al-tirmidhi - two works on sainthood
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Here's an excerpt from "A Forerunner of Ibn al-'Arabî: Hakîm Tirmidhî on Sainthood" by Bernd Radtke to introduce this book, enjoy:How does one achieve this privileged relationship with God, and in what way does it manifest itself, once it has been acquired?Hakîm Tirmidhî explains this by way of some definitions at the beginning of Sirât al-awliyâ'. He makes a major distinction between two kinds of friends of God. One kind he calls walî Allâh, and the other walî haqq Allâh. While the term walî Allâh presents no particular difficulty - it means simply friend of God - the translation of walî haqq Allâh is more complicated. The complication arises from the exact definition of the term haqq. Haqq means 'right', 'true', 'Truth'. Frequently the term is used of God, who is the Absolute Truth. By the same token, haqq means 'right' in two senses. First, it is the right or the due that someone possesses and which he may claim; so God's claim upon man. Secondly, it is the due that one owes, such as the due that man owes God; this may be called an obligation. Therefore walî haqq Allâh is someone who is close to God on account of the haqq, the oligation, or rather, he is the friend of God because he is willing to fulfil the haqq toward God, namely to live up to his obligation towards God. Yet a better definition is perhaps, a friend of God is he who by fulfilling his obligation achieves a closer relationship with God.The other, walî Allâh, by definition is not subject to the haqq, the obligation or due, in his relationship to God, which seems more immediate and is not weakened by the interposition of the haqq. In order to understand the meaning of the two terms, walî Allâh and walî haqq Allâh, in their entire scope, one must understand that for Hakîm Tirmidhî haqq is a metaphysical, cosmic principle. As one of the fundamental attributes of God, haqq guides all worldly manifestations according to the principles of divine law and divine truth. If possible, man must fulfil the conditions of these principles, he must fulfil the claims of the divine law. A walî haqq Allâh is thus close to God in the measure that he lives in harmony with Law. http://www.ibnarabisociety.org/articles/hakimtirmidhi.htmlhttp://books.google.com/books?id=AeAG74TdAXEC&source=gbs_navlinks_sTRANSCRIPT
