Ibn Atā’ol-lāh Al-Eskandari
Revenge
Discussion
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If & when the attention of the ‘Āref (Divine Cognoscente) is
directed towards the revenge against someone who has wronged him, both
the mercy and the compassion settle in his Khulq (Behavior)
replacing the urge for triumph. And how can the person who sees Allah in all
people’s deeds wishing to triumph over them? (‘Āref (Divine
Cognoscente) sees (and sees more than believes) that all the deeds of
the people are indeed the deeds of Allah by the
permission of Allah
and by the knowledge and approval of Allah, then how
can he seek revenge?)
Therefore Allah’s
Auliā’ (Close Friends) are ranked as follows:
1. The person who is wronged invokes Allah against
the wrongdoing that has caused him pain and urgency, and such an
invocation shall not be refused by Allah as has
been narrated from the Prophet peace be upon him: “Fear the invocation
of the victim since there is no veil between his invocation and Allah”.
حَدَّثَنَا أبو كريبٍ
أخبرنا وكيعٌ عن زكريَّا بنِ إسحاقَ عن يحيى بنِ عبدِ اللهِ بنِ صيفيٍّ عن
مَعبدٍ عن ابنِ عَبَّاسٍ:
(أنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وسَلَّم بعثَ مُعاذاً إلى
اليمنِ فقال: اتَّقِ دعوةَ المظلُومِ فإنَّهُ ليسَ بينَهَا وبينَ اللهِ
حجابٌ) .
هذا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وأبو معبدٍ اسمهُ نافذٌ وفي البَابِ عن أنسٍ
وأبي هُرَيرَةَ وعبدِ اللهِ بنِ عمرو وأبي سعيدٍ.
2. And there are those that once wronged seek an
asylum with Allah
for triumph and seek the rush for the answer to their invocation, and
still they know that Allah is well
aware of what is concealed or secret and they elevate their affair
towards Allah—in
a secretive manner—and most deserved for triumph since they have placed
their trust exclusively upon Allah,
returning their affairs towards Allah, as has
been said by Allah:
"And whoever places trust upon Allah, IT/He suffices for him” Qur'an
[65:3].
It has been mentioned about a woman whom all she had in this world was
a chicken and her provision was the few eggs the chicken could produce
and nothing else. But one day a thief stole the chicken. She did not
complain and did not invoke Allah against
the thief and let this affair to be returned to Allah—Subhāna-Hu.
The thief killed the chicken and plucked its feathers, but soon
feathers start sprouting on his face (like a beard), and no matter what
he tried could not remove the feathers. He asked people for help to
remove what has befallen him to no avail, until he came to a Mystic
from the Children of Israel and the Mystic advised him: There is no
medicine for you except that woman’s invocation against you! And if you
can make her pray against you then you will be cured from the feathers.
So he sent some people to talk to the woman and they asked her: “Where
is your chicken?” and she replied: “Stolen” and then they asked: “Has
the thief cause you grief and hardship” and again she replied: “Indeed
he did so” and they asked: “Are you suffering from the lack of the
eggs?” and again she replied: “It is so” and they did not stop asking
her until she was annoyed to the point that she invoked Allah against
the thief whereat suddenly the feathers fell off the thief’s face!
Later on the Hebrew Mystic was asked: “How did this happen?” and the
Mystic replied: “Indeed when the thief stole the chicken she did not
invoke Allah
against him, and let this affair to be returned to Allah, and Allah gave her
triumph over the thief (with the facial feather punishment), but when
she did invoke Allah,
instead she attempted to seek help from her Nafs (Self, Psyche)—instead
of Allah—therefore
the previous triumph from Allah ceased
i.e. the feathers fell off the thieve's face:
3. The slaves who when they are wronged do not invoke
Allah and do
not seek asylum with Allah for
seeking revenge against the one who wronged them and they delegate
their affair to Allah
for handling, and Allah decides either to punish or to forgive the
wrong-doer.
4. And finally the rank of ‘Ul-yā’ (Lofty Ones) and
those are the people when they are wronged they return a merciful
response.
Sheikh Abul-Hasan said: When a transgressor victimizes you, it is
fitting for you to be patient and endure, and be warned that if your
Nafs (Self)
transgresses two wrongdoings will accumulate for you: 1) Transgression
of others against you, 2) Your transgression against your Nafs (Self).
(if you are not patient and not endure you may harm your own Nafs (Self))
And what is more beautiful than the Hāla (Momentary state
of the heart) for you during which your mercy has reached the one
who transgressed you, and that is the rank of the Truthful Merciful(s):
“And place your trust upon Allah, indeed Allah loves the Truster(s) (Those who place
their trust upon Allah)” Qur'an [3:159].
End.
© 2005-2002, Dara O.
Shayda
