Friday, September 12, 2008

On being an obedient servant of Allāh (SwT)

The Holy month of Ramadān is a month of becoming ‘Abdullāh (an obedient servant of Allāh (SwT)). It is a month of adopting the etiquette of Allāh (SwT) in the language of tradition or adopting the Divine Color in the language of the Holy Qur’ān. The Holy Qur’ān says:

)صِبْغَةَ اللٌّهِ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللٌّهِ صِبْغَةً وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدُونَ (

“Allāh’s Color; and whose color is more pleasant than Allāh’s; and He alone do we worship.[55]”

And the Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:

تَخَلَّقُوا بِأَخْلاَقِ اللٌّهِ.

“Adopt the etiquette of Allāh.[56]”

In fact one of the wonderful supplications taught to us by Imām Bāqir al-‘Ulūm (‘a) is Du’a al-Mubāhilah, in which what we seek are the Beautiful Attributes of Allāh.

‘Allāmah Tabā’tabā’ī, the mentor of leading contemporary authorities in ‘irfān, would highly emphasize on reading this du‘ā, ‘for,’ he would say, ‘there is no mention of Paradisal men or women in it.’ Observe the following verses of this radiant supplication:

أَللٌّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ بَهَائِكَ بِأَبْهَاهُ وَكُلُّ بَهَائِكَ بَهِيٌّ… أَللٌّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ عَظَمَتِكَ بِأَعْظَمِهَا وَكُلُّ عَظَمَتِكَ عَظِيمَةٌ، أللٌّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِعَظَمَتِكَ كُلِّهَا…

“O Allāh I seek from You the kind of Your Brilliance (bahā’ikā) which is the Most Brilliant, and every Brilliance of Yours is Very Brilliant; O Allāh I ask You by Your Brilliance in its entirety….O Allāh I seek from You the kind of Your Greatness which is the Greatest, and every Greatness of Yours is very Great; O Allāh I ask You by Your Greatness in its entirety…”[57]

Ref: A short treatise on Divine invitation

Notes:
[55] Holy Qur’ān, 2:138.
[56] Sharh Du‘ā’ al-Sabāh, pg. 87.
[57] Mafātīh al-Jinān, pg. 184.

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