FususAlHikam

A faqeer has ma'rifath, gnosis, that he doesn't possess wealth but that he is poor and wealth is given to him as a test.

Further than this a faqeer ponders over life itself and sees that his life is also not his. Let's say a man is 20 years of age. Where was this man 21 years ago? Where was he 25 or 30 or 50 years ago? Was he alive? He was dead. The Holy Quran says "heenum minad dahri lamyakun shayam mazkura" - the Holy Quran says "kayfa takfuruna billahi wa kuntum amwatan fa ahyakum?" The faqeer understands that he may be living now, he has life now but before this life was given to him he was dead - his life is not even his such is the extent of poverty the faqeer experiences.

He was just a thing dead and unmentioned - then Allah swt willed for him to come to life and so he came into life, "innama amruhu iza araada shayan ayn-yaqula lahu kun fa ya kun."

He received hayaat, life, but hayaat is not his. Hayaat belongs solely to Al Hayy. If his life was his then he could have decided for himself when to come alive. If his life belonged to him he could have decided where he wanted to come to life and how to come into life. If his life was his he could decide when and where to die. Taking ones life is impermissible, why? Because his life is not his, it is given to him by Al Hayy, The Living. The one who knows how to give also knows how to take so whenever Allah swt decides He will take Zaids life away from him Zaid will again die.

First dead then alive and then again dead; take away the period of life given to him and what is Zaids lot? This is the extent of the poverty of the faqeer. The faqeer is so poor that he does not even claim ownership of his own life.

So the faqeer now has gnosis that his lot is dead, life was given to him. The faqeer views his life not as his but he views it as given to him, meaning he views his life as an amanah, a trust given to him to live only as the real owner wants him to live it. Your friend trusts you with his new car to use while he is out on vacation, the car is a trust.

Realizing this great trust given to him the faqeer now cannot get himself to break this trust - he cannot get himself to live his life how he wants but rather he lives his life only as the real owner and possessor of life, Al Hayy i.e. Allah swt wants him to live it.

Teach me the lesson taught by the Murshid, O Faqeer, annihilate yourself.