From: RCIRIT%DENVER@VAXF.Colorado.EDU (REMZI CIRIT)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: AL-KHAFID, AR-RAFI (God in Islam-10)
Date: 12 Dec 92 22:30:51 GMT
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

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AL-KHAFID, AR-RAFI'

         He is the Abaser and the Exalter.
         Allah Most High is the one who raises His creatures to
         honor and fame and who can cast them down to be the
         lowest of the low. Often this action of the Creator is
         manifested in the states of those who do not recognize Allah,
         refuse to obey His rules, and exalt themselves in arrogance,
         becoming tyrants who dismiss the rights of others. The one
         abased by Allah can only be raised by Him.
         Allah is merciful. Such treatment may shake the heedless
         out of their sleep. Then, although painful, the state of
         abasement at the hand of al-Khafid becomes a great gift for
         the one who wakes up and sees the hand that raises and the
         hand that lowers.
         L Know that although it is Allah who exalts and abases, the
         cause is always you. In His mercy, He delays His harsh
         lessons so that you may realize yourself and change your
         ways. Do not feel secure, for your state, your actions both
         material and spiritual, unmistakeably will always result in
         p the terrible abasement or the rewarding exaltation.
         Allah exalts those who have the conduct of angels, who
         have sweet tongues, who prefer to give rather than receive,
         who hide the faults of others instead of criticizing, who build
         instead of destroying, who are strong yet gentle. He exalts
         them, enlightening their hearts with faith, knowledge and
         truth, and makes His creatures love and respect them. As
         long as they persist in their enlightened way, Allah further
         heightens their state.
         But those who refuse to acknowledge the purpose of their
         creation, letting their egos ride them and lead them astray
         into lies and cheating, setting traps for each other, fighting
         each other shamelessly--these are the unfaithful ones who
         are like animals dressed up in the fine clothes of kings. They
         make a lot of noise and raise a lot of dust; in that they attract
         attention, but they are no more than dogs fighting for a bone.
         Allah the Abaser strips them of their fine clothes and
         shows their real shape. It is hoped they will learn; it is hoped
         they will serve as lessons to others.

         'Abd al-Khafid protects himself and others from abase-
         ment. The protection of Allah's servant from influences
         which cause degradation is an opportunity to see the Truth.

         'Abd ar-Rafi' sees the magnificence of the Creator in the
         created, including in himself, and with this rising into high
         levels of consciousness, comes closer to Allah. He is exalted,
         and in turn he exalts others who are worthy. He who tries to
         rise does so because he wishes and begs to reach Allah's
         Beneficience. Often he in whom the name ar-Rafi', the Exal-
         ter, is manifest, also receives the expression of Allah's attri-
         bute of ar-Rahim, the Beneficent; beneficence comes through
         him to all around him.
Fwd by Remzi Cirit

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Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish