Surrender
by Ibrahim
In sufism, surrender is the prime force that accelerates spiritual growth. Without true and complete surrender, the next phase of learning cannot take place. The teachings of not just sufism but also Zen, Tibetan Buddhism and other true paths are to help prepare the murid (student) to let go of their attachments to the things of this world. Surrender is often misinterpreted to mean giving up responsibility for one’s actions. “My teacher made me do it. My boss made me do it. You made me do it.” Negative to that.
Surrender means letting go of your attachments to who you think you are- those parts of you that imagine that you know what is right and wrong, your opinions, ideas, possessions, values, what you think is true and false. Notice I said “attachments” and not the possessions themselves. There is no compulsion in Islam (surrender) and no one is telling you to give up your possessions and live in a commune. A complete human being takes responsibility for their choices and actions – it is what differentiates us from all other life forms on this world- the ability to choose to really screw things up or not is our very own right.
A friend of mine was taking her donkey for a walk, and decided that because it was cold and slippery and she had gloves on, it would be better if she looped the donkey’s rope around her wrist. After a mile or so, the donkey decided it was time for a nice run and took off. Firmly attached to the donkey, she ran as fast as she could to keep up, but it was not fast enough, and so she was dragged along on her belly until the donkey decided to stop. Cut, bruised, and needing stitches, she went in to the emergency room and got patched up. She learned that we can tie the cord of attachment to our nafs (ego) or we can tie that same cord to Allah. One is surrendering to our emotional and constantly changing world, or we can be smart and surrender to Allah. There is not much in between.
As you know, in western countries the advertisers and their clients want you to surrender to their products and services. Everywhere you look is the name of a product. If you to surrender to the prodding of these advertisers and believe them, no matter how many products you had, though content for perhaps a few minutes, you would not be happy or sufficient for very long. This constant clamoring for your attention is the same way your nafs are continuously at work for themselves. They will not cease until they have your undivided attention. For the nafs, even that is not enough, They will make you their slave.
As Sufis, we wish only to do Allah’s will, not our nafs’. That is why we practice and focus on surrendering to Allah. Whose universe is this anyway? Why not give your life back to the one who gave it you?
As you are able to identify those parts of you that are habits and attachments, the weaker will be the gravitational pull of the world.
What is the best way to surrender and be in the work world? Minute by minute. Also, doing a spiritual practice before work will give you a running start to help you stay in your heart, and allow you to main
Salaam Alaykum, murids, seekers, curious and interested listeners,
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