Sh. Ibrahim Niyas R.T.A

"Struggling against the self until it returns to Allah is a must. The Majdhūb (One-Attracted-to-th­e Divine such that he doesn’t recognize anything but Allah) doesn’t know the consequence of fasting, prayer, or pilgrimage (as He recognizes the Maker of worship alone and thus cannot see worship itself nor its objective as both are other-than-Allah) but (nonetheless) he must perform these acts even if he doesn’t know their purpose. I will teach him and he will come to know its purpose.
The objective sought from him is that he befriends the Supreme Companion and return to Allah, be He exalted, and this is only attained through the door of humbleness. There is hunger in fasting. Hunger is the door to humbleness.

A tradition reports, ‘Verily Allah created the intellect and the self. He asked the intellect, who am I? It replied to Him, ‘You are My Lord the Greatest and I am the Lowly Slave’. He then said to the self, ‘Who am I” ? It replied, ‘You are you, and I am I’.
Allah then said to Angels, ‘Place it in the Fire for a thousand years and that is a day amongst the days of the Lord. After that placement he said to it, ‘Who am I’ ? It said to him, ‘You are you and I am I’. He returned it back to the Fire for another thousand years and then asked (again). It said to Him, ‘You are you and I am I’.
Allah then said to the Angels, ‘Make it hungry for 500 years. After that period of time He asked it, ‘Who am I’? It replied, ‘ You are the Venerable Lord and I am the submissive slave.’
Some of the Righteous used to raise their disciples with stories. It is given in an account that there was a king who ruled the entire earth except for small place wherein there was a minor king. The greater king attempted many times to gain control over the lesser king’s region so as to have control of the entire earth but was not able to succeed. After some time the greater king fought the smaller king until the latter had custody of the greater king and held him for seven days shackled. He didn’t eat nor did he drink.

The minor king prepared a house he had and had all his possessions were placed on the carpet. He put water into a dog’s bowl and placed a dry scrap of food in the house and said to his servants, ‘Bring him in’.
Once the major king was brought inside the house he drank the water and then looked at the scrap and ate it. The minor king then said to him, ‘Why is it that from all things in this house you only partook of what you did’. He said, ‘Out of the entire earth, this is the only thing I want’ (due to his extreme hunger). The minor king then said to him, ‘One who is satisfied with this small scrap should also be satisfied with all of the earth with the exception of this place’. The major king then said, ‘If you set me free I will never dispute with you again’. So, the minor king freed him. Thus everyone finds sufficiency in the world in having something to eat and drink. However the illness lies in greed.

I ask Allah to grant us success in what He loves and is satisfied with and, through His strength, cure sick hearts, and to guarantee us with faith and that our children will also believe in Him. Peace."

— Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse RadiaLLaahu ta'ala anuhu.