Hi there, semester has started two days ago and so far, the classes are good. But I am not going to spend a post dedicated to new semester since nothing much has happened haha. This post is for the book, which the title is the title for this post. I found this book in Fisher Library in University of Sydney, while looking for the another book. What made me take this book home? I don't know actually, I just had a feeling that I'll enjoy reading it and I did.
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| the front cover is quite interesting hm |
I was planning to read this book whenever I got free time and after managing to read the introduction, I received an email saying that the book has been recalled. What in the world just happened? I borrowed the book yesterday and now I have to return it within a week? I was asking a few people I know who might get interested with this book but they said they didn't recalled the book. I was sad and frustrated because the book content is a little 'heavy' to me and I don't like reading something worth giving a thought quickly, nevertheless, I don't have a choice. And what do you know, I managed to finish the book in 5 days. Thank you to the person who recalled the book, thanks.
So what I got from this book? Quite a lot actually, but here, I am just gonna include a few things worth giving a thought. The following are some of the excerpt from the book;
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Ibn 'Ata-Illah says in his Hikam: "Sudden distress heralds feast days for one who aspires"; and again: "Distress is the key to spiritual gifts"; and again: "You will perhaps find a benefit in distress which you have not been able to find in fasting nor in prayer; therefore when it descends upon you, defend yourself no longer and do not be concerned with searching for some remedy, lest you drive away the good which comes toward you freely, and give up your will entirely to your Lord; then you will see marvels." Our Master used to say when someone was overcome with dismay: "Relax your mind and learn to swim."
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Sensuality is opposite of spirituality and opposites do not meet.
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Certainly all things are hidden in their opposites - gain in loss and gift in refusal, honor in humiliation, wealth in poverty, strength in weakness, abundance in restriction, rising up in falling down, life in death, victory in defeat, power in powerlessness and so on. Therefore, if a man wishes to find, let him be content to lose; if he wishes a gift, let him be content with refusal; he who desires honor must accept humiliation and he who desires wealth must be satisfied with poverty; let him who wishes to be strong be content to be weak; let him who wishes abundance be resigned to restriction; he who wishes to be raised up must allow himself to be cast down; he who desires life must accept death; he who wishes to conquer must be content to be conquered and he who desires power must be content with impotence.
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The true way to hurt the enemy is to be occupied with the love of the Friend.
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There is nothing more conducive to concentration of the heart on God than silence and fasting, just as there is nothing more conducive to dispersion than too much food and too many words, even about what concerns us.
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"The best of your moments is that in which you are aware of your distress and thrown back upon your own helplessness… it may be that in distress you will find benefits that have been unable to find either in prayer or in fasting."
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He who stops at opinion never arrives at realization. So cease to be busy with conjecture and never judge anything(judgement concerning something of a spiritual nature) on the basis of you individual opinion, but only after having realized it. For sincerity in deed and word destroys doubts and cares ad strengthens consciousness of divine Unity (tawhid) in the heart of him who practices it constantly.
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Lastly, my brother, I strongly advise you - "religion is sincere counsel" - not to give up the remembrance (dhikr) of your Lord, as He himself told you to do it, standing, sitting and reclining (Quran IV, 104) and in all conditions, for we need nothing but that; we, you and every man, whoever he may be.
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Most of the excerpt are self-explanatory. But I wanted to highlight that in this book, the sufi Master reminded that one who wanted to become a sufi must get a teacher, a master to guide him. On the early pages of the book, he mentioned quite seriously the importance of having a reference, a person who he can get the knowledge and the wisdom and the blessing from the master is important as well. Nevertheless, one must not forget, it is He who have the power of everything, so pray to Him and remember Him.
I've got to go now, write again later!
