‘Unless You Give of What You Love’ – Abdur Rahman’s Corner

Peace, one and all…

‘None of you will attain true piety (al-birr) unless you give out of what you cherish (tuhibbuna) : whatever you give, God knows about it very well’ (Quran 3:92)

Ramadan is the month of the Quran. It is common for Muslims to read the Quran as much as they can during this sacred month, and to ponder its meanings as deeply as they might. As such, this Ramadan this poor one set himself the task of reading 3 portions (or juz) of the Quran. The words quoted above were the very first passage of that chosen portion, and they moved my heart with unexpected force. See these recent posts for the profound insights of two beloved masters of the path: first, second).

We cannot attain true righteousness, true piety, a truly authentic connection to the Divine, unless we can give of what we cherish. We cannot draw closer to Allah whilst we still cling tightly to our worldly preoccupations and desires. We cannot claim to love God and be unwilling to give for His sake. We cannot serve two masters. We cannot cling so tightly to the world and at the same time free ourselves of dependence on other than God. As the Quran says elsewhere: ‘God does not put two hearts within a man’s breast’ (Quran 33:4).

On one level, this ayah challenges me to be more generous, to be more giving of my resources and my time. On a deeper level, God is extending me an invitation to give up unhelpful attachments: to desires and whims, to an illusory sense of ownership and choice, and ultimately, to the idea that I exist at all, as some separate, free agent. How can I attain true birr, true taqwa, true God-consciousness whilst holding to so much of my unresolved self?

I cannot serve two masters, so I must choose. But there is a conundrum to be resolved here: whilst it is important to have an intention, it is equally important to not lose sight of the Divine will:

‘But you cannot will it unless God, Sustainer of the Worlds, wills it’ (81:29)

The only way out of this conundrum that makes sense me is to return to the Source: ‘whatever you give, God knows about it very well’, as our passage says. That is, I must strive to become ever more aware of my unconsciousness motivations. To do that I need a  firm intention to draw closer to God, or in other words, to become fully present at Hu’s door. And finally, I need prayer:

‘You who believe, seek help through steadfastness and prayer, for God is with the steadfast’ (2:153)

May the hearts of the lovers be opened. Dem-i Hazret-i Mevlana…