Navigating Away From Pride

During a conversation with a few people, Hazrat Thanwi (RA) was discussing the benefits of being in the company of the pious.  He said that even if it be for about three to four days, then too,  a person should still take time out to spend it with the righteous. He said if that is not possible, then to read their biographies and sayings.  He further added, “A person who makes it a point to read the biographies and sayings of the pious, then pride will not be found wandering around near that person.” (Malfuzat Hakeem-ul-Ummat Vol. 7)

The reason for this is because it is only but natural that a person compares others to them self.  When this person will will compare them self to the Ahlullah, they will realize how deficient their entire life is compared to one moment of that pious person’s life.  Thereafter, this person will conclude that they have nothing to be really be proud of and pride will leave them.  The lives of our mashaaikh serve as a GPS system for us to navigate away pride and move us towards humbleness and humility.

If that is the result of just merely reading about them, then imagine what the result will be of actually spending proper time in their company!   Some novice mureeds feel they understand the purport of the saying of their mashaaikh better than their own shaykh.  This will destroy the poor mureed from an spiritual benefit, from shaykh of course but also from the mashaaikh of the silsilah as well.  Remember, the mashaaikh are like an ocean of spiritual radiance and one’s own shaykh is like the tap which allows for the water of that ocean to flow to the mureed.  If the tap is closed off, then the poor mureed cannot benefit from their own shaykh, nor the ocean of the awliyaa’.

It is for this reason that mere suhbat is not sufficient.  Time spent with the shaykh has to be done in a proper manner for the right reasons, otherwise it may cause more harm than benefit. Adab must be at the forefront of our every action, then and only then can we actually progress and get anywhere.

I pray that Allah grants us all the tawfeeq to learn from the legacy of our pious predecessors. Aameen.

Explore posts in the same categories: Aadaab-Etiquettes and Manners, Ahwaal, Akaabir, Fadhaail, Fikr, Razaail, Spiritual Diseases and Their Remedies