Ibrahim Ibn Adham - The Islamic Mystic Guru
One day when Ibrahim ibn Adham was walking past a gathering. The gathering, surrounded him bowed to his feet and asked him a question, How is it possible that Allah responds to you when you pray but not to us? What could be the difference between you and us? Ibrahim in return answered them calmly, There are 10 reasons which make you dead from inside.
Teachings
12 shortcomings to Overcome
and
achieve greater heights.
- You accept Allah, but do not conform to his directions.
- You all believe that Allah is the supreme, however, you never follow the path he has instructed you.
- You love the messenger of Allah, yet do not follow his instructions.
- People like you never observe the words of the messengers of Allah, despite messengers like me and Prophet Muhammad repeatedly teach you (According to Indian literature, we often refer to the messenger of Allah as Guru).
- You study the Quran attentively, but do not practice the teachings.You all go through the verses of the Quran thoroughly, but do not instill the teachings in your practices.
- You eat food by the grace of Allah, but cannot convey your gratitude towards him. Now, this is a significant point. Despite receiving his grace, his immense power and wisdom of the Guru, the disciple is always ungrateful and tries to harm the Guru. Hence, you must always express your gratitude towards him.
- You believe Shaitan is your enemy, but you share an agreement with him. Here, Shaitan means Maya (illusion). Human life is all about God showing the perishable nature of earthly relations. Despite knowing that it is an illusion, we overlook and try to make peace with it.
- You desire to go to heaven but no one tries for it. Even though you believe that heaven exists, no one is earnest enough to strive to reach heaven.
- You believe that there is hell, yet no one works hard to not go there.Even though the Quran refrains from usurping money from others, inducing pain to others, or leading an unrighteous life, no one pays heed to it.
- You know there is death, and it is inevitable, but you do not want to remain an immortal. Man becomes immortal when he attains the state of Samadhi. Even though he leaves his physical body, he can still stay alive for as many years as he wants.
- You attempt to conceal your mistakes, but try to expose or observe others’ mistakes. Never indulge in harming others. Try looking at yourself and rectify rather than giving suggestions to others.
- You build graves for the dead but don’t understand the purpose behind it. The actual purpose of this ritual is to contemplate and earn the love of Allah by developing a sense of renunciation. Therefore, practice accordingly as much as, if not completely, and strive to become a Brahmagyani.
