THE SUHBAT OF ALLAH TA’ALA
“And He (Allah) is with you wherever you are.” (Qur’aan Majeed)
Hadhrat Uthmaan Abul Khairee (rahmatullah alayh) said: “Be in the suhbat of Allah with utmost reverence, awe and fear.”
Suhbat means company, companionship. A Muslim is in the suhbat of Allah Ta’ala 24 hours of the day, for the Qur’aan Majeed states that Allah Ta’ala is with you wherever you are. When in the company of seniors, it is obvious that a person will show respect and conduct himself with decorum.
Allah Ta’ala is the Most Senior of all seniors. There is no senior greater than Him. He is our Rabb Who is constantly with us, hence He says in the Qur’aan Majeed: “We are closer to you than your jugular vein.” It is an integral part of Imaan to believe as the Qur’aan states that Allah is with us at all times. Undoubtedly, every Muslim believes so. No Muslim has the slightest doubt in this belief. The slightest doubt of Allah’s constant presence with us will negate Imaan.
Despite this belief, the Muslim sins flagrantly and recklessly. If he is in the presence of people, he refrains from committing sinful and disgraceful acts because he understands that people are watching him, and should he commit a lewd or sinful act in their presence, he will be humiliated. Yet, the very same Muslim who professes belief in Allah’s constant suhbat and who refrains from disgraceful and sinful conduct in the presence of people, has no qualms about sinning in the Presence of Allah Ta’ala.
We are constantly in Allah’s suhbat, yet we sin flagrantly while our senses are intact and fully operative. Why is this so? This attitude indicates that our belief in Allah’s presence is mere lip service. It is a dead belief which is devoid of reality. It is so dead that we are bereft of the vivid perception of Allah’s Presence, hence we sin when alone without compunction. But we believe that Allah Ta’ala is Present, and the two Recording Angels are constantly present recording every act we commit.
It is absolutely necessary to instil life in our Aqeedah (Belief). Only then shall we vividly perceive the Presence of Allah Azza Wa Jal. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) defining the meaning of Ihsaan said that if you cannot worship Allah Ta’ala as if you are seeing Him, then at least know that He is seeing and watching you. Therefore, be on your guard and conduct yourself with dignity, decorum and fear in the suhbat of Allah Ta’ala, Rabbul Aalameen.
To instil life into our dead beliefs, Muhaasabah (Reckoning) and Muraaqabah (Meditation) are essential. It is an essential requisite of the Mu’min’s moral and spiritual training programme to daily take a reckoning of his own deeds. Every night sit in seclusion and engage in Muhaasabah, or do so while lying in bed at night. Meditate on the events of the entire day. Think what you had said and what you had done throughout the day. When recalling a good act, express shukr to Allah Ta’ala for the bounty, and when a sinful or a futile act or word comes to mind, be remorseful and recite Istighfaar. Then meditate on Maut, the Qabr and Aakhirah.
Constancy in Muhaasabah and Muraaqabah will, Insha’Allah, create life – a noor – in the heart by means of which you will vividly perceive the Presence of Allah Ta’ala. When this stage of Ihsaan is attained, abstention from sin and futility will not pose any struggle whatsoever. When the evil nafs makes demands, say to yourself: Am I not a Mu’min in Allah’s suhbat? The Recording Angels are standing right in front of me.
