THE FLASHES

The Thirteenth Flash

Just as the image of a snake in a mirror does not bite, the reflection of fire does not burn, and the reflection of filth does not soil the mirror, so too the reflections of unbelief and shirk, the shadows of misguidance, and the imagined forms of ugly words of insult on the mirror of imagination or thought do not corrupt belief, do not alter īmān, and do not violate reverent courtesy. For it is a well-known rule that, just as imagining an insult is not an insult, so too imagining unbelief is not unbelief, and conceiving misguidance is not misguidance.

As for the matter of doubt in īmān: possibilities arising from imkān-i dhātī are not contrary to that certainty and do not impair it. It is among the established principles of the science of usūl ad-dīn that:

اِنَّ الْاِمْكَانَ الذَّاتِىَّ لَا يُنَافِى الْيَقٖينَ الْعِلْمِىَّ

For example, we are certain that Lake Eğirdir presently remains in its place as water. Nevertheless, in itself it is possible that this lake may have sunk at this very moment; its sinking belongs to the realm of possibilities.

Yet since this imkān-i dhātī does not arise from any indication, it cannot become a mental possibility that gives rise to doubt. For, again, it is an established principle in the science of usūl ad-dīn that:

لَا عِبْرَةَ لِلْاِحْتِمَالِ الْغَيْرِ النَّاشِىءِ عَنْ دَلٖيلٍ

That is: “An intrinsic possibility that does not arise from any indication does not become a mental possibility capable of causing doubt or possessing significance.”

Thus the poor person exposed to this satanic deception imagines that, through such intrinsic possibilities, he is losing his certainty in the truths of īmān. For example, many intrinsic possibilities may occur to his mind concerning the Noble Prophet (saw) in respect of his humanity, yet these do not harm the firm certainty of īmān. But because he imagines that they do cause harm, he himself falls into harm.

Sometimes, too, Satan utters ugly words concerning Allah from the direction of the lummah situated near the heart. The person imagines that his heart has become corrupt because such words are being spoken, and he trembles.

Yet his trembling, fear, and lack of consent are proof that those words do not come from his heart. Rather, they come from the satanic lummah, or else are suggested and imagined by Satan.

Furthermore, among the subtle faculties of the human being there are one or two faculties which I cannot identify. They do not obey choice and will, and perhaps they do not even come under responsibility. At times these faculties take command; they do not listen to the truth and become involved in false matters.

At that moment, Satan suggests to the person: “Your disposition is not in harmony with truth and īmān, for you enter unwillingly into such false matters. This means that your qadar has condemned you to wretchedness.” The poor person then falls into despair and moves toward ruin.

Thus, against Satan’s earlier deceptions, the believer’s place of refuge is the truths of īmān and the firmly established teachings of the Qur’an, whose boundaries have been determined by the principles of the muhaqqiqīn among the asfiyā. And against his latter deceptions, the remedy is to seek refuge in Allah and give them no importance. For the more importance is given to them, the more they attract attention, grow, and swell. The antidote and balm for such spiritual wounds of the believer is the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw).