Hadith al-Nawafil In Classical Islamic Mysticism.

[Abu Hafsat]

As-Salaam alaikum,

  In the hadith-qudsi, commonly referred to in Islamic sources as hadith al-Nawafil (the tradition concerning supererogatory works), it was reported that:--

                           "Allah has said: Whoever treats a Friend (Wali) of mine with enmity, I declare war on him.

                                   There is nothing by which My servant draws close to Me than that which I have imposed

                                  upon him; and My servant does not cease to draw close to Me by supererogatory works (nawafil)

                                until I love him, and when I love him, I become his hearing by which he hears, his sight by which he

                               sees, his hand by which he forcibly seizes, and his leg by which he walks. If he asks Me, I give him,

                              and if he seeks My refuge, I grant it to him. There is no action of mine in which I waver more than

                             [taking] the soul of a believer: he hates dying, and I hate doing him wrong."

                                                                            (Bukhari No. 6502, al-Bazzar in Mu'azzasat 'Ulum al-Qur'an, 1988-2009, 15:270).

 

 Studying this hadith with an in-depth perspective, one cannot but conclude, as in Sheikh Ibn Arabi's Thought, that God Almight... Allahu, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, is the ultimate agent of all activity within creation; man should acknowledge that Allah is the true author of human actions and that we are nothing but an "instrument compelled by the hand of the Powerful Truth (haqq)", as is evident from the Nawafil tradition.

 The one who realizes this in all aspects of his or her life and being begins to see, hear and know by means of Allah Ta'ala... Allah becomes his very organs and faculties. This, however, does NOT imply that Allah 'dwells' in the organs of His servant, rather He assists the servant in obeying Him... the individual relinquishes his/her own will...resigns himself to the will of Allah.