8/13/2019 45922216 Disciplining the Self Ibn Ata Allah

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Disciplining the Self Disciplining the Self Disciplining the Self Disciplining the Self1111 Imm Ibn A Allh al-Sakandar 2222

Translated by Sidi Abu HasanReleased by www.marifah.net 1428 H

If you are asked: Who is a believer? Say: He who is informed about the flaws of hisself; he, who cannot see flaws in others. If they ask you, who is the disgraced one? Say:He who finds flaws in others and considers himself free from fault.

Among the extreme lenience we see in the people of our age is that they areundisturbed, affable and amiable with those who sin [openly]. If they would haveshown their displeasure and conveyed that they were offended, it would serve as areprimand to the sinners.

If the door of excellence was really opened for you, you would not have repeatedlyreturned to despicable and odious deeds. Do you not see that someone who has beeninvited to a palace will not [wish to] return to the garbage dump? If the door of solace(uns ) with Him was opened for you, you would not have asked for company andcomfort [of others.] If He had chosen you, you would not be broken away from Him.If you were honored by Him, you would not be looking for honor elsewhere.

If the love of everyone in this world(makhlq) fades away from your heart, be happy.

1111 Excerpted from Tj al-`Ars by Imm Ibn `A Allh al-Sakandar

2222 Imm Tjuddn Abl Fa l A mad ibn Mu ammad ibn `Abdul Karm ibn `Abdul Ra mn ibn`Abdullh ibn A med ibn `s ibn al- usayn ibn `A Allh al-Sakandar: Jidhm by descent, Mlikin fiqh , Alexandrine by domicile and buried in Qurfa - he was a Sf who followed the Shdhilarqa .

Shaykh Zarrq says that he was a master in many disciplines tafsr, adth, fiqh, grammar, and thescience of principles. He was a great spokesman of the sufis, a great preacher whose speech was ofimmense benefit to a multitude, who then followed him in his path. This was foretold by his Shaykh Abl `Abbs al-Murs as he himself relates inLa yif al-Minan : The Shaykh told me: Be steadfast. By Allh if you do so, you shall be a Muft in both themadhhabs that of Sharah the external andtarqa the internal. It is also reported from him [Shaykh Abl `Abbs] that he said: By Allh, this young man will not pass away before being a great sermonizer who invites people towards the path of Allh He isalso reported to have said: By Allh, you shall reach great heights, By Allh, you shall have a greatstature.

He passed away - Allah's mercy upon him - in the month of Jamd al-khir, in the year 709 AH.

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much that he keeps talking ill of him, then know that his inside is rotten. He has noknowledge. But, if he speaks good of him and if he finds an excuse for his vice saying:probably he had forgotten or he must have an excuse we do not know and so forth,then know that his inside is sturdy. A believer strives hard to safeguard the honor ofhis brother.