The Intimate Discourses of Ibn Ata’illah 1 – Abdur Rahman’s Corner
Peace, one and all…
We are now half way through the Islamic month of Rajab, one of the four sacred months in which fighting was forbidden. It is also known as the month of God, and begins the run-up to Ramadan. As such, I wanted to share the Intimate Discourses (al-munajat al-ilahiya) of Shaykh ibn Ata’illah. This beautiful collection of intimate prayers is appended to his master work, the Aphorisms (or Hikam). As Allah wills, I will post a passage each day, alongside the illuminating commentary of Shaykh Abdullah Gangohi (source).
May the hearts of the lovers be opened.
Intimate Discourse 1
My God, I am poor in my richness, so why
should I not be poor in my poverty?
Shaykh Gangohi’s Commentary
Man’s original and natural attribute is poverty (faqr). He is, therefore, dependent on Allah Most High. This dependence is inseparable from him. A state of wealth (ghina’) is a temporary acquisition. Even in the state of wealth he is entirely dependent on Allah. Thus man’s dependence is greater in the state of poverty.
Reflections
To be ‘poor in my richness ‘ is a powerful reminder of my utter dependence on the Divine. Wealth comes and goes. It is temporary and impermanent. It calls to mind one of my favourite passages from the Quran:
وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ ۘ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُۥ ۚ لَهُ ٱلْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ٨٨
‘Do not call out to any other god beside God, for there is no god but Him. Everything will perish except His Face. His is the Judgement and to Him you shall all be brought back’ (Quran 28:88)
All that I have, all that I think I have, will vanish from my hands. Indeed, even these hands of mine that are now typing will vanish. Such a realisation is a powerful corrective against pride.
To be ‘poor in my poverty’ suggests a number of things to this heart. Firstly, even the idea of our innate poverty can become an obstacle on the path. If I hold onto the notion of my poverty, I’m not really poor – I am relying on something other than Allah. To be truly poor in poverty means that the heart looks only to God, and realises that it owns nothing. Secondly, to be truly poor is to put aside every inward garment in which I cloak myself. It is to understand oneself as simply a veil, so to speak. As a beautiful Turkish poem puts it:
Disrobe now and step into the devran
Disrobe and come to the meydan
(Source)
Thirdly, being poor in poverty cleanses the eye of the heart, helping it to see the ever-present reality of my utter dependence on God.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ ١٥
People, it is you who stand in need of God- God needs nothing and is worthy of all praise’
(Quran 35:15)
My focus should, therefore, be on my Creator and on the inward state of my heart. Remember Allah. Let go. Breathe.
