What Advice Could You Give to My Friend Who Makes Spiritual Claims?

Answered by Ustadh Farid Dingle

Question

My friend says Allah has told him that he is going to be His proof on Earth. What advice could you give to him?

Answer

Thank you for your important question.

I pray that your friend will indeed become the Allah’s proof on Earth by realising his complete slavehood and nothingness before Allah, adhering absolutely to the Qur’an and Sunna and the way of the Early Muslims, and turning people to Allah and not to himself or anything else in creation.

There are two principles we all could benefit from. 

One is that the scholars of Tasawwuf say that ‘every spiritual opening (haqiqa) that does not erase the slave and all traces of himself is not a spiritual opening to begin with.’ (Abu Madyan)

The second is that Allah loves people who are hidden and unassuming: Ibn Ata Illah said, ‘Bury your very existence in the earth of obscurity, for nothing produces real fruits  if it is not buried properly.’ (Al Hikam, Ibn Ata Illah) This means that one should not speak of one’s experiences, call others to oneself, or behave in a way that draws attention.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years, he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.