EXPLANATION OF SHAYKH IBRAHIM INYASS' STATEMENT: "I ENTERED JANNATUN NA'EEM WITHOUT DYING"
When a Sufi speaks, you must listen with both the apparent and obscure hearing. Never you jump into conclusion without tasting what they tasted.
Ibn Taimiyyah al Harrani (r) warned laymen from meddling with statements of the Sufis. He frantically warned people to desist from judging the statements of Sufis without themselves being Sufis. He said in Majmoo'Fatawa, Vol. 5, page 79:
واعلم أن Ù„Ùظ الصوÙية وعلومهم تختلÙØŒ Ùيطلقون ألÙاظهم على موضوعات لهم، ورموزات وإشارات، تجري ÙÙŠ ما بينهم Ùمن لم يدخلهم على التØقيق ونازل ما هم عليه رجع عنهم وهو خاسيء ÙˆØسير
"Be aware that the term Sufism and their sciences differs, so they cast their words on their subjects, symbols and signs, which run between them.
Whoever did not enter them into them truly and observed what they are upon, he will return back from them, misguided and confused".
True to his warning, those who attempt to condemn Sufis always end up lost and disgraced for their lack of understanding. This seemingly heavy statement from Shaykh Ibrahim Inyass has a very simple, yet interesting interpretation.
This statement of Shaykh (r) is found in his Diwaani, Manasiku Ahlil Widaad, Harf Mîm, line 9. Here is his exact statement:
وَأَدْخÙل٠جَنَّات٠النَّعÙيم٠ولم أمت
بÙÙŠÙمْن٠ØَبÙيبÙÙŠ ذَاكÙم٠غَايَة٠النّÙعَم
"I entered the Jannatun Na'eem without dying, by the favor and magnificence of my beloved".
To understand this Bayt appropriately, we need to visit the preceeding Abyat, in which we will find that Shaykh was in France, talking about how much he missed Madinah, then he said "I entered Jannatun Na'eem without dying... ".
So is there a Jannah in Madinah?
Abu Hurairah (r) reports the Prophet ï·º as saying:
(ما بيْنَ بيْتي وَمنْبري روضة منْ رÙياض الْجنة، وَمنْبري على Øوضي)
"Between my house and my pulpit is a garden of the gardens of Jannah, and my pulpit is over my rest place". (Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Bayhaqi).
Shaykh Ibrahim also acknowledges this hadith in his earlier verse in Shifa'ul Asqam, Harf Dhaad line 4: "between his pulpit and grave is a garden of Paradise".
So, when we add this up, we notice that just as other verses in Diwaani, Shaykh simply quoted a Hadith.
In summary, he visited the Prophet's Raudhah in Madinah so he said "I entered Jannatun Na'eem without dying" because the Prophet ï·º said his Raudhah is a garden from Jannah.
May Allah ï·» bless us with the fortunacy of vising this Jannah on earth. Amin.