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| S. Bahauddin Adil having a rollicking good time with his brother of heaven and earth, the late al-marhum Shaykh Raja Ashman Shah ibni Sultan Azlan Shah by his side... |
The Smiling Shaykh, also known (to me at least) as the Laughing Shaykh or the Coffee-Talk Shaykh said in a recent sohbet (his sermon cum coffeetalk) that we are fortunate to be believers. And that we are believers, or at least trying to be believers. And in this, we have no choice really, being ‘forced’ to do so. But the Twinkling-Eye Shaykh (I am not done coming up with names for him yet, so bear with me, okay?) says this is good. This is very good. Because it only means that someone up there (or upstairs) loves us enough to force and cajole us.
This ‘loss of choice’ appears to be an anathema to any right-thinking person, whether you are a liberal secular Atheist or a Muslim or a believer. After all, did God not say there is no compulsion in religion…?
“Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.” (Quran 2:256, Yusuf Ali)
So surely, the statement by the Now-I-Am-Happy-Because-I-Have-A-Job Shaykh is open to be disputed. But alas, not. He is correct. Not that I am presuming to judge, of course. And of course not because I am wanting to win brownie points from the Rainbow Shaykh (But I won't say no, if offered. Hehehe) I am only sharing… Ahem. Okay, enough qualifications... let's roll...
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| He gets around, this fella. Here with the father of his spiritual brother, His Majesty the Sultan of Perak. |
Because although he was talking of religion, Shaykh Bahauddin Adil was specifically talking of love. It is because of love that those who have authority over us (Mothers, fathers, Shaykhs, aunties and uncles etc.), with God’s will and the Prophet’s permission, do good unto us. And sometimes, let’s face it – our parents have to literally force us to take our medicine. We know it is good for us, but perhaps we think the taste bitter and hard to swallow. It is just the same in the connection between the Master (Shaykh) and the Mureed. And those mureeds have willingly agreed to follow a Master, because they KNOW they are incapable of making through this life alone and unguided. They know, we know… that we are neither very virtuous nor very smart. So we place our head at the feet of our betters. This is the technical rationale of anyone being in a Sufi Tariqa (Order).
That is the reason at one level of understanding. But at the opening where the Lovely Shaykh is talking about, it is at the door of divine love. The level of those love-sick fools who have fallen in love with the Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim (his daddy) and the other Shaykhs. At this level our mind and mental faculties do play a role, but it has become subservient to our heart and soul. Love has robbed Man of his choice. For when truly in a state of unconditional love, he is lost to reason…
5. Alone with You III
Ah, Love!
That disposer of choice,
That anathema of free-will,
Dethroning the thin king
Called logic.
…………………………..
Enough of my chit-chat. You can watch Shaykh Bahauddin Adil yourself at SaltanatTv. Just look for the video entitled 'Look For Hope', uploaded on 10.07.2012.
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| 'The Love' al-fatiha |
Glory be! Look at the time! Must run, sunshine. See you tomorrow… Godwilling.
wa min Allah at-taufiq
Hate has no place in Islam
Love will show the Way
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