Royalty

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Transcript

Kingship/Queenship

shaykh ibrahim ansari

Sometimes the marsh of Nafs seems way too massive. It can often feel as if you're facing some kind of massive weed infestation in the swamp of your mind. No matter how much you yank, chop, or burn away the weeds, it just feels like there's even more waiting to overgrow and strangle your little world.

You know, there was a time when there were kings and queens who controlled the land, raised armies, collected taxes, and supported the village. Royalty was not always inherited, but procured through trial, 1combat, and sometimes a spiritual quest made a king or queen. Their real power was not command, but respect. This kind of esteem is hard-earned. Usually this kind of honor is gathered not just through making many mistakes, but learning from them. It's one thing to make mistakes, it's another to understand the lesson. 

Are you learning from your mistakes? A king or queen grows through the alchemy of experience. Each experience is examined and squeezed for all the juice that one can acquire. So if you want to understand people; if you want to know how to make friends, and have consequential and deep conversations, you need to know who and what you are.

We learn who we are through challenges. Challenges come from trying to understand other people’s points of view. The more we can understand why someone thinks the way they do, the easier it is to enter into a discussion that is enlightening and inclusive.

I'm talking about queens and kings because this is what we need to be in order to rule over our Nafs. You need to take the throne and bring the horde of habits to their knees. They need to pay obeisance to their ruler.

You need to accept the role of the one in charge, and to take responsibility for all the actions of your minion. These are your people! They look to you for approval and direction. You certainly do not want one of them to be telling everyone what to do because it would be weird and biased… even though every single one of them wants your throne. You have to stay strong and defend it properly.

There are many of us who do not feel worthy of taking responsibility for this village of idiots. But, this is what we are given and must do the best we can with what we are given. This is called growing up. Another word for it might be: maturity. If you don't feel worthy of accepting the royal scepter, that means that there is already another nafs sitting on the throne. Your throne. What are you going to do about it?