Sidi Habib al Ajami
From Kashf- al-Mahjub "Unveiling
of the Enshrouded" by Sidi Imam Ali al-Hujwiri
[Source:
Kashf al-Mahjub]
His conversion (tawbat)
was begun by Hasan of Basra. At first he was a usurer and committed all
sorts of wickedness, but GOD gave him a sincere repentance, and he learned
from Hasan something of the theory and practice of religion. His native
tongue was Persian (`ajami) and he could not speak Arabic
correctly.
One evening Hasan of
Basra passed by the door of his cell. Habib had uttered the call to prayer
and was standing, engaged in devotion. Hasan came in, but would not pray
under his leadership, because Habib was unable to speak Arabic fluently or
recite the Koran correctly. The same night, Hasan dreamed that he saw GOD
and said to Him: "O Lord, wherein does Thy good pleasure consist?" and
that GOD answered: "O Hasan, you found My good pleasure, but did not know
its value: if yester-night you had said your prayers after Habib, and if
the rightness of his intention had restrained you from taking offence at
his pronunciation, I should have been well pleased with you."
It is common
knowledge among Sufis that when Hasan of Basra fled from Hajjaj he entered
the cell of Habib. The soldiers came and said to Habib: "Have you seen
Hasan anywhere?" Habib said: "Yes." "Where is he?" "He is in my cell."
They went into the cell, but saw no one there. Thinking that Habib was
making fun of them, they abused him and called him a liar. He swore that
he had spoken the truth. They returned twice and thrice, but found no one,
and at last departed. Hasan immediately came out and said to Habib: "I
know it was owing to thy benedictions that GOD did not discover me to
these wicked men, but why didst thou tell them I was here?" Habib replied:
"O Master, it was not on account of my benedictions that they failed to
see thee, but through the blessedness of my speaking the truth. Had I told
a lie, we both should have been shamed."
Habib was asked:
"With what thing is GOD pleased?" He answered: "With a heart which is not
sullied by hypocrisy," because hypocrisy (nifaq) is the opposite of
concord (wifaq), and the state of being well pleased (rida)
is the essence of concord. There is no connexion between hypocrisy and
love, and love subsists in the state of being well pleased (with whatever
is decreed by GOD). Therefore acquiescence (rida) is a
characteristic of GOD's friends, while hypocrisy is a characteristic of
His enemies. This is a very important matter. I will explain it in another
place.
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