Satan’s Dehastling Advice to Prophet Moses (a.s.)
O seeker of eternity, fearing to be drowned in the desires of the transient world! Know that the most insurmountable mountain between Allah and the servant is the false value and pride that a person attributes to their own self. Listen to this immense event mentioned in Faridüddin Attar’s Mantıku’t-Tayr and tremble with awe: The Exalted Allah secretly commands Prophet Moses (a.s.) to learn something from Iblis. Prophet Moses, on the way, asks Iblis for a sign, an advice. He, who is eternally cursed due to his pride, utters this terrifying statement of truth: “Always keep this in mind; do not say ‘I,’ but be like me!! If there is even a hair’s breadth of existence, selfhood in you, you are a disbeliever; there is no servitude in you!” Reflect, O heedless soul! Even the greatest rebel in the universe confesses that his own destruction stems from the claim of “I” (enaniyet). The phrases that a person clings to their tongue – “I did it, I achieved it, I know it” – are poisonous arrows that lead the servant step by step down Iblis’s cursed path.
The Illusion of Existence Cancels Out Devotion
If you nurture a pride that weighs heavily on your soul, what value can that devotion have in the sight of Allah even if you rise from prostration until dawn? As stated in the work Tezkiretü’l-Evliya which narrates the lives of true saints, there is no veil thicker than the veil of claiming one’s own existence between a servant and Allah. For one whose self is valuable, religion becomes insignificant. Even when a person momentarily attains a spiritual station or grace, the nafs-i emmare (the commanding self) lies in wait. As Satan whispers: “The end of this path is unfulfilled desire… Because as soon as you attain something on this path, hundreds of existences and selfhoods arise within you!” You will remain an enemy of your own soul in both worlds until you rid yourself of ego and find certainty. Those who consider themselves devout worshippers and see themselves as superior to others are immersed in the greatest pride.
The Desire for Honor Turns into a Prison
O servant who has forgotten his own wretchedness and seeks honor and prestige in the eyes of the people! Two things have ruined humankind: the desire for honor and the fear of poverty. If you are inclined to be praised by people and afraid of losing your possessions, it means that the light of tawhid (oneness of God) has not yet fully shone in your heart. Whoever says “I” is immediately withdrawn from Divine power. As a great sage said in Tezkiretü’l-Evliya: “I sought height and found it in humility. I sought lordship and found it in benevolence… I sought glory and found it in poverty.” The path to Allah lies through non-existence, through descending into nothingness. It is impossible for one who feels even a hair’s breadth of existence within himself to be accepted in the presence of Allah without breaking that idol of existence.
The Secret of “Die Before You Die”
The advice of those well-versed in spirituality is to silence the unending complaints and desires of the self. How can you surrender to Allah’s will unless you relinquish your own volition? The following words, spoken by a sage to his disciple, are so shocking: “Be as if you have died and three days have passed.” A person cannot attain that immortal resurrection (Bekabillah) unless he abandons the claim of “I,” objection, and worldly struggles like a corpse in a grave. What you should hold onto is your self, and what you should conquer most appropriately is desire and passions. If you are wise, remove that abhorrent word “I” from your vocabulary and devote all your being to “He” (Allah).