness becomes the heart’s fire. This fire is of a kind of Hell-fire and is unlike worldly fire. As a magnet attracts pieces of iron, so Hell-fire attracts those who bear this fire. [It is not the anger or the revenge of Hell or of the Zabânîs of Hell, that is, the angels of torment.] So is the case with those who do (actions causing) thawâb. It would take a long time to explain.
[Allâhu ta’âlâ divided the works done by men into two. He said that He liked one part of it and would appreciate those who did them, and promised that He would grant blessings, comfort and goodness in reward for every effort made. The unit of goodness promised is called ajr or thawâb. Various amounts of rewards will be given in the Hereafter in recompense for every goodness done in this world. The place where blessings will be granted is called Jannat (Paradise). Allâhu ta’âlâ declares that He does not like the second part of the works done by men and disapproves of those who do them, and that He will forgive those who repent in sorrow and attain intercession (shafâ’at), that He will very bitterly recompense for the bad deeds of those who will not be forgiven and will burn them in Hell. Such bitter recompense is called ’azâb (torment). The unit of the severity of azâb is called ithm or ghunâh (sin). Things liked by Allâhu ta’âlâ are called khayrât or hasanât,that is, good things. Things He dislikes are called sayyiât, that is, evil things. Allâhu ta’âlâ revealed which actions were hasanât and which actions were sayyiât. He promised thawâb for those who do hasanât. Allâhu ta’âlâ is committed to His promise. He never goes back on His word. Then, on the Day of Judgement, no blessing or torture will be taken from anywhere else, but one will meet the reward for what one has done in the world.]
Why did the Sharî’at come? Why were prophets ‘alaihimussalawâtu wattaslîmât’ sent? As for the answer to this question, their being sent is subjugation, compulsion. It is intended to pull people to Paradise by means of the chain of compulsion. Indeed, it is purported, “Are you astonished to see people being pulled to Paradise with chains?”The Sharî’at is a lasso that nooses people lest they should go to Hell. Indeed, it is purported, “Like moths you throw yourselves into the fire. And holding by your belt I pull you back.” Another link in the chain of Allah’s attribute Jabbâr [doing whatever He likes] is the words of prophets ‘alaihimussalâm’. It is through these words that men can distinguish the right way from wrong ways. The danger pointed out by them forms fear in man. This knowledge of distinguishing and the fear clear away the dust from the mirror of mind. Mind, being polished, realizes that it will be better to take the way to the Hereafter than being seized by the world’s pleasures. This realization forms the will to work for the Hereafter. Since man’s limbs are dependent upon his will, they then begin to work for the Hereafter. Through this chain, Allâhu ta’âlâ forces you to keep away from Hell and pulls you towards Paradise. Prophets are like shepherds of a flock of sheep. If there is a meadow on the right hand side of the flock and a cavefull of wolves on the left, the shepherd will stand on the side of the cave and sway his stick to drive the flock towards the meadow. The sending of prophets ‘alaihimussalâm’ is reminiscent of this.
As for the question, “What use it is for a person who is to go to Hell to strive,” this word is right in one respect, while it is wrong in another respect. It is right because it brings ruination to the person who says it. For, the sign of having been predestined for Hell in the eternal past is the occurrence of this question in mind and consequently one’s not working and sowing one’s seeds. He who does not sow the seeds in the world cannot harvest in the Hereafter. What signifies that it has been predestined in the eternal past that a person will die of hunger is the coming of the thought, “It will do me no good to eat and drink if it has been written on my forehead that I shall die of hunger,” to his heart. Because he thinks so he does not eat or drink and then dies of hunger. Likewise, a person who says, “If poverty is my fate what use is it to work?” does not work and certainly becomes poor. But a person whose fate is happiness and wealth thinks and says, “Those who are predestined as rich will work.” This thought of his drives him to work. Then, these thoughts are not meaningless. They occur to the heart on account of the predestination in the eternal past. They cause the predestination to manifest. The cause of whatever a person is created for will be brought before him. It is not without reason that he is given the work. For this reason it has been purported,“Work! Whatever a person is created for will be made easy for him!” Then everyone, from the situations and actions into which he has been driven, can make a guess about his predestination and what will become of him in the Hereafter. A student who studies his lessons and who does his duty should deem this state of his as glad tidings, a symptom signifying that he will pass his course and that he will occupy a ranking position in the future. But if the thought, “If my destiny is ignorance, it will be of no use no matter how hard I study,” is brought to his heart, and he does not study but wastes his time; it should be inferred that ignorance is his destiny. So should the qadâ and qadar be known pertaining to the situation in the Hereafter. As a matter of fact, it is purported in the sûra of Loqmân, “The creation of you all in the world and your resurrection in the Hereafter are like the creation and resurrection of one person.” And it is purported in the sûra of Jâsiyya, “Their states in the Hereafter are like their states in this world.”He who understands this writing of ours well will have tawhîd. He will realize that the Sharî’at, mind and tawhîd agree with one another.
The second îmân, which is the basis of tawakkul, is to believe that Allâhu ta’âlâ is Rahîm (merciful, compassionate), Hakîm (judicious, wise) and Latîf (gracious). His grace and mercy reach every creature from the ant to man. His mercy, goodness upon His slaves is more than a mother’s mercy upon her child. A hadîth also has stated that this is so. His grace, His mercy are so much so that He has created the world and everything in the world in the best manner. Anything better than that is impossible. He has not deprived any creature of His compassion and grace. Even if all the sages on the earth came together and made researches, they could not find a more suitable, a better form of anything He has created. They would realize that everything has been created as it should be. The most suitable, the most perfect form of something which has been created ugly is its being ugly. Were it not ugly, it would be defective, out of place. For, if it were not for ugliness, for instance, none would appreciate beauty, nor would there be any taste in beauty. If it were not for the defective, the perfect things would not be appreciated, nor would perfection be sweet.
For, perfection and defectiveness are recognized by a comparison with each other. For example, if the father is not, the child is not either; nor can anyone be a father without a child. Existence of one of such pairs is known by the existence of the other. Measurement can be done between two things. If there are not two things, measuring gives no result. Men may not realize the value of Allah’s deeds. But it is necessary to believe that the most useful, the best form is the one created by Him. In short, all the things in the world, illness, weakness, even sins and disbelief, nonexistence, defects, cares and sorrows are not without ultimate divine causes or benefits, nor out of place. All of them have been created in the most suitable, the most useful manner. The most suitable thing for a person whom He has created poor is to be poor. If the person were rich, he would end up in perdition. The case is the same with a person whom He has created rich. This, like the tawhîd section, is like an open sea. Many people have been drowned in this ocean. This, like the matter of qadar, cannot be explained; nor is there permission to explain it. If we dive into this ocean, we will have to go into long details. But it will be sufficient to believe it as far as we have explained.
What does tawakkul mean? Tawakkul is a state that takes place in the heart. It takes place by believing in tawhîd and in the fact that Allâhu ta’âlâ has boundless goodness and grace. This state is the heart’s trusting, depending on and believing the Deputy and its feeling safe with Him. Such a person does not set his heart on worldly property. He does not feel sorry for his worldly failures. He feels sure that Allâhu ta’âlâ will send his sustenance. Let’s give an example of this. If they defame a person and bring a law-suit against him, he will hire an advocate. If he trusts the advocate in three respects his heart will feel at rest. Firstly, the advocate’s knowing the defamation, the trick well. Secondly, his not hesitating to tell the truth and his ability to talk well and explicitly so that he can express himself well. Thirdly, the advocate’s pitying him and doing his best to save his right. If he believes and trusts his advocate so, he will not have to do anything additional on his part. A person who understands well the âyat, “Allâhu ta’âlâ is sufficient for us. He is the best deputy,” in the sûra of Âl-i ’Imrân, who says that Allâhu ta’âlâ makes everything and that none other than He can do anything, and who believes that there is no deficiency in His knowledge or power and that His compassion, His goodness are endless, will not reckon on anybody other than Allâhu ta’âlâ as the source of goodness, nor will he depend on precautions or means. He will say, “My sustenance has been allotted and reserved. It will reach me when the time comes.” He will say, “Allâhu ta’âlâ will treat me as it becomes His greatness and mercy.” Some people believe this. However, they have an inner feeling of fear, hopelessness. There are many people who believe in something but whose natures do not agree with their belief, so they follow illusions and fancies. In fact, though they know that these fancies are wrong, they still give heed to them. An example of this is the person who stops eating something sweet and cannot eat it any more because somebody has likened it to something foul. Though he knows that the comparison is wrong and it is unlike anything foul, he still cannot eat it. Another example is the person who cannot sleep in a room alone where there is a dead man. Though he knows that a dead man is like a stone and cannot move, he cannot sleep there. As it is seen, tawakkul requires both a strong îmân and a strong heart. Thus, there will be no doubt left in one’s heart. Unless the feeling of trust and ease are complete, tawakkul will not be complete. For, tawakkul means the heart’s believing and trusting Allâhu ta’âlâ in everything. Hadrat Ibrâhîm’s îmân, conviction was complete. But, in order that his heart would feel easy, he said, “O my Allah? Show me how You resurrect the dead!” When he was asked, “Do you not believe?” as purported in the sûra of Baqara, he said, “I do believe. But I want it so that my heart will feel calm.” There was conviction in his heart. But he wanted his heart to feel satisfied and become peaceful. For, the heart’s comfort is first dependent upon feeling and imagining; later, however, the heart also will depend on conviction and will no longer need to see clear evidence.
GRADES OF TAWAKKUL
There are three grades of tawakkul.
He who is in the first grade is like a person who trusts in a zealous, above-board, bold and compassionate advocate.
The person who is in the second grade is like a child. A child thinks that everything given to it is sent by its mother. When hungry it looks for its mother. When in fear it takes refuge with its mother. This state of the child is from itself, it is not taught by someone else, nor is it through force. Nor is it within the child’s will. A person who is in this grade is not aware of his tawakkul. For, he does not deem his deputy separate from himself. Yet the one in the first grade knows of his tawakkul and has tawakkul through the force of his will.
The person who is in the third grade is like a dead man in the hands of the person who washes him. He sees himself as a dead man who moves with Allah’s power. If he faces trouble and pain he does not even pray so that he will be saved from them. Whereas the baby calls to its mother when it suffers any pain, this one is such a child as will not call to its mother. For, it knows that its mother is looking at it all the time and is ready to run to its rescue.
The options of those who are in this third grade are not within their wills, either. Only, those in the second grade run to the attorney and beg him. There is option in the first grade, and he holds fast to the habits and means recommended by the deputy. For instance, if it is the attorney’s habit not to go to the law court unless his client is present there and the file is ready, he prepares these means and then leaves the job to the attorney. From then on he expects eveything from the attorney. He also knows that his preparing the file is from the attorney. For he has prepared it with the attorney’s habit and indication. Then, those who are in the first grade do trade, farming. They learn a craft. They hold fast to the means that are Allah’s habits, laws. But they do not give up tawakkul. They trust not in their work, but in Allah’s superiority, fadl and favouring. They expect Him only to make them reach their goal through the means they have resorted to. As a matter of fact, they say that He sent the means of trade and farming, too. Holding fast to the means, they know that what they obtain is from Allâhu ta’âlâ. And this is the meaning of the âyat, “Allâhu ta’âlâ, alone, gives strength to everything,” which is in the sûra of Kahf. For, hawl (in Arabic) means action. And strength means power, energy. If a person knows that his strength is not from himself but from Allah’s creation, he expects everything from Him only. In short, a person who forgets about causes acting as intermediaries in the formation of actions expects nothing from anybody besides Allâhu ta’âlâ, and, thus, he has had tawakkul.
The highest grade of tawakkul is defined by Bâyazîd-i Bestâmî, the sultan of ârifs, as follows: Abû Mûsâ Dinawârî said: “I asked Bâyazîd what tawakkul meant. He asked what my opinion was. I said that the savants said, ‘It is tawakkul when nothing would come to your heart if there were lots of snakes and scorpions on your right, on your left, all around you.’ He said: ‘In my opinion tawakkul is to see all disbelievers being tormented in Hell and all Believers being blessed with favours and gifts in Paradise and still not to see any difference between the two cases.’ ” What Abû Mûsâ describes is the high grade of tawakkul. But this does not mean that you should not beware of danger. Hadrat Abû Bakr ‘radiyallâhu anh’, when he was in the cave (with the Prophet), defended (the Prophet and himself) against the snake by putting his blessed foot on its hole, though his tawakkul was higher. It was not the snake that he was afraid of. He was afraid of the snake’s Creator, that He might give the snake strength and motion. He saw that only Allâhu ta’âlâ gives strength and motion to everybody. Bâyazîd’s word reveals the îmân which is the basis for tawakkul, which is the îmân, the belief in Allah’s justice, hikmat, compassion and favour. It is the belief in that everything He makes is in its proper place. A Believer with such îmân sees no difference between torment and blessing.
HOW TO PERFORM TAWAKKUL?
Every grade in Islam is based upon three fundamentals: ’ilm (knowledge), hâl (state), and ’amal (deed). We have defined what tawakkul is and explained its state. Now we shall explain its deed, i.e., how to do tawakkul. Many people think that tawakkul is to leave things to take their own course; not to do anything with one’s option; not to work to earn money; not to save; not to avoid snakes, lions or poisons; not to take medicine when sick; not to learn Islam, the Sharî’at; and not to keep away from the enemies of Islam. [Also, the enemies of Islam, by giving tawakkul and contentment such a meaning, say that Islam is laziness, that the dîn is opium. They attack Islam. They strive to deceive youngsters and to make them disbelievers, nonbelievers. They basely slander Islam.] It is wrong to think of tawakkul as such. It is incompatible with the Sharî’at. Tawakkul is something commanded by the Sharî’at. How can those things unsuitable with the Sharî’at ever be tawakkul?
There are different kinds of tawakkul in optional actions, that is, in actions done willingly, in earning money and property, in using one’s existing money and property, in avoiding danger and in curing illnesses and the sick. We will explain these four kinds of tawakkul in their right order:
1 - Tawakkul in earning property and in buying useful things:
Here the tawakkul of bachelors, of those who live alone, and the tawakkul of the married, of those who have others to support, are unlike each other.
For those who have nobody else to support, in their earning property, in their satisfying their needs, there are three kinds of tawakkul with regard to causes:
I - First kind of causes are the means which it is Allah’s divine habit (’âdat) to make means for His creating something. [To create means to make from nothing, or to turn existing things into things with other properties through laws of physics, chemistry, physiology or metaphysics.] These causes are learned with experience. It is not tawakkul, but it would be madness, idiocy, not to hold fast to such causes. For example, it would be idiocy, not tawakkul, not to eat anything when you are hungry and to say that Allah will feed you if He likes without eating or that He will send the food to your mouth without you