The Examplary Manners of the Friends of Allah

From The Garden Of The Heart

FROM THE EXAMPLARY MANNERS

OF THE FRIENDS OF ALLAH

-1-

Osman Nuri TOPBASH

Published by Osman Nuri Topbas at Smashwords

Copyright © 2011 by Osman Nuri Topbas

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

E-mail:english@islamicpublishing.net

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD

TO KNOW PROPHET MUHAMMAD (s.a.s.) BY HEART

Endless Spiritual Capacity

If Its Saint Is Like This

It Is In The Extent Of The Capacity Of The Sender

The Most Prosperous Way To Get To Know The Prophet

The Love For Muhammad

Because He r Used To Do This And That

The Sensitivity Towards The Sunnah (The Traditions Of The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.))

MODESTY

Friends Of Allah The Almighty

An Eminent State Of Servitude: Modesty

Swords Are For The Neck Of Those Who Have (High And Proud) Necks

The Humility Of Our Prophet (s.a.s.)

The Modesty Of The Companions

Moderation In Modesty

The Role of Modesty in Spiritual Training

BEING PATIENT AND TOLERANT TOWARDS THE IGNORANT AND THE ILL-MANNERED

The Patience And Tolerance Of The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.)

The Patience And Tolerance Of The Friends Of Allah

RESPONDING TO EVIL WITH GOODNESS

There Shall Be No Reproof Against You This Day

I Have Not Been Sent As The Invoker Of A Curse

The Remedy For The Removal Of Afflictions

Forgiveness When It Is Appropriate

Wouldn’t You Like To Be Forgiven By Allah?

How Much Goodness Should Be Shown In Response To Evil?

Humans Are Slaves Of Benefaction

Eyes Which Can Cry For Their Enemy

Everybody Sells What They Own

SMILING

A Believer’s Smile Must Be On His Face; His Sorrow Should Be In His Heart

The Prophet’s (s.a.s.) Smile

The Smile Of The Friends Of Allah

GOOD MANNERS AND COURTESY

Manners Towards Allah The Almighty

Manners Towards The Messenger Of Allah (s.a.s.)

Manners Towards The Friends Of Allah

MANNERS OF SPEAKING ADVISED BY THE HOLY QUR’ĀN

To Be Accustomed By The Language Of Mercy Of The Qur’ān

What Kind Of Language Does The Qur’an Expect From Us To Use?

What Kind Of Language Does The Qur’ān Prohibit

GENEROSITY AND CHARITY

Compete In Generosity

An Elevating Characteristic: Generosity

Two Great Maladies: Extravagance And Stinginess

The Cures For The Hardness Of The Heart: Generosity And Charity

Donate More Than What Is Needed

Efforts To Strengthen Generosity

Blindness Of Stinginess

Help Now, So You Will Be Helped When You Need It

MANNERS OF CHARITY

Do Not Waste Your Charity

Giving Charity With Gratitude

The Way To Attain Righteousness

Aid One Another In Kindness And Piety

The One Who Causes Goodness Is Like The One Who Does Goodness

SINCERITY IN CHARITY

Sign Of Sincerity: To Be Able To Find The Real Needy

If You Have Sincere Intentions, Allah Will Bestow His Blessings Upon You

Your Left Hand Should Not Know What Your Right Hand Gives

ALTRUISM

Giving From All Kinds Of Blessings

Altruism Of The Messenger Of Allah And His Companions

Altruism Of The Friends Of Allah

The Peak Of Altruism: Giving From Life

The Magnificent Blessings Of Altruism

HURRYING UP IN DOING GOODNESS

The Significance Of Hurry Up In Doing Goodness

An Exemplary Scene From The Last Breath

Everybody Regrets

The Real Possession Of A Person Is Whatever He Prepares For The Hereafter

Save Yourselves From The Malady Of Stinginess

BROTHERHOOD

Brotherhood In Islam Is More Superior

Brotherhood Of Ansār (Helpers) And Muhajirūn (Immigrants)

Be A Friend Not A Burden

REVIVING BROTHERHOOD

Encouraging Peacemaking Among Believers

Hating Sins; Showing Mercy To The Sinners

The Basic Foundation Of Unity: Islamic Brotherhood

Feeling The Suffering Of Your Brother In Islam

A Companion Who Left The Worship Of I’tikaf To Help A Believer

Divine Blessing: The Month Of Ramadān

LOVE AND ANGER FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH

Fruits Of The Tree Of Prophethood

Temptations Of The World

Love Those Who Are Worthy To Be Loved And Dislike Those Who Deserve To Be Disliked

Signs Of Real Love

Love And Anger For The Sake Of Allah

SINCERITY IN LOVE AND HATE

When The Sensitivity Of Faith Is Lost

The Weak Point Of Muslims: Giving Compromises

Reaction Of Faith

The Disease Of Imitation

Dialogue With Non-Muslims

Basic Principles Of Dialogue With Non-Muslims

NOT TO FORGET MORTALITY

Two Opposite Scenes Concerning Death

Do Not Cry For The Deceased But Cry For Yourself

The Most Important Unknown: The Last Breath

What Is Your Destiny Going To Be?

PREFERING HEREAFTER OVER THIS WORLD

The Sign Of A Sound Heart

We Do Not Change A Good Deed Of Hereafter For The Entire World

Who Is The Real Intelligent?

The Cure For The Hardness Of Heart

Fault Is Not In The World But In Those Who Are Deceived By It

FOREWORD

The One who created from nothing unaccountably many creatures whose only capital was "nothingness;"

The One who made us superior to all other creatures by creating us as humans even though we have not paid any compensation for it;

The One who guides us to the righteousness and goodness by the books He revealed and the prophets He sent;

The One who is so kind as to keep the continuity of this spiritual guidance by scholars and Gnostics who are inheritors of the prophets;

Infinite praises and thanks are due to Allah the Almighty who benefited us, His humble servants, with the bliss and serenity of faith!

The one who became the means to save humanity from the darkness of unbelief and ignorance and flooded them with the light of eternal happiness;

The one who distributes mercy, compassion, and benediction from his soul which is the mercy to the worlds

The one who is adorned by a unique exemplary character, our most important teacher and trainer, and guide;

The one who will intercede for us in the Hereafter,

Endless peace and blessings be upon the eternal honor of the universe, Muhammad Mustafa, and upon the members of his family (Ahl Al-Bayt) and his Companions!

Our respectable readers:

The articles that are printed monthly in the Altinoluk magazine under the heading of From the Garden of Heart are being edited, collected periodically into books and made available for the benefit of our esteemed readers.

With the blessing of our Lord we have had the opportunity to add a new ring into the chain of our books such as The Secret in the Love for God, The Last Breath, Tears of Heart from the garden of the Mathnawi, and Endowment, Spending and Service In Islam, and more

There is a need for works in every field of the Islamic sciences, which will take the beauty, delicacy, and elegance of Islam into the hearts of human beings. This is especially true in the field of spiritual guidance… The reason for this is because today we are at the pinnacle of spiritual hunger and moral dissatisfaction. Therefore, the demand for religious services is an obvious necessity in our society, and we should be willing to devote ourselves to such service.

In this regard; it is necessary for us to utilize the blessings of Allah such as our intellectual and spiritual comprehension, our lives, possessions, and time in the way of His contentment.

Hence, it is vital that we fully utilize the blessings bestowed upon us, such as our intellectual and spiritual comprehension, our time on this earth, and our possessions, all for the sake of pleasing Allah.

One of the most important services that we can do for the sake of Islam is to try to understand and live Islam as the Companions of the Prophet (s.a.s.) and the friends of Allah did, and apply it to our lives in every way possible, by integrating faith, worship, behavior, and moral perfection. Thus, we should be able to display the perfect state of Islamic identity and a believer’s heart. Of course, in order to display such an Islamic identity and level of heart, we first need to know the characteristics, features, beauties, and doctrines of Islam.

In an effort to realize this goal, we have made an effort to explain the level of courtesy, delicacy, elegance, compassion, charm, and sensitivity that Islam aims for us to achieve, in a series of articles entitled From the exemplary manners of the friends of Allah, with examples from the lives of prominent figures of Islamic history. The book you are holding is the first volume of this work. The articles that will make up the second volume of this series are being printed in Altinoluk magazine. These articles, if Allah wills, will be presented for your benefit as the second book of the series From the Exemplary Manners of the Friends of Allah.

It should not be forgotten that one can only be human through his good manners. The principles of manners are only applicable for human beings among all creation. For this reason, even though a person who lacks good manners looks like a human from the outside, in reality; he is inferior to many other beings. He consequently loses his honor and dignity. So, the secret that makes a person human, introduces him to his real treasure, and in the end enables him to attain the attribute described as being the most honored of all the creatures, having good manners/morals on the basis of faith, which is practiced with love.

The foundation for good morals is in compliance with perfect manners in every aspect of life. Manners are the proof of our humanity; like the fragrance of a rose that refreshes our hearts. This fragrance should penetrate into a believer’s heart and needs to be felt in every aspect of his life. At the same time, this is also a sign for the perfection in faith.

As a matter of fact, Jalal al-Din Rumi said:

"My intelligence asked my heart; ‘What is faith?’ My heart whispered into the ears of my intelligence: ‘Faith is all about perfection in manners!’"

Each principle of Islam is like the manifestation of its moral beauties, which are comprised of the reflections of faith into lives.

The Prophet (s.a.s.) said:

"I am sent to perfect good manners." (Muvatta, Husnul Hulk, 8)

So, every behavior and action of scholars and Gnostics who are the inheritors of prophets is like a moral lesson for us. Further, many spiritually prominent names in Islam considered Sufism as composition of good manners and morals. They noted that the first lesson of Sufism is not to hurt anyone and the final lesson is not to be hurt by anyone.

The friends of Allah are the best examples for those who could not have the honor of meeting the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) and his Companions. Their guidance and advice revive the hearts of the believers with the language of mercy, and nourish the souls with spirituality, emanating from the prophetic spring.

They are those who are knowledgeable, Gnostic, upright, and mature friends of Allah who have reached the excellence in piety, and gradually advanced up the steps of spiritual stations by their piety and God- consciousness. They have expanded their understanding and comprehension through the horizons of both this world and the Hereafter. Their only effort is to save humanity from bad manners, behaviors and selfish desires, and elevate them towards the spiritual maturity and heights of virtue.

Those who are the friends of Allah are not forgotten after their mortal bodies have left this world, rather they continue to live in the hearts of their loved ones and continue to guide them. Allah loves them and He has bestowed their love only upon those who are privileged. This is expressed in the Qur’ān as follows:

On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (Allah) Most Gracious bestow love. (19:96)

Love…

The most vital love… A heartfelt affection which attracts many hearts like a magnet...

Isn’t the number of those who visit the tombs of Shah-ı Naqshiband, Jalal al-Din Rumi, Yunus Emre, or Hudayi (May Allah have mercy on their souls) every day enough to prove this fact?

The following story is a very nice manifestation of this reality:

Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid was living in glory and luxury in Raqqa. One day Abdullah b. Mubarak came to Raqqa. All the people of the city went out of the city to welcome him. The caliph was practically all alone in the city. One of the concubines of the caliph wondered the reason for such a scene and asked:

What is this? What is happening? and she was told:

A scholar from Khorasan came to the city. His name is Abdullah b. Mubarak. People went out to welcome him.

Then the concubine said:

The real sultanate is this one, not Harun al-Rashid’s; because, without a police force he cannot even gather his workers.

This is the real sultanate; because, one day, all reigns in this world will end. However, the spiritual sultanate will continue with all its glory even after death. People are always in need of the sultans of the hearts. They look for them and follow their footsteps. This is why the friends of Allah, such as Abdulkadir Gaylani, Bahauddin Naqshiband, Yunus Emre, Rumi, and others, have been longed for, for centuries.

The spiritual appeal and affection of the friends of Allah is the secret behind their spiritual sultanate. Their exceptional qualities are also among the reasons of their esteemed state. The friends of Allah, who are completely lost in the love for the Messenger of Allah (fana fi al-Rasul) do not speak out of their own selfish desires. They are like the reed flute that has emptied its inner self from everything that keeps it away from Allah. All their talk and actions are actually reflections from the traditions and sayings of the prophets. Their hearts are like clear mirrors upon which the divine light of Allah and the truth are reflected. This reality is expressed in the following saying of the Prophet (s.a.s.):

"…And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him." (Bukhari, Kitab al-Riqaq, 38)

Their spiritual world is an exceptional place where the beautiful attributes of Allah the Almighty are manifested. The most repeated attributes of our Lord in the Noble Qur’ān, Rahman (The Compassionate) and Rahim (The Merciful), are reflected in the hearts of the friends of Allah as a mercy for all creation. Seeing creation through the window of mercy and compassion of the Creator has been the doctrine of their lives.

When Hallaj-ı Mansur was being stoned, he said:

Dear Lord! Forgive those who are throwing stones at me before You forgive me.

The friends of Allah try to adorn themselves with Allah’s attribute of the Most forgiving, through which they manifest this attribute in all aspects of their lives.

One day a visitor unintentionally made an impolite noise in front of Hatam-i As’am, and Hatam pretended that he did not hear it, so as not to embarrass his visitor. Then for years, Hatam pretended as though he could not hear very well. For this reason, he was remembered by the nickname "As’am, which means deaf or the one who does not hear well. This is a nice example of the manifestation of Allah’s attribute sattar al-uyub," which means veiler of shortcomings.

Jalal al-Din Rumi is another great example of how a true believer and a friend of Allah should be. He was among the exceptional spiritual guides of Islamic history and among the sultans of the hearts. For seven centuries, his monumental work the Mathnawi, full of secrets and wisdom, has maintained its vigor in being a spiritual and ethical guide for believers. The following incident is a befitting example of Rumi’s spiritual state:

One day, upon everyone’s bewilderment, Rumi stepped into a pool in which lepers were being treated. He spiritually treated and consoled the patients in the pool by showing mercy and affection. In fact, the spiritual world of this friend of Allah, who looks at creation from the perspective of the Creator’s merciful eyes, was like a rehabilitation center where people found peace and cures.

During the first seven years of his commitment, Bahauddin Naqshiband lived a life of valuable services ranging from serving the sick, needy, homeless and wounded animals, to cleaning up the roads that people used. He expressed the feeling of nothingness that peaked in his heart in the following lines:

The world is wheat, I am hay,

The world is nice, I am bad…

He also stated that he had achieved the greatest divine inspirations during the years of these services.

Because Abu Hanifa refused to issue a judicial opinion upon the personal desires of the caliph, he chose prison instead of being the chief justice of Baghdad. Thus he manifested a great example of justice and righteousness at the expense of his own life.

Ahmad b. Hanbal chose to be a tortured prisoner as a result of his opinion in the famous debate of whether the Qur’an was created or not, rather than compromising his opinion and what he believed to be the truth.

In short, all these examples of bravery and strength through faith are only a few of the uncountable examples that reflect the exemplary good manners of the friends of Allah. They are the ones who are close to Allah the Almighty and hence who are freed from the terror and sadness of Hellfire.

If we truly love the saints (friends of Allah), the beloved servants of Allah, and want to be resurrected with them in the Hereafter, we must try to exemplify their good manners. By balancing our behavior with theirs, taking their actions as our own criteria, and trying to accomplish their spiritual state, we may reach eternal happiness.

These are the facts that we attempt to explain in this humble work that you are holding. The following topics are briefly covered in this book:

Our Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) is at the peak of good manners, politeness, and elegance among human beings. All these virtues and beauties exist and are embedded in his exemplary character. His spiritual world is like a garden of Paradise, full of precious, delicate and elegant flowers with nice fragrances. The friends of Allah and the followers of the Prophet (s.a.s.) are as valuable as the wind of Sheba blowing from the garden of paradise. The most important thing for us in this world is to find a straight path that passes through this garden in paradise. For this, it is necessary to Know the Prophet (s.a.s.) by Heart as the friends of Allah did. In fact, it is not possible to comprehend his spiritual life while solely learning the chronological history of his life.

All the moral beauties in this world that sprouted on the basis of faith are simply shares from the prophetic morals delivered to humanity. For this reason it is impossible to live an acceptable life of servitude without getting a share from Prophet Muhammad’(s.a.s.) heart and without reading him with the eyes of our soul.

This universe is a school of faith. We are here to receive a spiritual training. The whole issue is to complete our book of life with our Lord’s consent by attaining spiritual maturity.

The first lesson to be learned in this training is "humility," so we can be the real servants of Allah the Merciful. Any form of worship that is carried out for the sake of Allah is unacceptable if done without a humble heart, which is also considered the essence of being a servant of Allah the Almighty. Only when the servant is humble, the Lord embraces him with His mercy and elevates him.

For this reason, the first requirement in passing through the door of friendship with Allah is to acquire humility and abandon one’s ego. All of the material and spiritual blessings are gifts from the Creator. Ego, on the other hand, is sort of disease in the heart.

Again, the trials of the dunya in the form of Patience and Tolerance towards the ignorant and ill-mannered never cease to emerge in the path of those in the way of Allah. Their devotion, submission, and intentions are being tested. Enlightened servants with prevision complete their spiritual training successfully by responding to evil with goodness.

It is understood that perfect faith is the ability to refrain from all complaints, and to bury grief in one’s heart, with sincere intentions, while maintaining a positive demeanor. A smiling face is a characteristic of all believers, and Islam in fact reflects Good manners and Courtesy. A Muslim should not claim that he is a religious person if at the same time he is rude, quarrelsome, and impolite.

Every action and behavior of a perfect believer, from the way he sits to the way he stands, and from the way he walks to the way he smiles, is regulated by the principles of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Manners of speaking come at the head of all actions, which are regulated by the principles of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Words are like a mirror which reflects the intelligence, spiritual level, faith and the moral state of the speaker. This is why, in order to protect ourselves from the consequences of our words, we must know what the manners of speaking advised by the Qur’ān are.

On the other hand, the first fruits of faith are mercy and compassion. With a heart that lacks mercy and compassion, it is impossible to receive Allah’s mercy. Generosity and charity is the natural consequence of showing mercy and compassion to creatures for the sake of their Creator. A believer should be as affectionate as the morning breeze and as generous as the rain. He needs to search for Allah’s consent by being peaceful, having mercy and benediction to all other creation. In other words, a believer should treat others with respect and benevolence through following the manners of charity. The giver should be grateful to the receiver of the charity. The believer should pay extra attention not to embarrass the needy. One must abstain from hypocrisy, showing off, extravagancy, and greed. Otherwise, good deeds are being wasted by not obeying the principle of sincerity in charity.

Altruism (i’sar) is the peak point of fulfilling benevolence and helping others. Altruism, which is a unique attribute of the pious servants of Allah, is being able to give to another believer