The Blessing of Life

Ibn Ataa Allah as-Sakandari

February 8, 2013

There is a life that is long in time and short in supplies, and there is a life that is short in time and long in supplies.

There is a life that is long in time and short in supplies and reward if the person was among the heedless, and there is a life that is short in time and long in supplies by being among those who perform Dhikr [ad-Dhakirīn].

He whose life is blessed will achieve in a short while, with God’s Graces, what is beyond the circles of mention, and is not reached by descriptions.

Whose life is blessed is graced with discernment and alertness enough to drive him to seize chances fearing the passing of time, so he exerts all his effort in attempting to perform deeds of the heart and of the body. He will achieve in a short while Divine Graces and Lordly knowledges beyond mention and beyond description because of their extremely high station. In each night, good deeds will ascend to his account more than what others achieve in a thousand nights, so each of his nights would be as if laylatul Qadr [the Night of Power].

As Abul ‘Abbas Al-Mursī said: “all our times, and thank is due to God for that, are laylatul Qadr”.

The important issue is the blessing of life, not its length. And this is the meaning behind the Hadith: ‘Piety increases life’, that is it increases its blessing and not its duration, where a person can perform good deeds that others do not perform in long times devoid of blessings.

The greatest letdown is when you are freed of concern and you do not head to Him, and when your hurdles lessen, and you don’t depart to Him.

The greatest assured letdown is when you are freed of preoccupations and distractions, having enough sustenance for worldly matters, then you do not head to Him occupying yourself with what brings you closer to His Sacred Presence; and when the hurdles that prevent you from moving towards Him lessen, and you don’t depart totally to Him.

Imam al-Qushayrī said: “Freeing the heart of labor is a great blessing; but if a slave would reject this blessing by indulging in passion and following lusts, God will disturb and confuse his heart, and deprive him of the clearness of his mind”.