The Haq of Ni’mat/Museebat/Taa-at/Ma’siyat
The Haq of Ni’mat is Shukr. The Haq of Museebat is Sabr. The Haq of Taa-at is Mushaahadah (Perception) of Allah’s Fadhl (Grace). The Haq of Ma’siyat is Taubah and Istighfaar.
No such time will be found in which some Haq has not devolved on the bandah. Therefore, if these rights are not honoured, compensation (making qadhaa) for them is not possible. Qadhaa is to utilise some of one’s own time to discharge an ibaadat which was not rendered at its appointed time. However, in regard to the second kind of Huqooq, Qadhaa is not possible because in the time which you set aside for the qadhaa of these Huqooq, some other right of Allah among the four rights mentioned above, devolves on you. Every moment Shukr, or Sabr or Mushaahadah Fadhl or Taubah becomes incumbent. Thus, there is no time available for the discharge of the Huqooq of time which have been missed.
Now when you have been unable to discharge Allah’s Haqq pertaining to the time, how will it be possible for you to fulfil the right of another person, which you did not discharge at its time? When every moment involving the discharge of some right of Allah (one of the four rights), it follows that when you will choose a particular time for rendering the unfulfilled right of others, you will be abandoning the Huqooq of Allah pertaining to Auqaat (Time).
It is, therefore, imperative that the bandah never neglects the Haq of time. At every breath, he should fulfil the haq of time. It is for this reason that the Pious Seniors have said:
“The Sufi is the Son of Time”.
In other words, he is fully and perpetually engrossed in the discharge of the rights of Time.
Ikmaalush Shiyam
Taa’at, Ibaadat and Mujaahadah
The Essence of Ilm is to know what Taa’at and Ibaadat are. Understand well that Taa’at and Ibaadat mean to follow by word and to practise the commandments and prohibitions of the Shariah. In other words, everything you say, do and forsake has to be in keeping with the Shariah. For example, if you fast on the Day of Eid and the Days of Tashreeq (11th, 12th and 13th of Zil Hijjah) you will be a sinner. Similarly, if you offer Salaat with clothes which you took wrongfully from someone you will be sinning, notwithstanding the outer façade of Ibaadat.
Son! Your actions and statements should be in conformity to the Shariah, for Ilm and Amal without following the Shariah is dhalaalah (deviation). And do not be deluded by the bizarre utterances and extraordinary displays of the Sufiyah, because walking this path (Sulook) is by virtue of Mujaahadah (striving to fulfil the Commandments of Allah Ta’ala), severing the desires of the nafs and killing its passions with the sword of spiritual exercises, not through mystical utterances and paranormal acts.
Remember that a loose tongue and a fossilized heart which is erumpent with negligence and carnal passion are signs of ill-fortune. Thus, if you do not kill your nafs with true Mujaahadah your heart will never come alive with Marifat.
