The Heaven of this World..

I heard the Shaykh of Islam, Ibn Taymiyya, say, 'Truly, there us a Heaven in this world, [and] whoever does not enter it, will not enter the Heaven of the next world.' And once he said to me, 'What can my enemies do to me? I have in my breast both my Heaven and my garden. If I travel they are with me, and they never leave me. Imprisonment for me is religious retreat [khalwa]. To be slain for me is martyrdom [shahada] and to be exiled from my land is a spiritual journey [siyaha].

During his imprisonment in the fortress, he would say, 'I could not be more grateful for this blessing were I to have this entire fortress in gold'; or, 'I could never repay them for the good that has come to me in [this prison].' And in prostration he would say, 'O God, help me in my gratitude to you, remembrance of You and the most comely worship of You, God willing.'

Once he said to me, 'The real prisoner is someone whose heart is imprisoned from his Lord; the true captive is someone captured by his passions.' And when he entered the fortress and was inside the walls, he gazed upon them and then recited the verse, 'And a wall between them is struck which has a gate. On the inside there is mercy, on the outside punishment.'

God knows, I have never seen anyone who had a better life than his. Despite the difficulties and all that expunges comfort and luxury, nay, things completely opposite to them; despite imprisonment, intimidation and oppression, Ibn Taymiyya had a purer life than anyone could. He was the most generous, the strongest of heart and the most joyful of soul, with 'the radiance of bliss' in his face. When we were sized with fear and our thoughts [about God's decree] turned negative, and the earth grew narrow for us, we would go to him. No sooner did we look at him and hear his words than all these [feelings] would leave us, to be replaced by relief, strength, certainty and tranquillity. So glory be to the One who lets His servants witness His Heaven well before they meet Him, who opens its doors to them in this world of deeds and who gives them something of its refreshment, its breeze and its perfume--that they might seek it and hasten towards it with all their strength.

A gnostic once said, 'If kings and the sons of kings knew what we had, they would try to take it from us by the sword!' Another said: 'How pitiful, the worldly people! They leave this life without ever having tasted the sweetest thing in it.' When asked what that was, he replied, 'The love of God, the knowledge of God and the remembrance of God,' or words to that effect. Another said: 'There are times when the heart dances in joy.' And another said, 'There are times when I say, If the people of Heaven have anything like this how truly sweet their lives!'

To love God, to know Him intimately, to remember Him constantly, to find peace and rest in Him, to make Him alone the [ultimate] object of love, fear, hope, and trust; to base one's acts on His control of His servants' cares, aspirations and will--such is this world's Heaven, and such is a blessing with which no other blessing can compare. It is by this that the hearts of those who love God are gladdened and that the gnostics find life. As their hearts are gladdened by God, so other are gladdened by them. For whoever finds his source of gladness in God, gladdens all hearts; whoever does not finds nothing in this world but restlessness.

Anyone with life in his heart will confirm this. But someone whose heart is dead will only estrange you from God; and so seek intimacy [with God] without him, where you can, for his mere presence will estrange you. If you are tested by him, show him only your outer aspect, but leave him behind in your heart. Depart from him with your soul and do not let him distract you from the One who is most important to you. Know that the greatest of all losses is the involvement with someone who weakens your relationship and standing with God, cutting you off from Him, wasting your time, dispersing your heart, weakening your resolve and dividing your aspirations. Therefore, if you are tested by this [kind of situation]--and it is inevitable that you will be--then bear up for the sake of God, and acknowledge Him as much as you are able.

Draw near to God by whatever of it please Him. Make your association [with wordily people] a profit, not a loss. Be like the man travelling along, whom another invites to stop; seek to take him along with you. When he comes along lead him but be not led by him. And if he refuses, and you have no hope that he will journey, then [at least] do not let him detain you. Rather, hasten on, pay him no heed. Do not [even] turn in his direction, for he is a highway robber regardless.

Protect your heart and be careful of how you spend your day and your night. Let not the sun set on you before you reach camp, 'lest you be carried off'. Nor let the dawn find you abandoned in the camp after the caravan has moved on, and the time is nigh for you to reach them.

Ibn Qayyiam al-Jawziyya, Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p.57-60