The Hikam of Ibn Ata'illah
The Book of Wisdoms of Ibn Ata'illah Iskandari is very close to my heart and has been a source of great inspiration to me.
One of my favourite quotes from the book:
"If someone's state does not lift you up,
and his words do not lead you to Allah
- then do not keep his company!
One of my favourite quotes from the book:
"If someone's state does not lift you up,
and his words do not lead you to Allah
- then do not keep his company!
It may well be that you are in a bad state -
but to keep company with someone worse than you
would allow you to see good in yourself."
posted by Rumaysa | 11:32 PM
11 Comments:
Hi
I was just reading the same book last week end. My way towards God is complicated, I hope He will help me find the way. I loved this book. For instance the hikam where he says more or less that (sorry for my english i'm french)"better a dhikr with distraction than no dhikr, for He can raise you from there to a dhikr where you become absent to yourself, and then to a dhikr where you become present to no one but Him" ... not sure the quote is right, but I just love it. I think you won't be able to read my blog, but basically it's about my long journey towards Him.
I think you are talking about this quote. I love it also!
Because if your are making dhikr (even if not fully attentive) Allah may bless you with that attentiveness and presence of heart. But if you are not in the remembrance of God, you have no bridge to reach Allah.
"Do not give up invocation of Allah
because you are not present with Allah in it.
It is worse to forget to invoke Him
than to be inattentive while invoking Him.
He might raise you up from invocation with heedlessness to invocation with wakeful attention,
and from invocation with wakeful attention to invocation with presence,
and from invocation with presence to invocation with withdrawal from all that is other than the Invoked.
That is not difficult for Allah."
That's it ! I very often think of it before the dhikr.
A brother told me yesterday about another book by Ibn Ata Illah, hopefully I will find it soon.
What is the title of the book?
When you find out, please do post a link here if you have one..
:)
The brother I told you about gave me the title, but it's in french, I don't know the english title. In french it's "De l'abandon de la volonté propre" which you could translate more or less "abandoning one's own will". I hope that helps, and I'll let you know if i find a better translation for the title.
I don't think ive heard of it..
I will try and find it and i'll post it on this site if I find anything.
If you have a weblink to the book that would be great.
there it is ! I bought it in french this afternoon and then was able to find the english title :
http://www.fonsvitae.com/desisting.html
Thanks for the link!
Have you read the book? What are your thoughts about it?
There are other books my Ibn Ata'illah on the website that i have never heard of before. They don't sell them in the local islamic bookstores either.
Haven't read it yet... I bought it 1 hour ago :)
The brothers at the bookstore told me it's very good though it may be a bit hard. Doesn't read as easily as the Hikam.
I'll tell you when I have read it.
I've read the citation for the Hikam and the comments. How nice it is!
Hikam is one my favorite books. The sentences in the Hikam are like pearls.
subhanallah!
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