The Seventeenth Flash

Indeed, instead of recognising their own powerlessness, neediness, defects, and shortcomings and humbly bowing before the court of Allah—which is the very essence of servanthood—some become arrogant and begin to criticise the acts of Allah. They mistakenly imagine that their tiny hearts are equal to the ArshThe Throne, where Allah’s majesty is manifested in the most exalted manner. and confuse their own drop-like station with the ocean-like stations of the awliyā(sing. walī) Those who seek the pleasure of Allah and attain elevated spiritual ranks through worship, obedience, and sincerity..

In order to present themselves as worthy of such exalted stations and to preserve their claim to them, they fall into a difficult predicament: they are compelled to assume an appearance of artificial piety and occupy themselves with pretence and self-display.

Moreover, it is proclaimed in a hadithA report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh).:

هَلَكَ النَّاسُ اِلَّا الْعَالِمُونَ وَهَلَكَ الْعَالِمُونَ اِلَّا الْعَامِلُونَ وَهَلَكَ الْعَالِمُونَ اِلَّا الْمُخْلِصُونَ وَالْمُخْلِصُونَ عَلٰى خَطَرٍ عَظٖيمٍAll are doomed except those who possess knowledge; and those who possess knowledge are doomed except those who act upon it; and those who act upon their knowledge are doomed except those who are sincere. Yet even the sincere are in great danger.

That is to say, the only path to salvation and deliverance from punishment in the Hereafter is ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. —sincerity.

IkhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. is of the utmost importance. Even the smallest act performed with ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. is preferable to countless acts performed without it.

IkhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. in an action means performing it because it is the command of Allah and seeking no aim in it other than His pleasure. It also means not concerning oneself with matters that belong to Allah and not becoming preoccupied with the results of one’s actions.

There is a form of sincerity in everything. Even a trace of sincere love is preferable to an immense amount of outward love that seeks something in return. Someone expressed this kind of sincere love in the following words:

وَ مَا اَنَا بِالْبَاغٖى عَلَى الْحُبِّ رِشْوَةً ضَعٖيفٌ هَوًى يُبْغٰى عَلَيْهِ ثَوَابٌI do not seek any reward in return for love, for love that seeks a reward is a weak kind of love.

In other words:

“In return for my love, I seek no bribe, payment, recompense, or reward. For love that expects reward or reciprocation is weak and unstable.”

Indeed, a form of this sincere love has been placed within human nature, and especially within all mothers. The selfless love of mothers for their children truly contains a pure form of such sincerity.

Through the mystery of this love, mothers are ready to sacrifice their lives, and even their own happiness in the Hereafter, for the sake of their children. This shows that they expect no payment or recompense in return for their love.

For example, the only capital a hen possesses is her own life. Yet, as HusrevHüsrev Altınbaşak (1899–1977), one of the prominent students and scribes of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. He is especially known for producing a handwritten Qur’an displaying remarkable tawāfuqāt and for his important role in copying and spreading the Risale-i Nur. witnessed, she thrust her head into the jaws of a dog in order to save her chick.