Qoshairi Manifest
 
Chapter 13
 
Sorrow (Hozn)
 


Allah Almighty has said:
 
“And they will say: Praise be to Allah, Who has removed from us (all) sorrow” (Said by the people in Paradise) Koran [35:34]
 
Abu Said Khodry narrates from the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him saying, “Nothing reaches a slave of pain or sorrow or affliction or suffering unless it expiates (Kaffarah) some sin”. Sorrow cleans the heart from scattering within the valley of negligence. Sorrow is the characteristics of the beginners of the Solook (travel upon the Sufi path).
 
I heard from Abu Ali Daq-qaq saying, “Upon the path of Allah sorrow of one month travels further than years without sorrow”. A Hadith (Narration of the Prophet) has informed that God Almighty loves the sorrowful hearts. (I do not have the Arabic text)
 
It is within Torah that once Allah loves a slave places much moaning sorrow within his heart (like the enslaved Hebrews) and once Allah takes a slave as enemy places much happiness within this heart (like the Pharaohs).
 
People have mentioned that Messenger of Allah Peace Be Upon Him was constantly sorrowful and preoccupied with thoughts.
 
Bahsar Bin Al-Harith said, “Sorrow is a king not allowing anything else to reside within the kingdom with It”. (‘It’ here refers to the Beloved meaning sorrow forces all things out of the lover’s heart all is left is Beloved)
 
Some have said that a heart without sorrow withers away and decays similar to a house without residents (To up keep the house). (Sorrow the maintenance for the lover’s heart)
 
Bu Said Qershi said, “Weeping with sorrow may cause blindness, however weeping with joy veils the eye but blinds not” as was said by Allah Almighty, “And his eyes became white (blind) with sorrow, and he fell into silent melancholy.” (Jacob’s sorrow for the missing Joseph, Koran [12:84], weeping for sorrow blinds the eyes the weeper sees nothing of this world but Allah, weeper of joy may have a veil for a little while but soon back to viewing the world greedily and ignorantly)
 
Ibn Khafif said, “Sorrow is the prevention of the Nafs (Self) from the false pleasures of this life”. (If sorrow was not there we would all drown in few false and short-lived pleasures of life subdued by our Self)
 
Sofian Bin Oyay-neh said, “If there is even one sorrowful individual within a nation, Allah shall be merciful upon that nation because of his sobs”.
 
Dawood Taa-ee was overcome by sorrow and he prayed, “My Lord! Night has come and Your sorrow conquered all other sorrow and took the sleep away from me and how can there be any solace for a person whose sorrow increases by the hour.” (I guess he means sorrow was piling up upon his heart to the point he start praying to Allah and in that moment he realized the triumphant moment has reached i.e. he is alone with Allah and there is nothing else in his heart!)
 
Some have said as the sorrow makes the person losing appetite for food, similarly he loses appetite for committing sins. 
 
Serry Saqaty said, “I wish for myself the sorrow of all people”. (Our Beloved nests within every broken saddened heart so Saqaty wants to have the maximum residence/presence of Beloved in his heart)
 
Much has been said about sorrow by Sufis but most have agreed that praiseworthy sorrow is that of the sorrow for the world after but the sorrow for this world is disgraceful. All forms of sorrow bring the believer much Fadhl (Excess of merit & virtue).
 
One of the Sufi old (Pir) sages found out that a student of his was traveling and requested, “Wherever you find sorrow send my greetings”. (Because Beloved is in that place of sorrow)
 
I heard from Abu Ali Daq-qaq that an old sage was once talking to the Sun while setting, “Did you shine upon any sorrower today?” (let me know about their whereabouts)
 
Wakey’ said, “Once Fadhil (Excessive Generosity of Allah) was ordained there came the dawn of sorrow. The best pages of a slave’s book of deeds are goodness of sorrow (good deeds sorrow caused him to do)”.
 
Fodhayl Ayadh quotes the Pir (old sages) of Sufism believe, “For everything there is a Zakat (charity that purifies that thing) and the Zakat for the mind is the prolonging of the sorrow”.
 
Abul-Hussein Warraq quoting Abu Othman, “The sorrower has no fear to ask (from Allah) anything through his sorrow, so seek sorrow (by sacrificing yourself in daring causes) since then you would be able to ask for everything (from Allah)”.
 
End.
 

Background: Deocres Francis, left, a counselor from WAMATA, an organization that supports people HIV infected people in Tanzania, visits the home of the Katwala family. Here he attempts to comfort the mother, Regina, while two of her infected children, Sela and Severea, twins aged seven, are huddled under a blanket on the floor of their hut. (June 97)


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© 2004-2002,  Dara O. Shayda