The Book of Assistance by Imam Al-Haddad
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Orspll ILEr-lrr:o FoNs Vrrns TIrle s 'firncE EaRrY SuPr Tpxrs: O A'li'earise on the Heart C NTENTS Bayan al'Farq bayn al-Sadr u14't11'Qalb wa'al'Fu'ad wa'al-Lsbb Attributcd ro Al-Hekinr Al--lirmidhi (D' C' 100/912) Introc{uced an.l Translated by Nicholas Hcer Translator's Preface v11 €z Stations ofthe Righteous (Darajat al'sadiqin) 1 The Srumblings of those Aspiring (Zalal al't'uqara'): Introduction Twt Tcxrs tr:r tlre Perlr oi Blarrtc 7 (D' 41211021) 1 On CertaintY by Abu abd Al-Ital.rrnan Al-Sulami Al-Neysaburi 10 lntroduced ,urd Translare.l by Kenneth L' Honcrkamp 2 On lntention 3 On Vigilance 13 Mn eNo Rur'Irt TrrE Au,roerocnlpFrv or Srre n'rs-r Tasnrzr the Inner and the Outer Self 15 Tr,rnslated, lntroduced and Annotated by Williarn C' Chirrick 4 On 5 On Regular Devotions 17 or MIN-A Gurop ro .rHP Hurt'c'N Sreres: L+.A Tne Lrves On Reciting the Qur'5n BEpone Lrrr, IN THE WoRLD, AND AFTER DEA'rH 6 Knowledge 26 by Imanr Abdallah lbn Al:rwi Al-Haddad, TransLated bv Nlosrafa Al-Badawi 7 On Acquiring On Remembrance 28 THs Decntns or ,lrnt Soul 8 Reflection 31 by Shrykh Ahd Al-Khrliq Al-shabrawi, Tranlrteci by Mostafe Al-tsadas'i 9 On 10 On Following the Book and Sunna 36 Tus Boox oF AssrsrANcr 40 t On Doctrine by Imem Abdalleh Alarvi Al-Haddad, Trausiatcd by Mostafa Al-Badarvi 1 12 On Religious Obligations +J WoPteu EnnrY Surr 13 On Cleanliness 47 by Abu Abd er-Rahman as-Suhmi, Translared by Rkia E' Corncll 14 On Following the Sunna 51 Inrv Alloa TsE AuronrocRApHY oF e MonoccnN Soupt: Arrrre'o 15 On Conduct in Mosques 60 Michon and ftom the Frt:nch b1' Devid Steight Tr:rnsl,rte.i by Jcan-Louis 16 On the Ritual PraYer 62 pnou 64 Ar-Gsezerl's Plrs ro Surrslr-r:rs DruvsnaNcr Ennon 17 On PraYer in Congregation al' NIun qidb nh al'D alol 68 -I'rnsletcd Burrcll 18 On Zakat by RJ .lv{cCarrhy rvith a Prefe':e L'y David 7T rncl Introduction by Williern A' Grahrm t9 On Fasting 20 On Pilgrimage 74 Al Ghazali Fer,ru rr Drvlrqs UNtrv g Tnusr tN DrvrNe Pnovronr'Icp 77 ScruPulousness trnsl;rtecl wirh an Itrtroductiori b1' David B' Burrell 21 On 22 On Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil 82 or Surr Mesrsnr Ttrr Ssavrtl AD-DARQAwT Lsrrens On Social Duties 86 fi'rnsl:rtcd by'Iirus Burckhardt wirh a Foreword by Martin Lings 23 24 On Kindness and CharitY 90 NIN'{g g rHe NeN{eo Y/ Trte On Counsel (iorupilcd t Shrykh'Itrsun Beyrak el-Jerrahi rl-Halveti 25 y and a Salutary Opinion 101 rvith e Forcworcl by William C' Chittick 26 On Salutations 27 On RePentance, HoPe and Fear 105 Ibn Arebi DrvrNe GovsnNnNcr or rHr' F{uNr'c'N KrNcoov Iurcrprctc.{ Lry Shayktr Tcrsun Eeyr'rk al-Jerralti el-H;rlveti Suhrrwirrdi Trle SuePl oF LIGHT Intcrpreted by Shai'hh'lbstrn l3tt1r'rk rl-Jcrrtrhi el-Halvcri 28 On Fortitude 1,1,1 29 On Gratitude 115 30 On Renunciation 111 31 On Reliance on God 1.20 TRAN SLATOR'S PREFACE JZ On Divine Love and Contentment t23 Conclusion 128 The Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him Translator's Notes 13s and upon his family, prophesied that in every century God Glossary 142 would raise up amongst his nation a man who would renew its religion. Imim 'Abdalleh al-Haddad was the renewer, or Mujaddid, of the twelfth Islamic century. He was renowned, and deservedly so, for the breadth of his knowledge and his manifest sanctity. The profundity of his influence on Muslims is reflected by the fact that his books are still in print through- out the Islamic world. He was born in Tarrm, in the hills of Hadramaut, one of the southerly regions of the Arabian peninsula, and grew up in an environment where the accent was upon piety, frugality, eru- dition, and an uncompromising thirst for gnosis fma'rifal. Hrs lineage is traced back to the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, and his family, through Imam al-Husayn. His illustrious ancestors, the 'Alawi sadat, had for centuries pro- duced generation after generation ofgreat scholars, gnostics, and summoners to the Straight Path. Imim al-Haddid's writings, if we except a few short trea- tises, and his volume of poetry, are mostly concerned with establishing within his readers the firmest possible foun- dations for faith and certainty. He recognised the signs of his times, and of the times to come, and observed how people were drawing away from religion, exhibiting a reluctance to study and a diminishing inclination to seek spiritual growth. He therefore endeavoured to produce concise, clear, and un- controversial texts. His concern for brevity is manifest throughout his books, many of which are abbreviated adap- tations of Imim al-Ghazali's monumental Reuival of the Re- ligious Sciences llhyo' 'Ulnm al-Drn). Ghazili had himself been the renewer of the sixth century. vii Imam al-Haddad died on the eve of the seventh of Dhu'l_ THE BOOK OF Qa'da, 7732 AFi^, having spenr his life bringing people to their Lord through his oral and wrirren teaching, hi, e"emplary ASSISTANCE. SUPPORT AND ".rd life. He was buried in a simple grave in the cemerery at Tirim. ENCOURAGEMENT The present translation is one of the works which he FOR SUCH BELIEVERS AS DESIRE designed as guides for Muslims who 'earnestly desire to tread TO FOLLOW THE V/AY OF THE the path of the Afterlife', and seriously follow the sunnaof the A FTE RLIFE Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him and his family. In the original there are neither chapter numbers, titles, nor annotations. we have therefore numerated and titled every chapter, appended a glossary, and added a few nores *h.re In the Name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate. this seemed Lord, make it easy and give assistance, O Generous One! appropriate. Quotations from the eur'in are based on Pickthall's translation, and are followe d.bv sira and. Grant us truth for You are the One Who Grants, the verse numbers. Knowing. Whenever difficulties arose in understanding the text, or Transcendent are You! We haue no knowledge saue that which us, You are indeed the deciding berween different possible interpretations, the help You have taught Knowing, the Wise.l of sayyid Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddid wai sought. Being the Arr pn.qrsr BELoNGS ro GoD, the One, the Unique, the spiritual heir of Imim al-Haddid, he is undoubtedly the best Munifi- cent, the Bestower, the Provider, the the Benevo- qualified person ro comment on his writings. It is entirely Solicitous, lent, Who did send Muhammad, the Seal of His Prophets, through their baraka and assistance rhat the work was brousht with His Message to all men and jinn, and revealed to him rfte to completion; may God reward them on our behalf as b#ts the exaltation of their spiritual rank. Qur'an in which is guidance for the people and clear indications for guidance and discernment,2 and ordained for him and his Nation that which He had enjoined upon Noah, Abraham, Moses and Mosrara Rr-Baoawr Jesus,3 and gave precedence to his religion over all others, and made him the most honourable of all His creation in His sight, Al-Madina al-Munawwara. and rendered his nation the best nation brought out for man- believed Ramadan 1408 kind, which in God and the Last Day, enjoined good and forbade evil,a assisted each other in benevolence and taqwa, refrained from helping each other in sin and aggres- sion,5 established the ritual prayer, gave the zakat, gave each other counsels of truth and fortitude,6 and fought in the way of God, fearless of the criticism of those who are devious and forsaken. For only those in whom God's words of wretched- ness, failure, disgrace and humiliation were fulfilled attempt to drive people away from God and denigrate those who give Him His due. And only those whom God has destined for happiness, safety, triumph and felicity give themselves totally vl1t I he uook oJ ltsststance IMAM AL.HADDAD to counselling God's servants and inviting them to His door. way; and anyone who summons to error will have sinned as These are the Prophet's heirs, the leaders of those who have much as all those who follow him without this diminishing taqwa, the best among believers in the sight of the Lord of the their sins in any way.' And: 'The one who points out goodness Worlds. They are firmly grounded in knowledge, have ex- obtains the same reward as the one who does it.' And: 'When perienced the realities of faith, certainty and excellence, and the son of Adam dies his works come to an end except for attained, through unveiling and contemplation, to the secrets three: a continuing charity, knowledge of which use is made, of God's Mulk and Malakut.l They only attained to rhese and a righteous son who prays for him.' And: 'The most merits and achieved such ranks through the excellence of their generous of you after me will be a man who acquires knowl- following in the footsteps of the Leader of Leaders whom God edge and spreads it; he will be resurrected on the Day of Rising sent as a Mercy to the Worlds, who is God's slave, His Mess- as a nation by himself.'And:'All creatures pray for the one enger, Beloved, and Intimate Friend, our lord Muhammad, who teaches goodness, even the fish in the water.'And:'All may blessings and peace be upon him and his house, and may creatures are the children of God, and the dearest to God are these blessings be repeated in each instant and perpetuated for those who are most beneficial to His children.'And none can as long as God, the Sovereign, the Requiter abides.