The Conflict Between Will and Divine Decree
One of the most delicate secrets of the spiritual journey is that the servant should not place their own personal desires and truths ahead of Allah’s will (the plan of destiny). For those devoted to Sufism, even a request that seems entirely innocent and justified can imprison the soul if it does not rest upon Divine permission. Abdülkadir Geylânî (q.s.) presents this profound truth with a unique interpretation through the story of Prophet Joseph (a.s.): “Joseph (A.S.) was beautiful. After being taken from the well, he wanted to find his father, Prophet Jacob (A.S)… His desire to find his father by his own intention, without Divine command, ultimately led to his imprisonment because of his personal desire.” This interpretation demonstrates how a servant’s personal desires (even the desire to reunite with their father) can become a trial when they are not in accordance with Divine timing.
Demands Condemning a Person to Prison
The sole thing that spiritually constricts humanity, drags it into a swamp of stress and disappointment, is its own whims and the endless “I want this” cries. Geylânî (q.s.) states, “Desires always imprison people,” indicating that every selfish expectation is a spiritual prison. If the servant does not fully trust that Allah knows best and constantly tries to direct events with their limited intellect, they are condemned to a life of imprisonment.
Shedding Desires and Emerging into Freedom
True freedom and union (reunion) are possible only when a person melts their own will into the Will of Allah (annihilation of the will – *fana fi’l-irade*). When the servant attains the surrender, “O my Lord, let what You will be, my desire is Your command,” the gates of the prison open. The perfect believer who abandons their personal expectations and “why didn’t it happen” rebellions, like Joseph (a.s.) emerging from prison to become a sultan in Egypt, escapes spiritual distress and attains spiritual sovereignty.