We could have a lot of fun with this one. Today could be the day to take those risks you’ve been too afraid to take, because if you mess up, you can just blame someone else. Of course, if any of the ramifications are still around tomorrow, you might be needing to double up on your daily dose of Tawba (repentance/return).
This topic opens the door for sharing wisdom from the stations of walking the spiritual path to know Allah, praise be to Him. Sidi, our guide, teaches us about seven stations. The second station is called The Blaming Self, an-Nafs al-Lawwamah.
In He Who Knows Himself Knows His Lord, Sidi Shaykh Muhammad al-Jamal writes,
This is “the station in which the nafs [ego self] begins to be inspired to walk to Allah… Its locus is the heart; its state is love; its source of arrival is the Way, and its qualities are blaming, conceit, boasting, criticism of others, hidden hypocrisy and the love of fame and leadership… even though it knows these qualities are blameworthy, it is not able to free itself from them… It has the desire to strive and perform good deeds, but these are contaminated by boasting and hidden hypocrisy.”
Amany Shalaby spoke of the stations last Wednesday in her teleclass of the Journey Home series. In fact, she gave a beautiful teaching. Regarding this station, she said the blaming self is originally good, because you recognize that you hurt someone, so you can rectify your mistakes. You become aware of the truth.
This awareness is the beginning of a journey that can open many doorways within your heart to know the hidden secrets within yourself and, as the book title indicates, He Who Knows Himself Knows His Lord.
The traveling of the stations is the foundation of the Masters of Divinity programs at The University of Sufism. Our new Year 1 Spring class recently completed their first session. The reports are phenomenal, yet students said they would have no words to explain to someone what happened during their first week of the program.
This is a journey of tasting, of walking, and of experience. Sidi has written volumes about it, yet unless you take the steps of the journey for yourself, you cannot know, and the journey is one of eternal exploration.
Qu’ran 31:27 says,
“And if all the trees on the earth were pens and the seas [were] ink – with yet seven [more] seas to extend it – still the Words of Allah would not be finished; for surely Allah is Almighty, Wise.”
If you want to understand more, you are welcome to listen to the recording of last Wednesday’s free teleclass with Amany. If you are signed up for the Journey Home Spring series, you should have received an email yesterday with a link to access the audio file.
If you are not yet registered for the series, you can do that now and you will be directed to the link. Click here to register.
May we continue to be touched by and filled with the Light of Allah, and continue to empty our cups of any other, and there is no other, so that we begin anew each day on the journey that has no beginning to reach the Reality of The One who has no end.
Blessings and gratitude for you!
Mastura Graugnard on behalf of Co-Presidents Kamila Shenmen and Salima Adelstein, with all your friends and family at UOS
