Stations
SECTION I
- 001 Wakefulness - اليَقَظَةُ
- 002 Repentance - التَّوْبَةُ
- 003 Self-Reckoning - المُحَاسَبَةُ
- 004 Returning - الإنَابَةُ
- 005 Reflection - التَّفَكُّرُ
- 006 Remembrance - التَّذَكُّرُ
- 007 Taking Shelter - الاعْتِصَامُ
- 008 Fleeing - الفِرَارُ
- 009 Training - الرِّيَاضَةُ
- 010 Hearing - السَّمَاعُ
SECTION II
- 011 Grief - الْحُزْنُ
- 012 Fear - الْخَوْفُ
- 013 Concern - الإشْفَاقُ
- 014 Submissive Solemnity - الْخُشُوعُ
- 015 Serene Submissiveness - الإخْبَاتُ
- 016 Disinterest - الزُّهْدُ
- 017 Pious Conscientiousness - الْوَرَعُ
- 018 Dedication - التَّبَتُّلُ
- 019 Hope - الرَّجَاءُ
- 020 Desirous Quest - الرَّغْبَةُ
SECTION III
- 021 Caring - الرِّعَايَة
- 022 Observance - المُرَاقَبَةُ
- 023 Veneration - الحُرْمَةِ
- 024 Devotion - الإخْلَاصُ
- 025 Refinement - التَّهْذِيبِ
- 026 Straightness - الِاسْتِقَامَة
- 027 Reliance - التَوَكَّل
- 028 Delegation - التَّفْوِيضِ
- 029 Trust - الثِّقَةِ
- 030 Surrender - التَّسْلِيمِ
SECTION IV
- 031 Patience - الصَّبْرِ
- 032 Contentment - الرِّضَا
- 033 Gratefulness - الشُّكْرُ
- 034 Modesty - الْحَيَاءِ
- 035 Truthfulness - الصِّدْقِ
- 036 Altruism - الإيثَارِ
- 037 Character - الخُلُق
- 038 Humbleness - التَّواضُع
- 039 Pietistic Heroism - الْفُتُوَّةِ
- 040 Affability - الانْبِسَاط
SECTION V
- 041 Intent - الْقَصْدِ
- 042 Resolve - الْعَزْمِ
- 043 Willfulness - الْإِرَادَةِ
- 044 Propriety - الأدَبِ
- 045 Certainty - اليَقِين
- 046 Comforting Intimacy - الْأُنْسِ
- 047 Remembrance - الذِّكْرِ
- 048 Poverty - الْفَقْرِ
- 049 Richness - الْغِنَى
- 050 The Sought - الْمُرَاد
SECTION VI
- 051 Excellence - الْإِحْسَانِ
- 052 Knowledge - العِلْمِ
- 053 Wisdom - الحِكْمَةِ
- 054 Insight - الْبَصِيرَة
- 055 Astuteness - الْفِرَاسَةِ
- 056 Exaltation - التعظيم
- 057 Inspiration - الإلهام
- 058 Tranquility - السَّكِينَةُ
- 059 Serenity - الطُّمَأْنِينَة
- 060 Drive - الْهِمَّةِ
SECTION VII
- 061 Love - المَحَبَّةُ
- 062 Protectiveness - الْغَيْرَة
- 063 Yearning - الشَّوْقُ
- 064 Anxiety - الْقَلَقُ
- 065 Thirst - الْعَطَشُ
- 066 Ecstasy - الْوَجْدُ
- 067 Bewilderment - الدَّهَشُ
- 068 Mystification - الْهَيَمَان
- 069 Lightning - البَرْق
- 070 Taste - الذَّوْقِ
SECTION VIII
- 071 Noting - اللَّحْظ
- 072 Timeliness - الْوَقْتُ
- 073 Clarity - الصَّفَاءُ
- 074 Bliss - السُّرُورُ
- 075 Privacy - السِّرُّ
- 076 Breath - النَّفَسُ
- 077 Stranger-ness - الْغُرْبَةُ
- 078 Submersion - الغَرَق
- 079 Absence - الْغَيْبَةُ
- 080 Establishment - التَّمَكُّنِ
SECTION IX
- 081 Disclosure - الْمُكَاشَفَةِ
- 082 Witnessing - الْمُشَاهَدَةُ
- 083 Beholding - المُعَايَنَةُ
- 084 Life - الْحَيَاة
- 085 Constriction - الْقَبْضٌ
- 086 Expansion - الْبَسْطُ
- 087 Intoxication - السُّكْرُ
- 088 Sobriety - الصَّحْوُ
- 089 Connection - الِاتِّصَال
- 090 Detachment - الِانْفِصَال
SECTION X
Allah, the Almighty, said:
{…and they give others preference over themselves, even though they are in privation…}[al-Ḥashr 59:9]
قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: "وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ"
Altruism is a choice to favor someone in particular [over oneself].315 Selfishness is [tolerated] willingly, and that is praiseworthy,316 but it may also be tolerated unwillingly. Altruism is of three levels:
الْإِيثَارُ تَخْصِيصٌ وَاخْتِيَارٌ، وَالْأَثَرَةُ تَحْسُنُ طَوْعًا وَتَصِحُّ كَرْهًا. وَهُوَ عَلَى ثَلَاثِ دَرَجَاتٍ.
The first level is to favor the creation over yourself, as long as this does not lead to sin, does not interrupt your journey, and does not waste your time. This is not attainable except through three qualities:
- esteeming rights317
- abhorring possessiveness
- desire in magnanimity
الدَّرَجَةُ الْأُولَى أَنْ تُؤْثِرَ الْخَلْقَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ فِيمَا لَا يَخْرِمُ عَلَيْكَ دِينًا، وَلَا يَقْطَعُ عَلَيْكَ طَرِيقًا، وَلَا يُفْسِدُ عَلَيْكَ وَقْتًا. وَلَا يُسْتَطَاعُ إِلَّا بِثَلَاثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ:
- بِتَعْظِيمِ الْحُقُوقِ
- وَمَقْتِ الشُّحِّ
- وَالرَّغْبَةِ فِي مَكَارِمِ الْأَخْلَاقِ
The second level is favoring the pleasure of Allah over the pleasure of others, even if this results in great hardship, costs a great price, and overwhelms one’s strength and body. This can be attained through three qualities:
- the soundness of one’s homecoming318
- the wellness of one’s Islam
- the strength of one’s resolve
الدَّرَجَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ إِيثَارُ رِضَا اللَّهِ عَلَى رِضَا غَيْرِهِ، وَإِنْ عَظُمَتْ فِيهِ الْمِحَن، وَثَقُلَتْ فِيهِ الْمُؤَنُ، وَضَعُفَ عَنْهُ الطَّوْلُ وَالْبَدَنُ. وَيُسْتَطَاعُ هَذَا بِثَلَاثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ:
- بِطِيبِ الْعَوْدِ
- وَحُسْنِ الْإِسْلَامِ
- وَقُوَّةِ الصَّبْرِ
The third level is one’s denial of their altruism out of recognition that it is only Allah who favors [whomever He pleases]. This is so because one’s claim of altruism is a [false] claim of ownership.319 Then, one must refrain from beholding their denial of their altruism.320 Then, one must be unconscious of their refraining.321
الدَّرَجَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ إِيثَارُ إِيثَارِ اللَّهِ، فَإِنَّ الْخَوْضَ فِي الْإِيثَارِ دَعْوَى فِي الْمِلْكِ، ثُمَّ تَرْكُ شُهُودِ رُؤْيَتِكَ إِيثَارَ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ غَيْبَتُكَ عَنِ التَّرْكِ.
315 One who is altruistic is acting deliberately out of an autonomous choice to be good, not a mere inclination.
316 For the selfish one has no control, and what they withhold from you is, in fact, withheld by the true Owner of all things and Disposer of all affairs: Allah.
317 The rights of others over him/her.
318 Determination to return Home (paradise).
319 One who thinks of themselves as altruistic thinks in the first place that they own that which they give. This is a false claim of ownership, because the true Owner is only the One.
320 Because you would still be mindful of your actions (your denial of your power and influence). Such mindfulness crowds out (or competes with) your mindfulness of Allah in your consciousness.
321 Because you would still be mindful of your abstentions. This means that you are still conscious of your self. To the sheikh, that may still compete with your consciousness of the True One, Allah.