The Barrier between us and Allah Ta'ala by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah

alayh)
Unfortunately, one weakness, from many weaknesses, is that we look at our achievements and
successes with an eye of vanity and conceit.
Our gaze falls on our efforts that we are the ones who made the effort. We attribute our success and
our achievements to our efforts, our sacrifice and our hard work. What generally follows is a desire
to announce and to boast to publicize and make known.
he nafs asserts itself. !t wants acknowledgement. !t wants to be credited.
"o many, in their #uest for recognition, will e$aggerate their achievements even to the "haykh. hey
e$aggerate so that they may be distinguished above others, counted as pious and righteous, and become
recipient of praise and applause.
"ome get carried away by dreams and think that a few good dreams are a surety of their greatness.
his condition is not progress% it is a sickness.
his is what becomes a &i'aab or a barrier between us and (llah a)ala. he person)s gaze is on
himself, on his obedience, his attributes, his efforts, his achievements and successes, forgetting he
One Who blessed him with ability and capacity.
he gaze should be on the *adhl and +race of (llah a)ala.
he person)s good deeds, his ,hidmat of -een, his charity and welfare work, become a fitnah for him
because he sees his effort and believes that he is deserving of acknowledgement and praise. (s a result,
there is no spiritual progress.
U'ub is vanity and conceit. he person admires himself and attributes importance to himself. he
person considers himself superior.
,ibr or pride is looking down upon others, considering them as inferior.
.ride and vanity give rise to arrogance and haughtiness% even oppressing or treating people with
contempt and disdain.
/oth U'ub and ,ibr cripple a person spiritually.
!t is truly the *adhl of (llah a)ala if a person increases in humility as his good deeds increase. (nd
this will be so, if the person keeps his gaze on his shortcomings and he has such 0a1rifat 23ecognition4
of (llah a)ala, understanding that aufee# is from (llah a)ala alone.
he (mbiya 2(laihimus "alaam4 had the highest degree of 0a)rifat, and we see this evident in their
lives. !n the words of &azrat "hu1aib 2(laihis "alaam45
6(nd my ability to do things comes from none e$cept (llah7
8"urah &ud 99 5 ::;
*rom another view, we find in this world of fitnah, that the ma'ority seek to display their achievements.
heir photographs are published% they widely circulate their accomplishments on media platforms,
proud of their successes. <veryone wants to be noticed% everyone wants the limelight.
"ome say in no uncertain words, that their success is due to their work, their intelligence, their
sacrifice
Of course, happiness is different. !t is natural. /ut the desire should be to conceal.
Whenever we are talking about ourselves, we must ask ourselves5
= Why am ! behaving in this manner>
= Why do ! talk about my e$periences>
= !s this "hukr and ahdees?e?@i)mat, or is it 3iyaa which the nafs wraps up in the guise of "hukr>
(llah a)ala is (ll?,nowing. !f we say and do for advertisement% to publicize and broadcast and
announce over radio stations and other platforms, then we should remember that (llah a)ala is aware
of our intentions.
6(llah knows the treachery of the eyes and that which the hearts conceal.7
8"urah +hafir AB 5 9C;
!f it is for the pleasure of (llah a)ala, and (llah a)ala wants to make it known, &e will make it
known.
(ll that a person becomes proud of are on account of the blessings from (llah a)ala)s side. (llah
a)ala says in the Dur)aan "hareef5
6(nd you have no good thing but it is from (llah...7
8"urah an?@ahl 9E 5 FG;
!f &e gave, &e can also take away. 3ecognize the One who has given and do not consider the bounties
as your achievement. /ecause every faculty and possession which is a medium of securing any
achievement, is in itself, a bounty from (llah a)ala our intelligence, hearing, speech, etc.
,eep addressing the nafs5 (ll that ! succeed in is due to (llah a)ala)s favour.
Whilst a person may be doing some meritorious work, much is left to be seen as to whether such
work has been accepted or not. We will only know on the -ay of Hudgment as to what has been
accepted or not.
Whatever work we carry out and whatever other good deed we do, then make -ua thereafter that (llah
a)ala accepts it. Ionsider the awaadhu of &azrat !braheem 2(laihis "alaam4 and &azrat !smaJeel
2(laihis "alaam4, who, after building the &ouse of (llah a)ala, and themselves being so accepted by
(llah a)ala, still made -ua that (llah a)ala accept their efforts
(llah a)ala relates in "urah (l?/a#arah5
6(nd 2mention4 when !brahim was raising the foundation of the house and 2with him4 !sma)eel,
2saying45 6Our Kord, accept 2this4 from us. !ndeed, Lou are the &earing, the ,nowing.7
his -ua clearly makes manifest that there was no trace of pride or vanity in undertaking and
completing such a great task. here was 'ust beautiful humility and deep concern that (llah a)ala
accepts.
!f there is spiritual progress in one)s efforts in treading the path to (llah a)ala, then we need to keep
before us the (yah5
6(nd were it not for the +race and 0ercy of (llah on you, not one of you would ever have been
pure5 /ut (llah does purify whom &e pleases7
8"urah (n?@ur M 5 M9;
Otherwise the nafs, in its true state would not gain in any good, on its own.
6the nafs is certainly prone to evil, unless my Kord does bestow &is 0ercy7
8"urah Lusuf 9M 5 FG;
0ay (llah a)ala grant us recognition of our nafs and the courage to strive against it, and may (llah
a)ala bestow &is 0ercy upon us, that we may be successful on this path to &im.