Ten Rules for Spiritual Advancement

Abdul Qadir al-Jilani

1. Never speak a Lie, in any circumstance. Dont lie, because once your tongue avoids lying, Allah the Most High enlarges your chest and purifies your understanding and ilm (knowledge). That person becomes as if they dont know what a lie is. Everything becomes truth to him. When he hears other people lie, the mureed should pray for them not to lie. Avoid cursing or harming humans and all other created beings. Avoiding these is the character of the good and loyal friends of Allah. If a person is like this, then Allah protects him or her and their end will be good. They will reach to a high level in Allahs presence. Allah will protect them from being destroyed and protect them from harm. Allah rewards this person with being a blessing to human beings and close to Allahs essence. The disciple has to keep his promise at all times unless he has a very good excuse . He must avoid not keeping his promise because not keeping a promise is in the same class as lying. As long as the servant of Allah tries to keep his/her promise the doors of generosity and blessings open to him/her. Loyal lovers of Allah love these people and they get a high station in Allahs presence. It is better that he avoids the habit of making promise, so that he may not be guilty of the breach of promise. Even though a person has harmed or wronged him/her, the disciple should not pray for harm to come to him or curse him. Even if the mureed is wronged, he/she should not damn anyone, whether by word or action. The mureed should put up with this and be patient for Allahs sake. This virtue takes the owner to high stations in this world and the hereafter. Such a person will be loved by far and near ones. Do not blame other believers with attributing partners to Allah, with disbelief or cause trouble between people. This attitude is close to mercy and assists the mureed to reach high spiritual levels. The disciple should not sin inwardly (in the heart) or outwardly. He/She should avoid eating things that are not halal and protect all the organs of his body from sin. This state is the best achievement in this world that a mureed can cultivate for the eternal life. The disciple should earn his own livelihood and not be a burden to people who are independent of him/her. He should bear not only his own burden but also that of other people. Because of this virtue, the fear of Allah will make their worship complete and honorable. Do not expect anything from people or desire what belongs to others. He should be unmindful of things which he needs, for to have no need is the mark of honour and the distinguishing trait of piety of the pious. The biggest honour and wealth and the highest level is to put ones whole trust in Allah only. Only with this attitude can the dervish be pious. Worship matures with this attitude. This is the state and action of one who give himself to Allah. Never, either truly or falsely, intentionally or unintentionally, by mistake or on purpose take Allahs Name in vain or swear by the Name of Allah . The disciple/dervish should take to hospitality and humility. With humility, the dervish reaches high levels of spirituality and stays at this high level. This is the base of goodness and the highest level of goodness. Because of this quality the lovers of Allah stay with him in troubled times. The Walis (Saints) visit him in the unseen and aid him in his difficulty. Humility is seeing everybody you meet as higher than you and thinking that they might be closer to Allah than yourself.

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