Unnecessary association with people shifts the focus of the heart from Allah to people. Often this leads to ghaflat (being unmindful of Allah) which breeds a plethora of other sins. In his book Ikmaalush Shiyam (Perfection of Morals), Shaykh Ibn Ataullah Iskandari رحمة الله عليه said, “To attain closeness to Allah, nothing is more beneficial than solitude”. This solitude must be accompanied with dhikrullah. Otherwise, an idle mind can easily fall prey to sins.
Shaykh Ibn Ataullah رحمة الله عليه further advised, “Bury yourself in anonymity. The seed which is not buried underground will not develop and flourish. Similarly, if man does not bury himself in the field of anonymity, but remains in the pursuit of name and fame, he will not attain spiritual excellence and perfection. He will remain defective”. The opposite, desiring to be known, is a major sickness amongst the masses. Social media further escalates this, providing a platform that is now used to showcase mundane activities like what we buy, eat and drink. The fashion industry is constantly producing new trends, promoting self-promotion. Cars are constantly changing; once one model becomes outdated, the masses desire to upgrade. Drivers go to great lengths to make their cars appear unique and different. This all feeds the greed of fame.
The love for wealth and fame drives the nafs. Fame is the strongest desire of the two, as the one who has fame has the wealth of people at his disposal. Shaykh Ibn Ataullah رحمة الله عليه said, “Name and fame is like a highway robber in the path leading to Allah”. This negates the qualities of ikhlaas (sincerity) and sidq (truthfulness), as the one who is completely since to Allah and true to himself, will not desire the praises and recognition of people. A sincere seeker of Allah must shun the desire to be acknowledged or praised by others. When you buy a gift or do someone a favour, do not desire to be acknowledged or thanked. Seek and desire reward from Allah alone.
Ashaabul Kahf (the people of the cave) were looked down upon in their community due to their faith. To escape religious persecution, they sought shelter in a cave. Allah caused them to sleep for 309 lunar years. When they woke up, the community had completely changed. They were now respected in the community due to their faith. The King gave them an offer to live in the town, where they would have been treated as guests of the King. They were set to enjoy respectable lives and fame amongst the people. The King personally visited them in the cave to make his offer, but he found that they had all passed away. This is the system of Allah. At times he will conceal the piety of people from the public eye, and at times he will reveal it. Our purpose is to seek Him, not fame.
Shaykh Haroon Dhooma, a teacher from Darul Uloom Camperdown, has been blessed to look very young mashaAllah. Some of his students look older than him. When they go to a town for Jamaat together, the townsfolk assume he is a student. He never clarifies his position or seniority as a teacher. That is the level of humility we should strive to imbue, which can only be achieved by shunning fame. Thereafter, if Allah chooses to expose the person to the community then that is the will and wisdom of Allah. This allows the Ummah to benefit and seek clarity on matters of faith. However, we must never seek fame. Otherwise, in seeking (fame amongst) people we risk losing Allah. May Allah protect us, aameen.
— Shaykh Dawood Seedat حفظه اللّٰه
Above is an extract from Shaykh’s talk on 26/5/19 in Masjid-ut-Taqwa, Pietermaritzburg. To listen to the full audio, please click here. To read the book Ikmaalush Shiyaam, please click here.
