Ibn Abbads Sharh Al Hikam Al Ataiyyah

Commentary of Hikam al-Ata'iyyah by ibn 'Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn 'Abba al-Nafazi al-Rundi known as Ibn Abbad al-Rundi. English Translation by Guiding Helper Foundation.

Includes entries for maps and atlases.

This is a treatise we have written concerning humility (Khushu) and the hearts meakness and breaking (inkisar) before the Lord. The basic meaning of Khushu, is the softness of the heart, its being gentle, still, submissive, broken, and yearning. When the heart is humble, so too is the hearing, seeing, head, and face; indeed all the limbs and their actions are humbled, even speech. This is why the Prophet would say in his bowing (ruku), 'My hearing, sigh, bones, and marrow are humbled to You, ' another narration has, 'and whatever my foot carries.' One of the Salaf saw a man fidgeting in his prayer and remarked, 'If the heart of this person was humble, so too would his limbs be.' The source of Khushu, that takes place in the heart is the gnosis of Allah's greatness, magnificence, and perfection. The more gnosis a person has of Allah, the more Khushu he has. The greatest action of worship which manifests the Khushu, of the body to Allah is the prayer (salah). Allah has praised those who have Khushu, in the prayer. al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said, 'When you stand in prayer, stand in due obedience as Allah has ordered you, beware of negligence and looking (here and there), beware that Allah be looking at you while you are looking at something else, asking Allah for Paradise and taking refuge with Him from the Fire, yet your heart is heedless, not knowing what the tongue is saying.' Hudhayfah said, 'The first thing you will lose of your religion will be Khushu and the last thing you will lose of your religion will be the prayer, and it is well possible that there is no good in a person who prays, and soon will come a time when you shall entre a large Masjid and not see a single person with Khushu.

This is the first English translation of Miftah al-falah, a thirteenth century Sufi text, written by Ibn Ata Allah, one of the great masters of the Shadhili Sufi order. It is considered to be one of his most important works because it sets out the principles of actual Sufi mystical practices, shedding light on the sacred invocations, and associated practices, such as the spiritual retreat. Written in a clear, lucid style, it offers a glimpse into the Sufi world of the 7th Islamic century and allows us to see almost at first hand how the novice was guided by the Sufi Shaykh and, above all, the purpose and preparation involved in engaging in the invocation, dhikhru'llah. Ibn Ata' Allah sets out to define it, to explain its nature and power, to show its results and to prove that it is part of the Prophet's Sunna, or practice. The author goes to great lengths to point out many Qur'anic verses where dhikru'llah is mentioned and cites many noted authorities.

The Guiding Helper is a practical guide to the three aspects of Islam within the Maliki school, namely Iman, Islam and Ihsan. It is an English adaptation of Ibn 'Ashir's famous text al-Murshid al-Mu'in, and has been written uniquely for the modern reader while only using authenticated opinions within the Maliki school. Containing 43 easy-to-memorize songs that are also fun to recite, it is destined to serve as a trusty companion for English-speaking Malikis for many years to come.

The Hikam, or Wisdom, of the great Sufi Master Ibn `Ata' Allah al-Iskandari has long been acknowledged as an essential and classic masterwork of the Islamic science of enlightenment. Ibn `Ata 'Allah, a Sufi master possessed a deep foundation in the sciences of Qur'an, the way of the Prophet and the Universal Laws of the Islamic way of life.

The Virtue of the Salaf Over the Khalaf (Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali). These are some brief words about the meaning of knowledge and its classification into that which is beneficial and that which is not; as well as a note regarding the excellence of the knowledge of the Salaf over that of the Khalaf. The way and wisdom of the Salaf, all goodness lies in traversing the way of the Salaf, beneficial Knowledge with regards the ?Inner Sciences?, the foundation of knowledge and many other branches of the beneficial knowledge.