The Japanese army forced their way into a monastery where the spiritual master Gasan was teaching his students. When they arrived Gasan welcomed them, but told the cook to feed the soldiers what he fed the disciples. The army was used to receiving preferential treatment wherever they went so it made them furious to eat the simple food the disciples ate. The general of the army approach Gasan and said, “We are soldiers who sacrifice our lives for the safety of this country and this is how you treat us?” Gasan replied, “And who do you presume that we are general? We are soldiers who fight on behalf of all of humanity fighting with every single breath for the liberation of all sentient beings.”
In the eyes of God, all souls are equal. The distinction of our rank is not dependent on our social status, power or wealth, but based on who is most God-conscious. This is why Gasan confronts the ego of the army general by essentially asking, Who do you think you are? This question is a reminder that power does not set you apart in the court of God.
“Oh mankind, We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”
— Qur’an 49:13
Our nobility is a function of our orientation toward Allah. It’s the orientation of the heart that determines our spiritual station not the accumulation of wealth or knowledge. The mystic Gasan is teaching the army general, that spiritual work is the essence of our work on this earth. It echoes the following wisdom of Rumi:
“It would be as if a king sent you to a village on a specific mission. If you went and performed a hundred other tasks, but neglected to accomplish the task for which you were sent, it would be as though you had done nothing.”
—Rumi
It is not the most armed or feared amongst us, but the most God-conscious, righteous or the one in Arabic who has taqwa that is successful. The word taqwa comes from an Arabic root word that carries the meanings, “to shield, to guard, to protect.” In other words, to be God-conscious is to guard ourselves from the temptations of the lower self and the voices of darkness. It is in restraint from temptation that the voice of the spirit is accessed. Our nearness to God is not a function of the uniform we wear or the power we have.
When Gasan says, We are soldiers who fight on behalf of all of humanity fighting with every single breath for the liberation of all sentient beings, he is not saying he is better he is saying that the most important war worth fighting is the war against the lower self. The act of spiritual striving or mujahada is not the fighting against an external enemy outside the gates of your city, but against the enemy of your own ego, between your two sides. It’s striving against the greed, arrogance, and entitlement that attempts to convince us that we deserve more than our brothers and sisters. The Qur’an tells us that it is through this striving towards God that we are resourced with Divine care and help. “As for those who struggle in Our cause, We will surely guide them along Our Way. And Allah is certainly with the good-doers.” (Qur’an 29:69)
My beloved Lord, please guide our hearts to be in service of You. Oh Allah, remind us that as we work in the world that we don’t forget to do the work of our souls. Oh Allah, help us to be humble and generous with the power that You have bestowed upon us. In Your beautiful names we pray, Ameen.
In prayers of light upon light,
A list of recent podcasts and interviews for you to enjoy. Will add more soon! :)
Btw, if I decided to start a podcast, who would you want me to interview?! Comment below!
“Poet and spiritual teacher A Helwa joins Mariah to encourage us to hold joy and light through the darkness. She also shares a story about finding beauty and losing herself in the desert.”
“In this episode, luminous author A. Helwa shares about divine love in daily life, her experience of learning from other traditions, expanding love for the divine and the mystical practice of trust and surrender.”
“A. Helwa takes us on a captivating journey through the pages of her book, where she unveils the essence of Islamic spirituality that often remains hidden beneath the surface. As an advocate for inclusivity and understanding, she sheds light on the profound teachings of Islam that center around the concept of divine love.”
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