The Book of Assistance

Halaqah had started again since 2 weeks ago. I am so jubilant about it! yeahhhh 

This season we started our class with references and teachings from Imam Abdallah Ibn Alawi Al-Haddad r.a., the Mujaddid or renewer of the 12th Islamic century.

Imam Al-Haddad, was born in Tarim. His lineage is traced back to the Prophet s.a.w. through Imam (Saiyidina) Husain.  This book that Imam Al-Haddad wrote was based on the teachings of the great Muslim scholar, Imam Al-Ghazali’s Ihya Ulumuddin (Revival of the Religious Sciences).  Imam Al-Ghazali himself was the mujaddid of the 6th century.

Back to Imam Al-Haddad, he died on the eve of the 7th of Dzulkaedah, 1132 AH. He was buried in a simple grave in the cemetery at Tarim.

“The Book of Assistance” was written by him for those who earnestly desire to tread on the path of the Afterlife, and seriously follow the sunnah of Rasulullah s.a.w.  In fact, someone once mentioned that if we based our whole life on the teachings of this book, insya’Allah we will be able to end our life with a good ending (husnul khatimah) …. insya’Allah.

The first teaching of this book touched on the ego. 

“Beware of your ego, and trust not its mischief; The ego is worse than seventy devils.”

Thus, each and everyone of us must always be on the alert mode less our ego overtook us unaware. 

Example, during the month of Ramadan, its a whole month without the devils to bother us.  Ramadan, a whole month of blessing is a great present from our Lord so that we can concentrate on our prayers, fasting etc.  Yet, many of us will still feel the lethargic, the laziness, the hesitation to perform our fasting, our prayers and good deeds.  Why???  All because of our nafs (ego).

How to control or rid ourselves of our ego?  I think thru the teachings in the Book of Assistance we will be able to find the answers, insya’Allah.

The first chapter of the book touched on the topic of “certainty” – Yaqin. 

Yaqin (certainty) – a person who is 100% full of certainty in Allah s.w.t. is like a mountain.  Nothing … nothing will be able to shake it.  Not the words of another being, or even the trajedies of the world will shake that certainty, the total believing in Allah s.w.t., our Lord, Most Compassionate and Most Merciful.

Certainty is power, firmness and stability of faith which no doubts and illusions can shake it up.  An example of a person with such great certainty was the companion of our Prophet s.a.w., Saiyidina Umar r.a.  He was such a firm believer and his yaqin so high and totally complete that the Devil dared not approached even Saiyidina Umar’s shadow.

In order to attain this kind of certainty, we could :

- First, based on the Holy Quran by reading and understanding its meanings.

- Second, based on our observation on the creations of Allah’s creatures and reflect upon them.

- Third, to behave according to what we believe, outwardly and inwardly.  Do it steadfastly and zealously and to the limit of one’s resources. 

Remember Allah had said “Those who strive in Us, We shall surely guide them to Our ways” (XXIX : 69)

A true and proper certainty results in acquiescence in Allah’s promise, total confidence in what He has guaranteed, turning to Him at all times and abandoning all things that distract us from Him.  Spending all our energy and wake up time totally with the intention to seek Allah’s pleasure and blessing.

Believers have 3 degrees of certainty.  The first is that of the People of the Right Hand, this kind of certainty is a firm belief but with the possibility of becoming doubtful or shaky under certain circumstances.  This certainty is called faith.

The second is that of the Ones Brought Nigh, which is the possession of the heart by faith and imbedded so firmly that its opposite becomes no longer possible or even imaginable.  In this degree the unseen becomes as the seen.  This is called certainty.

The third, and best of all certainty is that of the Prophets and the True Saints (siddiqin).  Here the unseen becomes seen, which is called unveiling (kashf) and contemplation (mushahada).

All these grades within each degree are all good but some better than others.  So as we learn our way to become certain or increase our certainty, we have to decide to try hard to aim for the best of all. 

Remember … Yaqin (certainty) comes after 100% of faith in Allah s.w.t.

Remember these keywords : Listen, look and act on it.

Listen – to the words of Allah and Rasulullah s.a.w.

Look – at the wonders of Allah’s creation

Act on it – Don’t delay but act to do deeds that will bring us closer to Him.

Insya’Allah … those who strive will succeed with Allah’s grace.  Nothing comes without first making an effort to move towards the things that we want.  We may fall occasionally but always remember to get up and keep moving, never despair.

So … sisters/brothers if you are those who have the urge to tread in the path of the Afterlife … tread in the path to seek Allah’s love and blessing, let’s all get started shall we? Let’s all pray for one another that we all may achieve what we seek.  Insya’Allah…..

(source : The book of assistance)

PS : Do seek further clarifications from our Islamic scholar if you are in doubts about some of what I’ve written above.  All good ones are from Allah and the bad ones are from me, for afterall I am a weak servant, so do forgive me if there’s any mistakes from this post.

Jazakallah…