“WHAT IS TASAWWUF (SUFISM)?”
By A. A. Godlas
What is Tasawwuf?
What is Tasawwuf? Good character and awareness of God.
That’s all Tasawwuf is. And nothing more.
What is Tasawwuf? Love and affection.
It is the cure for hatred and vengeance. And nothing more.
What is Tasawwuf? The heart attaining tranquility–
which is the root of religion. And nothing more.
What is Tasawwuf? Concentrating your mind,
which is the religion of Ahmad (pbuh). And nothing more.
What is Tasawwuf? Contemplation that travels to the Divine throne.
It is a far-seeing gaze. And nothing more.
Tasawwuf is keeping one’s distance from imagination and supposition.
Tasawwuf is found in certainty. And nothing more.
Surrendering one’s soul to the care of the inviolability of religion;
this is Tasawwuf. And nothing more.
Tasawwuf is the path of faith and affirmation of unity;
this is the incorruptible religion. And nothing more.
Tasawwuf is the smooth and illuminated path.
It is the way to the most exalted paradise. And nothing more.
I have heard that the ecstasy of the wearers of wool
comes from finding the taste of religion. And nothing more.
Tasawwuf is nothing but shari’at.
It is just this clear road. And nothing more.
An Anonymous Persian Poem –
Translated by A. A. Godlas
A Commentary on “What Is Tasawwuf?”
By directly addressing the nature of Tasawwuf, this anonymous Persian
poem, “What is Tasawwuf?” contains a number of essential concepts that
are helpful in gaining an understanding of Tasawwuf. Direct statements
about the nature of Tasawwuf (also known as Sufism) are an important
aspect of Sufi literature. The renowned scholar Abu Nu‘aym al-Asbahani
(Isfahani) (d. 430/1038) included one-hundred and thirty-four such
assertions (often in rhymed prose) in his encyclopaedic biographical
collection, the Hilyat al-awliya’. The great English scholar of
Sufism, Nicholson, collected and translated seventy-eight of these
sayings. Most recently, Tamar Frank has devoted an article to studying
Abu Nu‘aym’s sayings of this kind. The poem that is the object of this
study, in answering the question “What is Tasawwuf?” makes a number of
pithy assertions about the central concepts of Tasawwuf by means of
its technical vocabulary. Consequently, in this article we have sought
to explain those concepts that may not be obvious even to the educated
reader. In explaining these terms, we have relied mainly upon
authoritative Islamic sources such as the Qur’an, hadith, and highly
regarded Sufi authors.
Good character (akhlaq)
The word akhlaq, translated here as “good character,” is at best an
inexact translation denoting virtuous behaviour that is an outgrowth
of spiritual refinement. Hujwiri (d. ca. 465/1072), informed us that
Abu al-Hasan al-Nuri (d. 295/907-8) stated, “Tasawwuf is not composed
of practices (rusum) and sciences (‘ulum), but it is akhlaq.” Hujwiri
explained that what Nuri meant was that akhlaq should not be thought
of as simply good comportment or good character in an ordinary sense.
Akhlaq as used by Sufis consists of virtuous behaviour that derives
from the fact that the inner being of the Sufi has become cleansed and
his or her heart has become purified. How such a Sufi behaves, then,
is not so much the product of effort as it is the cresting of a wave,
the origins of which is God. Hujwiri, in explaining Nuri’s remark went
on to say,
If it [Tasawwuf] consisted of practices, it could be acquired by
effort (mujahadat), and if it consisted of sciences, it could be
gained by instruction (ta’allum); but it is akhlaq and it is not
acquired until you demand from yourself the requirements (hukm) of
akhlaq, conform your actions to them, and do justice to them. The
distinction between practices (rusum) and akhlaq is this, that
practices are contrived (bi-takalluf) actions proceeding from
particular motives (asbab), such that their “outer form” (zahir) is at
variance with their “inner truth” (batin); they are actions devoid of
essence (ma’na). Akhlaq, on the other hand, are non-contrived
praiseworthy actions not proceeding from particular motives. Their
outer form is in harmony with their inner truth; they are actions
devoid of pretension.
Awareness of God (ihsan)
The phrase “awareness of God,” is my translation of the word ihsan,
which literally means “doing what is beautiful.” I have rendered it as
“awareness of God” in view of the sound hadith in which the angel
Gabriel asked the Prophet (pbuh), “What is ihsan?” He replied, “Ihsan
is that you should worship God as if you see Him; and if you do not
see Him, [you should know that] He sees you.” The concept of ihsan,
with particular attention to its Qur’anic roots, occupies an entire
chapter in what is arguably the best book in English on basic Islamic
concepts, Murata and Chittick’s Vision of Islam.
The first Sufi to compose a compendium on Tasawwuf, Sarraj (d.
378/988-89), linked ihsan to “vigilant awareness” (muraqaba). He
stated, “Vigilant awareness is for a servant who indeed knows and is
certain that Allah is aware of and knows what is in his heart (qalb)
and consciousness (damir). So he stays vigilantly aware of despicable
thoughts that [would otherwise] preoccupy the heart and keep it from
remembering his Master. Qushayri (d. 465/1072), like Sarraj, saw ihsan
to be related to “vigilant awareness” (muraqaba). Specifically, he
referred to the aspect of ihsan mentioned in the part of the hadith,
“If you do not see him [know] that indeed he sees you” as alluding to
“vigilant awareness” because “vigilant awareness” “is the servant’s
knowledge of the Lord’s constant awareness of him.”
Love (‘ishq)
The lexicographer Jawhari (d. 453/1061), a contemporary of Qushayri
defined ‘ishq, literally, as “being excessive in love (al-hubb). While
the Qur‘an speaks of love using a variety of words, it does not use
the word ‘ishq or any words derived from it. Nevertheless, we do find
a derivative of ‘ishq being used in the hadith. Ghazali (d. 505/1111)
noted a hadith in which the Prophet (pbuh) spoke of “intense
love” (‘ishq): The Messenger of God (pbuh) stated, “Whoever feels
intense love, is virtuous, keeps his love hidden, and then dies, he
will indeed die as a martyr.”
In a strikingly ecstatic passage in his Alchemy of Happiness (Kimiya-
yi sa‘adat), al-Ghazali considers ‘ishq as that which arises in the
fourth and final stage of practicing the remembrance of God (dhikr).
This fourth stage occurs when
the object of the remembrance dominates the heart (and that object is
God-Haqq – not the remembrance)…. This is the result of one-pointed
love (mahabbat-i mufrad), which is called “intense love” (‘ishq). The
heart of the lover who is burning with love (‘ashiq-i garmraw) is
always with the Beloved (ma’shuq). It might even occur that on account
of the intense degree of preoccupation of the heart with the Beloved,
the name of the Beloved may be forgotten. When one becomes so drowned
and forgets one’s self and everything – except God (Haqq) –one reaches
the beginning of the path of Tasawwuf. Sufis call this condition
“passing away” (fana’) and “not existing” (nisti); meaning that as a
result of the remembrance of God, everything has become non-existent;
and such a person also has become non-existent, namely the one who has
forgotten his or her self.
Mawlana Rumi (d. 672/1273), in his collection of ecstatic poetry, the
Divan-i Shams-i Tabrizi, exclaims in praise,
This love is so fine, this love that we have is so fine, O God!
So exquisite, so good, and so beautiful, O God!
Zihi ‘ishq zihi ‘ishq, kah ma rast khudaya,
Chi naghz ast u chi khub ast chi zibast khudaya.
While Divine Love might appear to some to be completely distinct from
human love, for many Sufis such as Ahmad al-Ghazali (d. 520/1126),
Ruzbihan (d. 606/1209), Ibn ‘Arabi (d. 638/1240), Rumi, and ‘Iraqi (d.
688/1289), there was a continuum from human love to Divine love that
the aspiring lover of God could follow. By learning how to love
through love of a person, the sincere Sufi could – in principle –
transform his or her love of a person into love of Allah. The
contemporary scholars Chittick and Wilson, in the introduction to
their translation of ‘Iraqi’s Lama’at, discussed this relationship of
human love and Divine love. Speaking of ‘Iraqi’s understanding of
love, they stated, “There is no irreducible dichotomy between divine
and human love…There is a gradation from the love of forms, which is
“apparent love” (‘ishq-i majazi) to the love of God, which alone is
‘real love’ (‘ishq-i haqiqi). The lower form of love can be, and for
the Sufi is, the ladder to Divine Love.”
Affection (mahabba)
The word mahabba is derived from the word hubb, both of which commonly
mean love and affection. In the Qur’an, both words occur, although
hubb is more common. The verbal form of these words, however, is used
numerous times in the Qur’an. Two ayas involving love that Sufis
frequently quote are “God will bring a people whom He loves and who
love Him” [Q 5:54], and “Say, if you love God, follow me [namely, the
Prophet (pbuh)]; God will love you” [Q 3:31]. A hadith qudsi in which
mahabba is mentioned was included in the highly regarded Muwatta of
Imam Malik (d. 179/795) on the authority of Abu Idris al-Khawlani (d.
80/699-700). He transmitted the following narrative, which contains
this hadith qudsi as transmitted by Mu’adh ibn Jabal (d. 18/639):
“Indeed, I heard the Messenger of God (pbuh) saying, ‘God said, “My
love (mahabbati) necessarily belongs to those who love one another
(mutahabbina) for My sake, sit together for My sake, visit one another
for My sake, and give generously to one another for My sake.”’ ”
From the Qur’anic examples that we have cited, in addition to this
hadith, it should be clear that mahabba (affection and love) is an
important Islamic principle. In Sufi literature, along with an
emphasis on the terms ‘ishq (passionate love), we also often see the
terms hubb and mahabba (affectionate love).
The Heart Attaining Tranquility (itminan-i qalb)
On six occasions the Qur’an links together the roots of the words
itminan and qalb. In particular, one aya that is frequently cited by
Sufis is in surat al-Ra’d, “Know that hearts find peace through the
remembrance of God” [Q 13:28]. The emphasis in Tasawwuf on the
practice of the remembrance of God is directly linked with the
Qur’anic assertion that hearts become tranquil and find peace by means
of remembering and meditating on God. A certain shaykh quoted in the
Qur’anic commentaries of Sulami and Ruzbihan said, “Hearts find peace
in it [the remembrance of God], because they did not find other than
God to be a place for intimacy (uns) and comfort (raha).” Another
shaykh quoted by both Sulami and Baqli stated, “The hearts of the folk
of gnosis only find peace through God and only are tranquil through
Him, because their hearts are the place where He looks (mahal
nazarihi). Thus, Sufis, as lovers of God, only find peace in their
hearts through God and the remembrance of God.
Concentrating Your Mind (jam’-i khatir)
The Sufi technical term jam’ that I have translated by the word
“concentration” is more literally translated as “the state of being
gathered” or “collected,” sometimes even being rendered as “union.” It
is often used in contrast to the term tafriqa (separation). Concerning
them Qushayri wrote, “Affirming created existence (khalq) comes about
through ‘separation;’ and affirming God (Haqq) derives from
‘concentration’ or ‘gatheredness’. The servant must have both
‘concentration’ and ‘separation.’ Whoever has no ‘separation’ has no
servanthood; and whoever has no ‘concentration,’ has no gnosis
(ma’rifa).’” Thus “concentrating one’s mind,” as we find in the poem,
is more than simply the kind of concentration that one uses in one’s
day to day activities in the world. “Concentrating one’s mind” for the
folk of Tasawwuf implies the transcendental knowledge of God that is
called gnosis (ma’rifa).
The Religion of Ahmad (din-i Ahmad) (pbuh)
The religion of Ahmad (pbuh) is none other than Islam, since Ahmad
(pbuh) is one of the names of the Prophet (pbuh), as confirmed in both
the Qur’an and hadith. In surat al-Saff we read, “…Jesus, the son of
Mary, said: O children of Israel, Indeed I am the messenger of God
sent to you to confirm the truth of what is present of the Torah and
to convey to you glad tidings of a Divine messenger who will come
after me, whose name is Ahmad” [Q 61:6]. Both Bukhari and Muslim, in
their authoritative collections of hadith, reported that the Prophet
(pbuh) stated, “I am Muhammad and I am Ahmad; and I am the effacer
(mahi) who effaces disbelief. And I am the gatherer (hashir), who will
gather people behind me [on the day of resurrection]; and I am the
final one (‘aqib) [after whom there will be no other prophets].
Contemplation (fikr)
Contemplation (fikr or tafakkur) is an important aspect of the
methodology of Islam in general and Tasawwuf in particular. In both
the Qur‘an and the sunna, people are instructed by God to contemplate.
In surat al-Nahl, God states, “And we have revealed to you this
[revelation as a] reminder (al-dhikr), so you will make clear for
humankind what has been revealed to them and so that they will
contemplate [Q 16:44]. Similarly, in surat Al ‘Imran, we read,
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the
succession of night and day, there are indeed signs for all who
possess [awakened] hearts, those who remember Allah when they stand,
sit, and lie down and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the
earth” [Q 3:190-91]. One hadith that clearly expresses the
significance of contemplation in the sunna was cited by Ghazali, “An
hour’s worth of contemplation is better than a year’s worth of
worship.” Contemplation is so important in the Qur’an, sunna, and
Tasawwuf that Ghazali devoted an entire “book” (kitab) in his Revival
of the Religious Sciences to it.
Certainty (yaqin)
The classical Sufi doctrine of certainty involved three degrees: the
knowledge of certainty (‘ilm al-yaqin), the eye of certainty (‘ayn al-
yaqin), and the reality of certainty (haqq al-yaqin). Hujwiri (d. ca.
465/1072) discussed them in the following manner:
“By ‘ilm al-yaqin the Sufis mean knowledge of (religious) practice
(mu’amalat) in this world according to the Divine commandments; by
‘ayn al-yaqin they mean knowledge of the state of dying (naz’) and the
time of departure from this world; and by haqq al-yaqin they mean the
unveiling (kashf) of the vision (of God) that will be revealed in
Paradise, and of its nature. Therefore, ‘ilm al-yaqin is the rank of
religious scholars (‘ulama’) on account of their correct observance of
the divine commands, and ‘ayn al-yaqin is the station of gnostics
(maqam-i ‘arifan) on account of their readiness for death, and haqq al-
yaqin is the annihilation-point of lovers (fana’gah-i dustan), on
account of their rejection of all ‘existent beings and
things’ (mawjudat)”
In these three degrees of certainty, one clearly sees a hierarchy of
states of consciousness, one which corresponds to a three-fold
hierarchy of human identity: the scholars, the gnostics, and at the
highest degree, the lovers.
According to a later Sufi, Najm al-Din Razi (d. 654/1256), “certainty”
arises when one strives to become aware of the spiritual world, while
living in accordance with shari’a. If one simply tries to use one’s
rational mind, one will fall into mere philosophy and unbelief. The
key to certainty is the practice of shari’a, which leads to the
awareness that everything is a manifestation of an attribute of God.
In the following passage, Razi discusses the nature of certainty:
But [in contrast to the mere philosopher and the heretic] …the
possessor of true felicity nourish[es] the seed of the spirit in
accordance with the law of Shari’at until all his senses attain
perfection. He will then perceive, through his outer and inner senses,
all the three hundred and sixty thousand realms that constitute the
material and spiritual worlds (mulk va malakut)…He sees every atom in
each of these worlds to be a manifestation of one of the divine
attributes containing within it one of God’s signs; he removes the
veil from the face of the manifestations, and the beauty of God’s
signs is displayed to him. [As the poet Abu al-‘Atahiya stated,]
In every thing is a sign (aya) of His
pointing to the fact that He is One (ahad).
This is the threshold of the world of certainty (iqan)…Then the pure
essence of God may be known in its unity, and the attributes (sifat)
of divinity may be contemplated with the eye of certainty (‘ayn al-
yaqin).”
Razi makes it very clear: in order to follow the path that leads to
certainty and the awareness of the very “essence of God,” one must
discipline and perfect one’s senses by means of shari’a, and one must
be aware that there is nothing in existence that does not derive from
an attribute of God.
The Most Exalted Paradise (khuld-i barin)
Khuld is one of the many terms in Islamic languages for paradise,
which can be spoken of as consisting of various degrees. The highest
degree of paradise is sometimes referred to as khuld-i barin. Some
writers of Sufi literature – such as the author of the poem about
which we are remarking – have seen Tasawwuf as a path to the highest
degree of paradise, a path that is more certain than that offered by
Islam in general, since Tasawwuf is more demanding and rigorous, going
beyond the minimum degree of conformity to God’s will required in
Islam. Other Sufi writers have used terms for paradise as metaphors
alluding to aspects of Tasawwuf or to experiences encountered on the
Sufi path. In this way, Sufis bring paradise into this life or,
conversely, they raise up to paradise an aspect of this life. An
example of such a metaphorical usage is expressed by the Persian poet
Hafiz, who has written perhaps the best known couplet using the term
“the most exalted paradise” (khuld-i barin):
Rawda-yi khuld-i barin khalvat-i darvishanast
Maya-yi muhtashimi khalvat-i darvishanast
The garden of the most exalted paradise is the retreat of solitude of
the dervish.
The substance of magnificence is the retreat of solitude of the
dervish.
Ecstasy and “finding” (wajd)
Literally, the word wajd means “finding,” but for the Sufis it also
means a moment of ecstasy in which one experiences an unveiling – and
hence a “finding” - of some aspect of God’s reality. Ruzbihan (d.
606/1209) defined wajd as, “The heart’s perceiving the sweetness of
contact with the light of “eternality before time” (azaliyat), the
purity of witnessing, and the delight of the [Divine] address. Wajd is
often portrayed as the intermediary stage of a three-stage process
consisting of tawajud, wajd, and wujud. Qushayri defines tawajud as
“willfully seeking to have wajd; one in this state does not actually
possess true wajd.” Concerning wajd itself, Qushayri wrote, “Wajd is
that which encounters your heart, entering [it and coming] over you,
without will or effort on your part.” Abu al-Husayn al-Nuri stated,
“For twenty years I have gone between wajd (ecstatic finding) and faqd
(loss). Namely, when I find my Lord, I lose my heart; and when I find
my heart, I lose my Lord.” Qushayri defined the third stage, wujud, as
being that which occurs “after one progresses beyond wajd;” [it is
truly realized only] “after the cessation of human qualities (khumud
al-bashariya), because human qualities cannot remain present during
the manifestation of the sovereignty of the Truth (sultan al-haqiqa).”
A succinct summary of each of these three stages was expressed by
Qushayri’s shaykh and father-in-law, Abu ‘Ali al-Daqqaq: “Tawajud
necessitates the rebuking of the servant; wajd necessitates the
drowning of the servant; and wujud necessitates the annihilation of
the servant.” Hence, as one advances from tawajud to wajd and wujud,
one experiences a progressive dissolution of one’s egocentricity and a
surrendering of one’s identification with one’s self.
Wearers of Wool (suf pushan)
In Persian the literal meaning of the word sufi would be translated as
“suf push” (wearer of wool). Hence the phrase in the poem “wearer of
wool” is synonymous with Sufi. It is generally agreed that the first
Sufis were pious, ascetic Muslims who were called Sufis because they
wore clothes of coarse wool (suf) rather than more refined garments.
Some scholars have pointed to a Christian influence upon this
practice. Nevertheless, these early Sufi ascetics were following the
example of the Prophet (pbuh), who (as reported by Ibn Sa’d [d.
230/845] through reliable transmitters) was known to wear woollen
garments. Moreover, the great hadith scholar Bayhaqi (d. 458/1066), in
his Shu’ab al-iman, includes numerous reports about the virtues of
wearing suf. In one report the Prophet (pbuh) states “You should wear
clothes of wool (suf). [In so doing,] you will find the sweetness of
faith in your hearts.” In spite of the criticism leveled against this
and other reports that the Prophet (pbuh) wore wool, the isnad of Ibn
Sa’d’s report mentioned above was not criticised and appears to be
flawless. Hence in wearing wool the Sufis were not departing from the
record of the sunna of the Prophet (pbuh).
Taste (dhawq)
Generally, one’s spiritual proclivity or capacity is referred to by
the term “taste” (dhawq). More specifically, Qushayri (d. 465/1072)
hierarchically defined dhawq (tasting) along with shurb (drinking),
and a less commonly used term riyy (being quenched). He stated,
These terms denote the fruits of ‘theophany’ (tajalli), the results of
unveilings (kushufat), and the appearances of inrushes (waridat) that
they [meaning the Sufis] experience. The first of these is ‘tasting,’
then, ‘drinking,’ and then ‘being quenched.’ One who is characterized
by dhawq (tasting) tries to be intoxicated (mutasakir). One who is
characterized by shurb (drinking) is intoxicated (sakran). And one who
is characterized by riyy (being quenched) is sober (sah).
The sense of the term “taste” in the poem “What is Tasawwuf?” seems to
have both the general meaning and the more specifically Sufi sense as
noted by Qushayri. The general meaning is conveyed in the expressions
the “taste for religion,” where the sense is that the Sufis’
“appreciation” for religion is the basis for their ecstasy. The more
specific meaning of which Qushayri speaks is alluded to in the poet’s
linking together these two hierarchical states of consciousness
(“taste” and ecstasy”). The poet states that “ecstasy” is derived from
“taste,” implying that Sufi ecstasy only comes about after a firm
foundation in the appreciation of and commitment to following the
religion (namely Islam). Hence the poet says, “I have heard that the
ecstasy of the wearers of wool (suf) comes from finding the taste for
religion".
Tasawwuf is nothing but shari‘at
A problem that arises in the final couplet of “What is Tasawwuf?” is
that in equating Tasawwuf and shari’a, the poet brings up and then
resolves an apparent tension between Tasawwuf and shari’a. Such a
tension, however, exists only to the degree that one defines these two
terms as being mutually exclusive. While various extremists persist in
excluding one from the other, we do have many inclusive statements -
such as that of the poet of “What is Tasawwuf?” – in which Tasawwuf
and shari’a are interwoven, similarly defined, or equated. Qushayri
(d. 465/1074), for example, defined “shari’a” as “assiduous observance
of servanthood.” Defining Tasawwuf in a comparable fashion, Abu al-
Hasan al-Shudhili (d. 656/1258) stated: “Tasawwuf is training the self
(nafs) through servanthood and subjecting it to the commands (ahkam)
of Lordship.”
Supporting the close relationship between Tasawwuf and shari‘a, the
Sufi Abu Yazid al-Bistami (d. 260/874) asserted that observing the
shari‘a was a touchstone for judging a person’s spiritual degree:
“Were you to see a man who performs miracles such that he ascends into
the air, do not be deceived by him. Instead, observe how well he is
following the Divine commands, abstaining from what is prohibited,
keeping within the limits set by God, and observing the shari‘a.”
Similarly, Abu al-Husayn al-Warraq (d. before 320/932), asserted the
futility of trying to reach God without conforming one’s actions to
shari‘a and the sunna: “A servant will only reach Allah through Allah
and by being in harmony with his loved one [the Prophet (pbuh)]
through his laws (shari’a). And whoever believes that he can follow a
path without emulating (al-iqtida) [the Prophet (pbuh)] will become
lost, on account of imagining that he is being guided.” Undoubtedly,
for all but a minority of Sufis throughout history, carefully
observing the shari’a has been a crucial and on-going component of
their spiritual practice.
One way of understanding the interrelationship of Tasawwuf and shari’a
was expressed by the Kubrawi Sufi, Najm al-Din Razi (d. 654/1256).
Using the term tariqa (path) to denote Tasawwuf – as Sufis commonly do
– he clarified its relationship to shari’a: “The shari’at has an outer
(zahiri) and an inner (batini) aspect. Its outer aspect consists of
bodily deeds… The inner aspect of the shari’at consists of deeds of
the heart (qalbi), of the inner mystery (sirri), and of the spirit
(ruhi) and is called the tariqat.” Hence, for Razi, the tariqa (or
Tasawwuf) is not separate from shari‘a, it is, rather, its inner
dimension. In summary, it should be clear, then, that in spite of
extremist views that see Tasawwuf and shari’a as mutually exclusive,
the author of “What is Tasawwuf?” – like most Sufis – bridges the
false dichotomy between Tasawwuf and shari‘a.
Conclusion
The poem “What is Tasawwuf?” provides answers to a question that has
perplexed people since the term first began to be used, over 1200
years ago. Its answers to this question involve technical terms
referring to many of the key concepts of Tasawwuf (or Sufism, as it is
commonly called today). In this commentary we have not discussed the
more obvious phrases and answers expressed by the poet, phrases such
as “faith” (iman) and “the affirmation of unity” (tawhid). The terms
that we have addressed are the following: good character (akhlaq),
awareness of God (ihsan), love (‘ishq), affection (mahabba), the heart
attaining tranquillity (itminan-i qalb), concentrating one’s mind
(jam’i khatir), the religion of Ahmad (din-i Ahmad) (pbuh),
contemplation (fikr), certainty (yaqin), the most exalted paradise
(khuld-i barin), ecstasy (wajd), wearers of wool (suf pushan), taste
(dhawq), and the close relationship between Tasawwuf and shari’a. From
this study, it should be evident that there are numerous dimensions of
Tasawwuf, including actions in the world, consciousness of God,
spiritual states and practices, and shari’a. And nothing more – nor
less.
(From Sufi Illuminations, Vol 1, August 1996)
A. A. Godlas, Ph.D. is Associate Professor, University of Georgia
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim
In the name of Allah, The Merciful, The Compassionate
IMPOSTER OR MISTAKEN IDENTITY?
By Sheikha Fatima Fleur Nassery Bonnin
Psychology tells us that we are not who we think we are and that most
of the personal and relationship problems that we experience stem from
two issues:
a) Our mistaken identity; thinking we are someone with certain
characteristics but those who are in relationship with us perceive us
differently.
and/or
b) We hide our self and our true emotions from others and to some
degree from ourselves, and present an altered persona to the outside
world.
Spirituality tells us that in spite of the above identifications and
misidentifications, there is yet a greater picture at stake. In
Reality, we are not this personality and this body, we are what is
within us, the soul or the higher self, not the ego-personality or
lower self “nafs”. The spiritual masters tell us that if we knew the
truth and had a glimpse of the divine reality, we would not bother
with all the hide and seek of the ego-personality and the unhappy
consequences it brings.
This picture of a whole society pretending to be something that they
are not, consciously or unconsciously while convincing themselves and
others that they are real, is quite disconcerting and unbelievable. It
is unbelievable because it is disconcerting. However, when the
majority behaves in a certain way or holds a certain belief, then it
becomes normal, and when it is normal then it seems real. Of course
people in the societies with the help of sociologists and
psychologists have created some parameters and measuring systems so
that if a behaviour or emotion goes beyond a certain degree, then it
is considered abnormal. For example, according to many psychologists
we live in a narcissistic society as a whole; this means the majority
of people are narcissistic, which is a psychological disorder. However
rather than trying to find out what is the cause of this and what are
the ramifications of such psychological trait, we assume that a
certain degree of narcissism is normal, and beyond that measure is
considered abnormal with varying degrees of severity. I used the
example of narcissism because it plays an important role in the
distortion of both the human identity and the spiritual identity.
So who are we, if we are not who we present ourselves to be? Who is
housed in our body and why do we have such little knowledge and
connection with who we really are?
Sufi Masters tell us that everything in creation, including human
beings and their lives in this world, is constantly in the process of
moving toward its final goal, both in the inner spiritual life and in
the outer worldly life. From the moment anything comes into existence,
its face and direction is orientated towards an end goal, and it moves
towards that goal using the form and faculties that it has been
endowed with and are embedded within it. For instance, from the moment
that a grain of wheat in the ground opens itself up and a tiny green
shoot emerges, it is being directed towards a fully grown wheat plant
full of clusters of wheat. Or the seed of an apple, from the moment it
sprouts, is moving towards becoming a fully grown tree full of apples
unless an obstacle gets in the way. Human beings are no different in
this order of creation.
In other words, human beings have an inner journey heading towards
sincerity and submission in the inner, while in the outer they are
engaged in a different journey of life pursuits and may be totally
unconscious of the inner journey. But if the veil is taken off one’s
eyes, (which is usually after death due to being cut off from the body
and the senses or sometimes during this life, in an authentic
spiritual journey), he can witness the truth and the reality and
realise the unreality that he has been living.
The path begins with the belief in God and the hereafter. The call of
all religions is to God, so that we know this creation has a Creator
and that there is a plan and a purpose to it. However, the spiritual
dimension of religions calls on people to increase their faith and
knowledge in God and to move on to discover the relationship with the
Creator and the purpose of this journey of life and live accordingly.
As one walks on this path one keeps shedding the layers of false
beliefs about the self. With each step of realisation about the false
self, one makes a connection with the true self.
Human beings are in two journeys simultaneously, one conscious or semi-
conscious, and the other unconscious.
According to Sufi Psychology, the conflict between who one really is
and who he thinks he is and consequently how he lives his life
according to that belief, is the core factor in many psychological
problems, such as narcissistic personality and depression. As we
continue being more and more unaware of our inner dimension and become
more and more disconnected with the spiritual self, the problems we
face increase and the subsequent recourse of superficial remedies such
as alcoholism and other ‘isms’ also increases. We are witnesses to
this situation all around us in our current society.
As for the inner journey, if we keep taking ourselves as this ego self
without realising that our mind is a tool for keeping us off the right
path of discovery, and we don’t recognise how much we are the servant
of this ego-self (which is an impostor who is sitting in the place of
the real self) - then we are one with that impostor.
There is a Sufi story that the master of the house went away on a trip
which took much longer than he originally intended. As time went by,
the servant who had the whole house to himself got into the habit of
enjoying being his own master and after a while believed that he truly
was the master of the house. On his return, the real master faced not
a servant any more, but a master who treated him as a servant.
Such is the relationship of the ego-self with the real self. From
another perspective, when a person totally identifies with his lower
ego-self (nafs) the majority of his thoughts, desires and actions are
consequently governed by the ego-self, without a genuine opposing
force of the spiritual voice.
As one moves higher up the ladder of transformation of the nafs, the
inner spiritual voice grows stronger and helps one to distinguish
between right and wrong, true and false and it gets guided in taking
steps in the right direction with more ease.
We are told that in the higher dimensions, only reality exists and
falseness, or other than the truth, does not exist. According to
various verses of the Qur’an, falsehood (Shaytan) cannot enter those
higher realms.
When a man (a human being) joins the circle of “mokhlesin”, sincere
servants of God, Shaytan leaves him alone, since in that realm,
neither “vahm” (taking the false for the real) nor mistaken identity,
exist.
We learn from the Qur’an that Shaytan, who used to be one of the
angels, when he did not obey the command of God, due to being arrogant
(which is a consequence of false self), was expelled from being a
sincere servant (an angel). When God questioned his actions he
responded to God saying:
“I am better than him (Adam); You created me from fire and him
from clay” - Qur’an 7:12.
So Allah says to him:
“down with you from this place (state), for this is not the place
for you to show arrogance” - Qur'an 7:13
The story of Adam and Shaytan is one of the most important stories of
the Qur’an, and other Scriptures too, and we need to ponder what it is
that the One who created us is alluding to.
Without going to the esoteric meanings of these verses, even if we
remain at the exoteric level, which should be understandable and
accessible to the mind, the story and the verses in the Qur’an on this
subject reveal to us that we are told not just a story about the
beginning of creation, but rather we are facing something very
important about the ongoing human dilemma. If we realise that Shaytan
symbolises the lower ego-self, then the story reveals itself as being
both a part of the journey of life and the obstacles that we run into
and therefore it becomes alive and very personal.
It is also important to know more about a key word in this story, the
“mokhlesin” because translating it as "the sincere ones" is close but
not close enough to give it the light of realisation it requires.
“Mokhlesin” comes from the word “ikhlas” that, while it means sincere,
also refers to purity and being removed from other parts or mixtures.
A “mokhles” is someone who has filtered himself from falsehood and
impurity. It can also be used for inanimate objects. For instance we
call gold “khales” (pure) only when all the other mixtures which had
infiltrated it have been removed and nothing else is left except what
it really is, which is gold. Similarly in relation to human beings,
“mokhles” means the one who has become “khales” (pure, removed from
other infiltrated parts).
With this understanding we look at the messages within these verses of
the Qur’an and what they are telling us about human beings and our
real identity. So the “mokhles” or sincere ones are those who have
realised the truth of themselves and are not blinded by falsehood.
They are freed from the trap of the mistaken identity and have moved
toward their real identity, which is being the sincere servants of
God, “mokhlesin”.
In the following verses of the same chapter (and also in some other
chapters of the Qur’an), Shaytan points out how he is going to
misguide human beings and how he will infiltrate their thinking and
make "bad things look goodly to them" without them realising it.
Shaytan goes on to say:
“I shall beguile them all into grievous error” - Qur'an 38:82,
“except those who are Your sincere servants (mokhlesin)” - Qur'an
38:83.
And Allah lets him do whatever misguiding he wants to do to the people
who choose to follow him, but not His sincere servants.
Is God telling us only stories or is He showing us the way to remove
the distorted identity and to become who we are created to be and
reach the goal that was intended for us? Allah says:
“And so We propound these parables unto man: but none can grasp
their innermost meaning save those who are aware.” - Qur'an 29:43
How does one become a sincere servant and have God's protection and
the good life He has promised in the hereafter and have peace and
serenity in this life?
To become a sincere servant we need to begin with realising our
insincerity or rather our false self and then move on step by step to
shed the many layers of false identity that we have put on. That is a
part of our journey in this life.
If a seed stays attached to its form of being a seed and does not open
and give itself up to the soil, it will not use what has been put
inside it and does not grow to be a tree, bearing its fruit. However
man is given an intellect and free choice in his outer journey, so
that he could either bring himself to unity with the inner or go
astray in a different direction. He has been given the tools and the
maps for both.
May Allah help us to become one of the “mokhlesin”, the sincere ones
under His protection so that our eyes see the truth and our ears hear
the truth, so that the journey becomes easier for us.
“O you servants of Mine! Be, then, conscious of Me - seeing that
for those who shun the powers of evil lest they (be tempted to)
worship them and turn unto God instead, there is the glad tiding (of
happiness in the life to come). Give, then, this glad tiding to (those
of) My servants who listen (closely) to all that is said, and follow
the best of it: (for) it is they whom God has graced with His
guidance, and it is they who are (truly) endowed with insight!”
Qur'an 39:16-18
Muhammad Asad translation
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim
In the name of Allah, The Merciful, The Compassionate
MOULANA RUMI - THE MIRROR OF DIVINE LOVE
This article is an excerpt from a talk given by
Sheikha Fatima Fleur Nassery Bonnin
at our Symposium held in Sydney to commemorate
the 800th anniversary of the birth of Moulana Rumi.
Moulana Jalaluddin Mowlawi, known to the West as Rumi, is known to be
the messenger of love, the Divine love that pulsates in the vein of
creation and created beings, the love that is the cause of creation
according to the revelation from Allah. In the Hadith Qudsi known as
the "Hidden Treasure", when Prophet David (pbuh) asks Allah about the
purpose of the creation, Allah reveals this purpose saying, “I was a
hidden treasure and I loved to be known, I created the creation in
order to be known”. So according to this Hadith Qudsi the purpose of
creation is to know God and love is the medium.
We hear a similar message to this in the first commandment of
Christianity which, according to various Gospels, Jesus (pbuh) said is
the highest law:
“You shall love your Lord your God with your whole heart, with your
whole soul, and with your entire mind.”
It is this love that Sufi Masters experience, talk about and write
about, of which Moulana reached the pinnacle, and became the loci and
the reflection of it.
Abdul Rahman Jami the Persian Sufi poet of the 15th century has said
about Moulana:
How do I describe that Excellency
He is not a prophet yet he has the book
And another saying:
The book of Masnavi of Moulana
Is like the Qur’an in Persian language
Many such comparisons have been made between the Qur’an and the book
of Masnavi (Mathnawi), such as the deeper understanding of the many
layered stories and their format. It is also believed that in the same
way that the opening 7 verses of the Qur’an, the Sura Fateha,
encapsulates all the chapters of the Qur’an, the opening 18 verses of
the Masnavi also encompasses the roughly twenty five thousand verses
that follow. These comparisons indicate the height of the station of
Moulana’s words.
In order to serve the purpose of this article, I am using almost word
by word translations of Moulana’s words, which have become hard to
find, since the time of the late Nicholson, may he rest in peace.
Unfortunately these days, the translations of Moulana Rumi’s poetry
have a little of Moulana and a lot of the translators and the writers,
and I think that people would be best served by the accuracy of
Moulana Rumi’s own words and meanings. I may add that Moulana knew
this would happen and has forewarned us in the 6th verse of the
opening of the Masnavi.
He opens the Masnavi by saying:
Listen to this reed how it tells the tales
Bemoaning its separation it wails
In this opening verse Moulana starts by likening himself to the reed
that is going to tell us the stories of the pain of separation while
playing the divine melody of love, the melody of “Alastu bi
Rabbikum”.
Alastu bi Rabbikum comes from a verse in the Qur'an (7:172) where the
commentary indicates that on the Primordial Day, before the advent of
our earthly lives, when the soul of every human being was summoned
into the Divine Presence, and God made Himself known to collective
humanity and asked the question: “Alastu bi Rabbikum?”, which means
"Am I not your Lord?" And they answered “Bala Shahidna”, “Yes, verily
we testify to that”.
It seems that all of Moulana's poetry and its melody is about the
remembrance and realisation of this original melody of Alastu bi
Rabbikum.
As Moulana says:
Since He said in my soul’s ear the secret of the Alast
The longing for Him does not leave my heart
But this realisation, which is the purpose of our life, is not an easy
task and not easily accessible, therefore we make it to fit our own
understanding and perception. As he says in the 6th verse of the
opening of the Masnavi:
Every one became my companion through his own perception
None tried to know my inner secrets and notion
And immediately follows it with:
My secret is not distant from my outcry
But eyes and ears do not possess the light
What is this light that the ordinary eyes and ears do not possess in
order to find out the secrets? For the answer we go to Moulana
himself, since he says he has revealed everything in this book,
sometimes through explanation, sometimes through allusions, sometimes
only hinting. Why so? He explains that by saying:
The secrets are hidden in between the lines
If I say it any more clearly, it would disrupt the order of
the world
In other words, if every one knew the truth, hardly anyone would go
after the affairs of the world. This is why the enlightened people are
always only a few, compared to the masses. The Qur’an also refers to
this by repeatedly saying 'only a few would know', or ‘only a few
would perceive’ or ‘only a few would think’ etc.
So going back to
My secret is not distant from my outcry
But eyes and ears do not possess the light
Wanting to know what is veiling us from the light of hearing and
seeing, we go to Moulana again. He says:
The blinkers covering people’s eyes are nothing but the secondaries
Who ever did not go beyond the secondary is not one of the
companions
So the eyes which Moulana is talking about are the eyes that could see
the Reality and not be veiled by people, the material world, and above
all by the self, which is the biggest obstacle. We need to acquire the
eyes that could see the primary beyond the secondaries. He says:
I want the eyes that would know the King
So that it could recognise Him in every different clothing
How does one acquire these eyes? He guides us to journey on the Sufi
path.
Sufis possess a Surmeh, go and seek that
So that your eyes of narrow stream become an ocean
What is this veil that is with us all the time and gives us a
different account of the reality? An account that we believe is true.
What is self, and how does it prevent us from realising the Truth and
the Reality?
Sufi Psychology can help us to tap into this. We know from psychology
that people who fall within the standard of abnormality, psychotic or
neurotic, their concept of reality is quite distorted and unreal
compared to normal people. But psychology stops there, whereas Sufi
psychology goes further and expands it, so that we realise that
similarly, the concept of reality of so called normal people is
considered quite limited and distorted by the people who have gone
through the journey of spiritual awakening.
When Moulana tells us to go and take the journey of the Sufi path, so
that our power of seeing widens, he is pointing to this widening of
sight and insight, since an enlightened person could see and perceive
things that are not available to most people. Enlightened people, are
capable of seeing the unseen, in various degrees, according to the
level of their enlightenment.
Therefore we need to understand there are different kinds of seeing,
and realise how limited our ego-senses are and not take that for the
absolute reality. We need to be mindful that what we think and see is
not all that there is, and there is another kind of seeing which
requires journeying on the Sufi path and going beyond the senses of
the self.
I would like to look at this subject of the eyes, the sight and
insight from another angle, since in the ocean of the Masnavi which
ever way we search we discover different pearls. It is only when we
put the pearls together that we can see the whole of the necklace.
Let’s now choose one of Moulana's most famous and loved poems,
“ghazals” from the Divani Shamsi Tabriz. The opening verse is:
I was dead, I became alive, I was tears, I became laughter
The sovereignty of love appeared, and I became ever lasting
sovereign
It is as if with such a start, from being dead and becoming alive,
being tears and becoming laughter, reaching the sovereignty of love
and transforming to everlasting sovereign - all in one verse - he is
telling us; Now do you want to take this journey with me? And since
the real source who is inviting us is He, the Hu, Hazrate Haqq Himself
who speaks through the tongue of Moulana; we say “Yes”. And when we
ask how? We hear the same answer that Ibn Arabi heard in one of his
intimate conversations, when he asked Allah “How could one get close
to You?” And Allah responded, “Through an attribute that I do not
possess”, meaning ubudiyyat, which means servant-hood.
This is why Moulana spends the next ten verses of the poem, from
verses 3 to 12, describing and painting pictures of various aspects of
the stages of his servant-hood that he went through. He points to the
steps of the Sufi path in general and his path with Shams in
particular, interwoven together, displaying the willingness in
carrying out orders, putting one’s head on the altar, the ubudiyyat
and the servant-hood that is necessary in order to open the way for
the majesty and sovereignty of love to enter.
As we read these verses, it is important to keep in mind what a high
status Moulana had in the community when he met Shams and took on this
journey. He was a revered Islamic scholar, theologian and jurist, to
name just a few, and people would travel from all over to hear his
teachings. We need to keep in mind how much he stood to lose.
I will quote only a few verses of this section to give you a taste.
He said, you are not mad enough, you are not suited for this house
I went and became mad, I became bound in shackles
He said you are not slain, not drenched with joy
Before his life-giving face, I became slain and cast myself
down
He said you are a sheikh and headman, you are a leader and guide
I am not a sheikh, I am not a leader, I have become slave to
your command
These are only a few of the many verses where, in each of them, he
describes a different aspect of his ubudiyyat and servant-hood.
It is only through paying close attention that we can realise what he
is teaching us by his example. Just enjoying the beauty of the poetry
is not enough, as that is not the true purpose of his work and his
being here. Having gone through these stages of crushing his nafs, he
then comes to the next stage and he explains that in verse 13, as he
says:
My heart felt the glow of the soul, my heart opened up and split
My heart weaved a new satin, I became enemy of this old
ragged one
This is a very important verse. After submitting the ego-self
willingly, comes this crucial point that the light of the soul splits
open his heart and weaves a new fabric made of atlas, which is soft
silky satin. It is at this point that he realises or sees what a
shabby fabric the old one was, and becomes the enemy of the old ragged
one.
When this new fabric was put on him, he realised how bad the other one
was that he was holding on to. Here he is pointing to the stages of
transcendence, since only after arriving at each level of the ladder
of transcendence, one gets to see the reality of the level before,
through the light that is given accordingly. Again that light that
Moulana is after and everything is dependent on that light.
The stages of the spiritual journey are to prepare us to become what
Moulana calls “noor pazir”, meaning receptive to the light. The light
is not absent, that we would need to find it in order to reach the
Reality. The Reality, the Light, has always been there, but our eyes
can not see because we are veiled from it. This is why Moulana, as
some one who has gone through these stages, says in a prayer to God:
From now on we only ask You for the eyes and nothing else
So that sticks and straws may not conceal the sea from us
And later in the 20th verse of this poem he reaches a further stage
and says:
I am from you O illustrious moon, look at me and yourself
Because of your laughter, I became a flower field of
laughter
The verse reflects the station of the soul that has become the mirror
of God, and the more clear the mirror is, the more true the reflection
of the one who is looking in the mirror. We know that the highest
level of transformation of the self (nafs) is to become cleared of our
distortions of the Commanding self, and the Blaming self and to reach
the stage of self at Peace and become that mirror which reflects
Allah. Moulana comes out of the heart of Islam. The path of Sufism is
based on the transformation of the self. So Moulana says in this
verse;
Looking at me is looking at Yourself. I am that mirror. You looked at
me (pleased) with laughter, and I became the whole flower field of
laughter.
This verse correlates with the Qur’anic verse when Allah is pleased
with His servant and says:
"O you human being that has attained to inner peace! Return to your
Sustainer, well pleased and pleasing Him. Enter with My true servants.
Enter My paradise." 89:27-30
Now we put these esoteric descriptions of poetry together. When the
heart splits open and puts on this new fabric of satin, and looks in
the mirror, who is the one who is looking in the mirror? This is when
the one who is looking in the mirror, laughing with satisfaction at
what he sees, says (to use the language of the Qur’an) "Return to My
paradise", not the paradise but My paradise, and it is that laughter
of satisfaction that resonates in his entire being.
I think one of the reasons that Moulana’s words and poetry are so
alive after 800 years and will continue to be so - if the authenticity
of them is protected and not compromised - is because they transmit
the message of Divine love and servant-hood, the inner and the outer,
the apparent and the hidden aspect of the rope which takes man to God.
As Moulana foretold 800 years ago:
Why is it that the resting place of my body has become the place of
worship by people of the world?
Because day and night, every where in this place is filled
with His presence.
This message of love and servant-hood or abd-hood is like a two
pronged sword that cuts through the obstacle of nafs or ego/self, and
opens the way for Love, and has the force and will of Allah behind it.
And He has given Moulana the words for it, as he says:
I am the word of Haqq and subsistent through Him
I am the food of the soul of the soul, and the ruby of
purity
I am the light of the sun, fallen upon you
Yet I am not separated from the sun
Looking at Moulana’s life from beginning to end and particularly his
relationship with Shams, it would be difficult not to see how he was
chosen, prepared and delivered for this purpose. Other Sufi Masters
and Poets have also walked this path, but it seems that Allah has made
such a display of Moulana’s personal journey for us, so that we can
relate to it, in order to be able to see and hear from Moulana
himself, what happens when one walks on the path of Shari’ah and
Tariqah and reaches Haqiqah and dissolves the old shabby fabric of
self.
The mesmerising quality of his words, that moves people and that talks
to their inner hearts, is only due to the scent of the Beloved.
I am His cup and His wine jug, I am the dispenser of the scent of His
perfume
Come to me so that you could receive the scent of His
perfumed quality
What ever you have heard from us, you have heard it from God
Since all that we are saying is His sayings.
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim
In the name of Allah, The Merciful, The Compassionate
THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE FEAR OF GOD
By Sheikha Fatima Fleur Nassery Bonnin
One of the common reactions that people have against religious
teachings is in relation to the subject of the fear of God. Fear of
what could happen to them in the hereafter and how they will be
punished. Consequently, some people react by denial and some want to
jump on the band wagon of love, not knowing that love does not enter a
heart which has not been in awe of God.
So let us spend a little time looking at the role of fear, its uses,
misuses and who is afraid.
It would be helpful to start with the supposition and acceptance that
God is God and you and I are not. That intrinsically means that it is
God Almighty who is always right, even if we disagree. If we start
from here, then we can examine and trace how disagreement comes about.
On the surface when one is faced with this, the immediate response
usually is: “Of course! How could I disagree with God. God (Allah) who
is the Truth and the Real ‘Al- Haqq’ cannot be wrong and I be right.”
But in the reality of our day to day life and in practice we act as if
we are right and we know better. This shows the manipulation of the
mind and the ego (nafs) and how blinding that could be. So let us
continue looking at the reaction to the fear of God and if in the end
you can’t make sense of it or still disagree, then it is important to
remember and accept that this is due to the limitation of our
intellect as human beings, since we are not God, The Unlimited and The
All-Knowing ‘Al Alim’. I realise the ego finds it hard to swallow such
a pill, especially when it is faced with submitting to not knowing and
to not being right. However that is exactly when we need to know that
we are being manipulated by the nafs (ego) with its logic and reason,
which can take various forms including disagreement and the claim to
being right - in other words claiming to be God.
Having established the above, let us now look at the issue of fear.
The question we need to ponder on is why is it that all the major
religions have the fear of God as part of their teachings? The fear I
am referring to is according to the Scriptures and the Holy Qur’an and
what the Prophets and Awliyah have said, which the Masters and the
Saints have interpreted, not the additions or perverted
interpretations that various religious people have created in order to
control people.
In the Qur’an, Allah (swt) repeatedly instructs and warns “fear only
Allah”, or “those who fear Allah are the fortunate ones”. I would like
to look at this issue, initially from a psychological perspective. We
human beings, having developed personality and ego in our make up, are
in the grip of seeing and sensing things in life and grasping meanings
according to this apparatus of personality – not according to reality.
We get closer to the reality as the thick veil of ego gets thinner.
The results of the experiences of the childhood environment and
interactions, and the interpretation of these experiences colours our
perception, affecting the way we feel about ourselves and our
surroundings. By the time we reach adulthood we tend to have a lot of
fear inside us whether we are conscious of it or not. We tend to be
constantly measuring ourselves against people and situations, we say
and do things in a certain way to please others, especially if we
perceive our well being depends on them. We often look at ourselves
through the eyes of others and try to be who they want us to be. The
list of dysfunctions resulting from this kind of belief system and
behaviour is very long and psychology has been trying to raise our
awareness to them, since every one of these conditions brings about
disconnection with who we really are, which results in unhappiness and
potentially depression. Generally, people choose even their profession
or partner according to these kinds of hidden fears and there is
little wonder why dissatisfaction ensues. The unconscious avoidance of
this fear shapes and forms one's reality and belief system, but if the
belief is investigated and systematically confronted, the true face of
fear will show up. For instance, a lot of times when people go to the
opposite and develop aggressive behaviour and become bullies, still
underneath all that is the fear.
From a mystical perspective, the lack of awareness of one’s deeper
self and the tendency to create an identity that is not rooted in the
deeper self creates fear as the predominant underlying emotion.
Because of the lack of knowledge of Self and lack of God-
Consciousness, within and without, people identify exclusively with
their physical and psychological form, unconscious of their essence,
and since every form is inherently unstable and dependent, they live
in fear.
In being instructed to fear only God, a few things take place. First,
by fearing God rather than others we let go of our being in bondage to
other people and situations which in itself is such a freedom - taking
the weight off our back.
“Have we not opened up thy heart
And lifted from thee the burden
That had weighed so heavily on thy back?” - Qur’an 94:1-3
Who is the one reacting to the fear of God? The answer is the ego. If
you do a series of self observations, you will realise that the ego is
sulking at the idea of fearing God since its centrality in your
existence becomes threatened. As it has been pointed out, man is
fearful any way and man is taking orders any way. The question is
should he take orders from God who has created him and wants him to
know his real Self, or from his ego and his mind which represents the
false reality. In the case of the latter, there is neither freedom
from the weight of the problems of life and self, nor any possibility
of transformation to the real self.
So what would be the outcome of choosing to fear God instead of the
host of others with various demands and expectations on us which
usually serves them not us? And what does fear of God require us to do
and be? It requires us to do the right thing by ourselves and by
others to please God. Doing the right thing is explained in the
Shariah (religious law), which in the West is often misunderstood and
misrepresented, but in reality it is the first step on the path of
fighting against our ego (nafs) in order to become who we really are
and what we were created for according to our quiddity ‘fitrat’.
Whereas pleasing others and fear of the world and life situations
makes us walk in the opposite direction, and if not totally the
opposite, at least in a wrong direction, since it is serving the
personality and the ego of both self and others.
Secondly, since our attention is directed to God, by remembrance of
God, we become God-Conscious, which is the goal of the journey of this
life and the goal of the spiritual work.
“Behold! it is in the remembrance of Allah alone that the hearts
really find peace.” - Qur’an 13:28
Thirdly, since we are now walking on the path to God, pleasing God, He
then fills our heart with joy ‘sakina’, and rewards us with happiness
in this life and in the hereafter.
“But as for those who strive hard in Our cause – We shall most
certainly guide them onto paths that lead unto Us.” - Qur’an 29:69
From a philosophical and psychological perspective, it is also
understood that life is only meaningful when it is lived according to
the purpose of life. Who would know the purpose of the life of man
better than the Creator of man? All this is just a drop of the reality
that if we understand and act according to what God has instructed us
to do, even though we start as humans who are lost and misguided, we
can reach ‘sa’adat’, happiness, peace and joy.
“Verily man is lost (is pursuing a losing bargain)
Different, however, is the case of those who believe and do deeds of
righteousness and exhort one another to the truth and exhort one
another to patience and perseverance.” - Qur’an 103:2-3
In a spiritual path in general, and in the Sufi path in particular,
the journey is about transformation of the lower ego (nafs) from being
misguided and being in the grip of various desires which are against
man’s purpose of creation. Progressing through the stages of
purification of the nafs propels the seeker to reach the point of
transformation and become the nafs that is pleased with his Creator
and the Creator (Allah) is pleased with him.
“O you soul at peace!
Come back to your Lord well-pleased with Him and He well-pleased with
you.
Enter the fold of My chosen servants,
And enter My Paradise.” - Qur’an 89:27-30
One needs to find out about the purpose of this journey of life and
decide which path would take him there. If man realises that the
purpose of creation is for man to know his Creator and to worship and
love Him then he needs to do as instructed, since the purpose of
instruction and man’s reason to live are one and the same. This is
unlike the serving of the ego and people, whose purpose is the
opposite, creating unhappiness and anxiety in this world and misery
and hell in the hereafter. In other words, man cannot serve God and
his ego at the same time. As Jesus (pbuh) said:
"A man cannot mount two horses or bend two bows.
And a servant cannot serve two masters, otherwise that servant will
honour the one and offend the other.” - Gospel of Thomas, Verse 47
Since we are unconscious and unaware of the manipulations and demands
of the ego, the Creator with full knowledge of that, has made it
possible for us to bypass that by following His orders and
instructions. This is not unlike what we do in school, listening
attentively to the teacher and doing what we are asked to do for the
purpose of learning and graduating.
All of this points to the transformative power of the fear of God and
why Allah (swt) says “Fear Only Allah” with emphasis on the word
‘only’. Because if one fears God and everyone else, then he is in a
different equation. If one listens to the orders of Allah (swt) and
everyone else, especially the orders of his ego, one will be in a
difficult situation, at best very confused, unhappy and miserable, at
worst feeling lost, depressed and even becoming psychotic.
This is not unlike the relationship of a child with a good parent. The
child listens only to the advice and instructions from the parent who
has his well being at heart and is preparing him for happiness and
good conduct. If the child listens to others who at times might
contradict the parent, he gets very confused and it shows in his
behaviour. From the child’s side, his relationship with the good and
nurturing parent is a combination of the love and awe. The awe makes
him do the right things because he fears making the parent displeased,
while, at the same time, trusting in the love and care of the parent
makes him believe that only the parent can take care of him.
Disharmony comes about only when this system is challenged from either
side; if the parent is not a good parent by putting his/her selfish
needs before the well being of the child, or if the child becomes
egotistical and demanding and thinks he can do whatever he wants
independently.
“Verily man becomes grossly overweening
Whenever he believes himself to be independent (of God).” - Qur’an
96:6-7
But God is not a person and has no need of anything or anyone. He is
the source of all and He is ‘Ghani’ (self-sufficient) in Himself.
“O' men! it is you who stand in need of God, whereas He alone is self-
sufficient, the One to whom all praise is due.” - Qur’an 35:15
Once the man’s belief system is untangled from the confusion of the
egoic thought and logic, the path becomes clearer and less confusing.
There is a straight and simple way to go about life, which is to
remember God, and in every thing that you want to do and are in doubt,
ask yourself a simple question, “is that pleasing God?” If there are
two possibilities, then ask which one pleases God. Of course the
purification of the ego is an absolute necessity since one is not even
capable of distinguishing what is pleasing or not pleasing God if the
voice of the ego is loud in his head, using rationale, justification,
logic, being right, being a modern person and looking down on
religion.
We need to realise that the order of things between man and God has
not and will not change from the beginning to the end of time,
regardless of modernity. What would change is the periphery and man-
made rules.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasise that it is fundamentally
important and a sign of wisdom - not cleverness which relates to the
mind - to reflect and contemplate on Allah’s ‘Ahkam’ (orders and
instructions) and take them to heart, with the belief that they are
much deeper than just mere do’s and don’ts of the Shariah. Under the
exterior of the Shariah, there is an interior path which transforms
the ego driven man to become God-Conscious. Sufism is a path that
paves the way to take man, step by step on the journey of love and awe
to the Beloved, Allah.
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim
In the name of Allah, The Merciful, The Compassionate
TEST OF THE HARDSHIP
By Sheikha Fatima Fleur Nassery Bonnin
With so much unrest in the world and fighting between the nations, it
is important that we recognise the misuse of religion (whether
deliberate or unconscious) as a means of propagating conflict and
violence. One wonders if those who are involved or causing such
devastating actions or policies, have ever properly understood their
respective scriptures and their teachings. As a Muslim, I need to be
more critical of my own people since we have the book of Allah (swt)
from which “nothing has been left out”, nor has it been contaminated
by the hand of man. But alas, like most religious scripture, the
Qur’an is being read by many Muslims at an exoteric level, and as a
result it is often misunderstood and misused.
From the time of the Prophet (pbuh) until now, the reliable sources
and commentators of the Qur’an have said that most of the ayaat in the
Qur’an, whilst they have an exoteric meaning which would mainly relate
to the events and the needs of that time, also have an esoteric
meaning that relates to all generations. The Prophet (pbuh) is quoted
as having said the Qur’an is wrapped in seven layers of meaning. This
is inherent in the nature of scripture, and therefore all other
scriptures from Allah (swt) would also have layers of both exoteric
and esoteric meaning. However for the purpose of this article,
regardless of what other religious groups have done or continue to do
with their scriptures, as Muslims our focus needs to be to keep our
own house in order and make an effort to understand the meaning and
the teaching of the Qur’an so that we might act accordingly.
There are many references in the Qur’an about how very few people will
use their intellect to properly understand. For example: “in this,
there are lessons for those who can understand”, "there is indeed a
lesson for all who have eyes to see", “if only they could understand”,
"we detail Our signs for people who understand" or “in all this there
is indeed a reminder to those who are endowed with insight”. (Qur’an
12:111, 3:13, 26:113, 6:98, 39:21)
With so many references in the Qur’an it would be absolutely to our
detriment not to reflect on this and try to get the messages that our
Creator who has created us and our psyche, our perception and our
blindness, has given us using parables and examples in order to show
us the Truth and the way to the Truth.
"A blessed divine writ which we have sent down so that men may ponder
over its messages, and that those who are endowed with insight may
take them to heart” - Qur’an 38:29
Let us start from the base of - “Allah created the heavens and the
earth in accordance with the Truth. Behold, in this there is a message
for those who believe” - Qur’an 29:44
Without delving too deeply into this verse and at an accessible level,
this is to say that in every aspect of the creation and within every
step and stage (since things often are in stages), there is no
haphazardness or accidental cause and effect, but rather, a deliberate
process and conclusion in accordance with His Will and His Plan which
is the Reality and the Truth (Haqq).
“Unto every one of you have We appointed a law and way of life. And if
Allah had so willed, He could surely have made you one single
community; (but He willed it otherwise) in order to test you by means
of that which He has vouchsafed unto you. So surpass one another in
doing good deeds! Unto God you all must return; and then He will make
you truly understand all the differences in which you were engaged in
dispute.” - Qur’an 5:48
We are told that we are meant to have different laws and ways of life
which result in different religions and that is according to the Plan
and Will of Allah (swt) and in accordance with the Truth.
“Unto every community We appointed (different) ways of worship, which
they ought to observe. Hence do not let them dispute with you on the
matter, but do call them unto your Lord: for, behold, you are on a
straight guidance.”
“And if they argue with you, say (only) ‘Allah knows best what you are
doing’” - Qur’an 22:67-68
“Do not argue with the followers of earlier revelation other than in a
most kindly manner – except those of them who did wrong and are
oppressors – and say ‘we believe in that which has been sent down to
us and that which has been sent down to you; for our God and your God
is one and the same, and it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves.’”
- Qur’an 29:46
Is this how the differences in the religions are being handled these
days? Allah (swt) says do not argue with them unless you enter into a
discussion in a kindly manner. Since God’s teaching is essentially the
same in all religions, it is unfortunate to see that many people from
other religions who hold powerful positions in the west have abused
their power through politics and the use of the media to propagate
ignorant ideas full of hatred against other faiths. But the hypocrisy
that some politicians have exhibited by hijacking ‘the religions’,
whilst posing as religious people, or “doing the right thing”, does
not give anyone an excuse to disobey God. Christian scripture also
reflects these sentiments of tolerance. Jesus (pbuh) passed on these
instructions from God, as the most important rules - the first and
second commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”
and “Love your neighbour as your self”. Mark 12:30-31
We need to reflect on the reason that God, the Creator, with full
knowledge of what is to come, during the time of each prophet has
instructed us to accept and be kind and courteous to people of other
religions. These instructions obviously equally apply for differences
within the same religion. Within Islam, Sunnis and Shia’s who have a
history of undermining each other, must take into consideration what
Allah (swt) has instructed in terms of the right action in how to
treat each other regarding their differences. Of course the same holds
for examples of animosity within Christianity and Judaism, but as I
mentioned earlier, we Muslims as the people of the last religion, with
our access to the Qur’an, have no excuse. The mentality that only one
religion is right, only one sect is right, is a losing position in the
eyes of God, the Creator of all.
The Tradition has it that when “owe yalbesakum shai’an” in Sura 6,
ayah 65 descended upon the Prophet (pbuh), he got up and made ablution
and stood for prayer. Then he made supplication and asked Allah (swt)
not to send any suffering from above and not from beneath and asked
Allah (swt) not to allow the Muslim community to become divided into
different branches and not to fight amongst themselves. At this point
Gabriel (a.s.) appeared to him and gave him the good news that his
first two requests had been accepted, but not the last two requests.
Then the Prophet (pbuh) said, O Gabriel, if it is ordained that my
ummah (Muslim community) fight each other, then there will be nothing
left of the ummah. So he started praying for it again and at this
point ayah 2 of Surah 29 Al- Ankabut (The Spider) descended, followed
by ayah 3:
“Do people think that on their (mere) saying ‘we have attained to
faith’, they will be left to themselves and not tested with hardship?”
“Whereas We indeed tested those who lived before them. Allah will
surely bring to light those who are true in their faith as He will
bring to light also the liars by putting them into the test of
hardship.” - Qur’an 29:2-3
The commentary about the above ayaat (there are similar verses in the
Qur’an) says that there is no way out of this hardship testing
“fetneh”, since the community (ummah) of the prophets need to be
tested after the departure of the prophets, so that the truthful ones
will be distinguished from the liars. After all, there will not be any
“vahye” (revelation) coming down in order to help distinguish the ones
that lie from the truthful ones. Therefore what would be left is the
struggle and the fighting until the day of judgement.
Let us reflect on what it is that Allah (swt) is teaching us through
all the above. He has sent different prophets and knows there are
going to be different religions with different sects in this world. He
has clearly said that if He wanted to create only one community He
would have done so. In fact even without the ayaat, the fact that
these different religions and beliefs exist is evidence that it is
according to His Will, unless some would rather think that it slipped
out of Allah’s control and now they have to make it right. Astaghfer
Allah!
Allah (swt) is teaching us how to be tolerant of other people’s
beliefs and ways of life that are different than ours. This is the
teaching of God to all the religions. In Christianity it goes even
further than acceptance and not arguing, by the instruction of
“turning the other cheek”. Then why is it that we do not seem to be
doing that?
We need to look for the answer in the self protective mechanism of the
ego which needs to be right in order to feel good. This is where the
seemingly righteous act or a religious duty could often be a cover up
for self righteousness of the ego (nafs), to the point of disobeying
God no matter how we rationalise it. Isn’t that what Satan did? Satan
also had a reason for disobeying Allah (swt) and not prostrating to
Adam, most probably a valid reason in his way of thinking. Allah (swt)
has told us the story of Satan and Adam in order that we take heed and
use the teaching in our life. The underpinning belief of man in his
arrogance is that his belief is right. Even if his belief is in
conflict with the instructions of God and the prophets, he still goes
ahead and rationalises his actions. There are many examples of this
which are beyond the scope of this discourse.
We are living in difficult times of public backlash against Muslims in
the western countries with the media driving the fanning of the fire
of hatred and intolerance. Today it is sometimes difficult to tell the
difference between a Christian clergyman who appears on television
condemning Muslims and other religions and stating that the only
people that go to heaven are Christians, and the Muslim extremist.
Allah (swt) has clearly told us that the hardship, turmoil and
struggle are a part of this life in order that the real believer who
tells the truth about his being a servant is distinguished from the
one who only says so. Let me repeat the verse:
“Do people think that on their (mere) saying ‘we have attained to
faith’, they will be left to themselves and not tested with hardship?”
“Whereas We indeed tested those who lived before them. Allah will
surely bring to light those who are true in their faith as He will
bring to light also the liars by putting them into the test of
hardship.” - Qur’an 29:2-3
In case some people think that Allah (swt) did not know the situation
that we are facing these days – Astaghfer Allah – I would like to
mention another verse:
“Say: it is He alone who has the power to send down upon you suffering
from above you and from beneath your feet, or to confound you with
mutual discord and let you taste the affliction of one another.
See how We explain the signs by various forms, so that they may
understand.” - Qur’an 6:65
This ayah clearly illustrates the situation in the western countries
between Muslim and non Muslims since September 11. Yet Allah (swt)
wants us not to resort to fighting and violence. He wants that we
human beings rise above the selfishness, self righteousness, and self
protective behaviour to a level of real submission. It is not enough
to just say that Islam means submission.
"Do people think that on their (mere) saying ‘we have attained to
faith’, they will be left to themselves and not tested with hardship?”
Such a level of submission is the sign of having attained true faith.
This submission and having attained true faith is the outcome of the
realisation and total trust that Allah (swt) has created the world in
Truth (Haqq). He does not need our agreement but wants our submission
to this Reality. It is in that submission that we realise the unity of
existence and the Tawhid. This cannot happen while we fight one
another.
“So surpass one another in doing good deeds!!”
And it is precisely because of the fact that there are always going to
be people who hurt other people that Jesus (pbuh) instructed us to
turn the other cheek.
If our Creator tells us that He has created other religions and
different ways of life and worshipping on purpose, and wants us to
live accordingly with respect and acceptance and even surpassing one
another in so doing, and we (the People of the Book) keep doing the
opposite of that, overtly or covertly, what does that say about our
submission to our Lord and our true faith?
Sufis have always known that unless people struggle with their ego-
personality (nafs), they are always prey for misunderstanding of their
religion and not able to rise above the temptation and seduction of
the ego-personality. These are the veils that are ordained for man in
order to break out of them before the end of his life. The level of
the submission that Allah (swt) is requiring from us will not happen
unless we go from the outer level of understanding the religion and
scripture to the inner, while constantly fighting the ego, which the
Prophet (pbuh) stated as – “The Greatest Struggle”. Maybe then by the
Rahmat of Allah (swt) the transformation of the nafs takes place. It
is a long journey but it is the purpose of the journey of life.
May Allah (swt) help us and include us on the path of obedience and
submission to Him.
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim
In the name of Allah, The Merciful, The Compassionate
THE THEATRE OF LIFE
By Sheikha Fatima Fleur Nassery Bonnin
One of the signs of awakening in this life from the deep sleep of
unconsciousness is to be able to see (perceive) the inner meanings of
things, not just the outer. Life is full of various levels of inner
meanings and messages, clues and hints according to the level of the
person’s spiritual unfoldment. There are many ayat in the Qur’an and
ahadith to confirm this phenomenon. This is where the term “blind” has
been used in the Qur’an, alluding to people who in spite of having
eyes, yet cannot see. Indeed they see the forms and the exoteric
aspects of things but do not see the esoteric meaning within.
Allah (swt) points to this repeatedly in various verses in the Holy
Book, usually after a story, parable or symbolism:
“in this there are lessons for those who can understand” or "there is
indeed a lesson for all who have eyes to see" or “if only they could
understand” or “if only you could see” or "we detail Our signs for
people who understand".
But somehow, although we are looking right at them, the majority of
these signs are missed. They go right over our heads and we see only
the outermost aspect of them, for good reason since our heads are not
the apparatus for the perception of these things. We are told that all
the signs/ayat of Allah are in two books; the book of the Holy Qur’an,
and the book of the cosmos - life and creation. Both require certain
purity of heart and inner sight in order to be given the permission to
perceive the inner meanings and signs. We are clearly told with
regards to the Qur’an that only the cleansed or pure ones (motaharoun)
will be able to touch this (Qur’an 56:79). The “cleansed" or "pure
ones” have generally been taken for their outer meaning of having been
physically cleansed and having had ablution. While that holds, yet
there is more to it. It alludes to the state of inner purity, the
purity of heart. If all that was meant was outer cleanliness and
ablution, why then would we witness from time to time, that people who
have not prepared themselves that way, still gain access and are able
to touch the Qur’an? When we consider that Allah’s word is the Truth
and there cannot be an exception to it, then when we see these
exceptions it should highlight the discrepancy between our
understanding and the real meaning of the Words.
If we understand that “to touch” means being touched by the faculty of
intellect and perceiving the inner messages; and we understand the
“pure ones” as those who possess an inner purity and sincerity in
their heart, then there will not be any exception. The fact that the
Qur’an can be touched by the ritually unclean is further proof of the
esoteric meaning of the verse.
The purpose of these signs is the realisation of the purpose of our
life in this human body, which is God-consciousness, in spite of the
forgetfulness that has been placed in human beings, and in spite of
distractions we experience, some of which provide very strong
attractions that constantly pull us in the opposite direction. This
purpose has been revealed in a famous Hadith Qudsi, where Allah (swt)
explains the purpose of the creation by saying:
“I was a hidden treasure and I loved that I be known, so I created the
creation so that I can be known”.
It is no wonder that His creation and the life of human beings are
encoded with clues towards knowing Him. But that potentiality does not
reach fruition for everybody. One needs to have a sincere longing and
desire for his Creator and put on the walking shoes and set forth on
the journey in order to be accepted as a traveller on the path to God,
“salek”. In modern times we see a lot of people putting on their
walking shoes but all they do is keep jogging. This walk is a
different walk and in reality shoes are not necessary and are
allegorical. As Allah (swt) said to Moses:
“Take off your sandals”, since he did not need them there.
In Sufism, we are told that there is nothing in this world whose
source is not in the unseen. Therefore wherever we look lies a
reminder, for those who can see.
“Wherever you look is the face of Allah” - Qur’an 2:115
In looking at birth, at childhood and dependency, at growing up, at
relationship with parents, at becoming self sufficient and
independent, at using our will and putting it in action, at love
relationships and at work and making a living; as I am reflecting on
the list, I am reminded of at least one ayah in the Qur’an that
applies to each stage and/or category, teaching us the right versus
wrong behaviour, guiding us to the straight path and therefore to
Him.
“How many a sign is there in the heavens and on earth which they pass
by, and on which they turn their backs!” - Qur’an 12:105
One then must question why it is that with so many reminders, so many
people remain asleep and only see things for their outer form, and in
one dimension. My response is that the inner eyes do not open until
one has done some degree of internal Jihad against one’s ego-
personality (nafs). The potentiality is there in everyone – man is
made in the image of God – to reach a degree of perfection in his
attributes, but he has been sent to the lowest of the low. This lowest
of the low has been interpreted as being sent down to earth, again
while that holds it has more inner meanings; for the lowest level of
man is taking himself as a self sufficient and independent reality,
while living as a slave to his ego. This man sets out to respond to
every whim of his wants and desires, and reacts poorly to any lack of
satisfaction. This is the condition of a normal man in the state of
“al-nafs al-ammara”, with imperfect (naghis) attributes, and therefore
constantly seeking for perfection (takamol) from being imperfect. In
his seeking for perfection (the Source), he has no choice and it is
ontological, but he keeps looking in the wrong places and all he gets
is a temporary satisfaction which does not last, until with Allah’s
Mercy, a wake up call comes. Then the question is whether he wakes up
or not, and if he wakes up, whether he stays awake or goes back to
sleep.
Every night we go to sleep and dream about various things that seem so
real to the point that we even exhibit physical reaction and
experience strong emotions to it just like in waking hours. But
generally that does not force us to stop and think that if the dreams
are not real, then to what extent do these experiences show us what
else that we may think is real may in fact not be real and be an
illusion just like the dreams. One needs to ponder that there is an
“I” in the dream while the other “I” is sleeping in bed. A veil covers
our eyes as soon as we wake up. The thicker veil is the role we play
in the theatre of life. No doubt the understanding of the dream person
would be helpful to the understanding of the role we play in the
theatre of life.
“He is the Creator of heaven and earth and whatever is in between
them”.
It is important to note that Allah who has created everything, has
also created the art of theatre through us. The stage for our
performance starts before we are born but becomes more apparent from
birth and throughout our life. We play a role along with other people
as in any production on the stage. There are stories, plots, emotions,
good people and bad people interacting. The more it elicits emotion
out of us, the more we are absorbed in the story. If you imagine an
actor on the stage, he takes the identity of his role as real in order
to do the job and we in the audience join him and share his version of
reality during the time in the theatre. However the actor on the stage
has the chance of remembering his real self during the intermissions
or breaks. But we human beings are engaged in a one act show and
during this act which is our entire life, our breaks are very subtle
reminders and hints of Reality.
If we were not so preoccupied with ourselves and our emotions and
thoughts, there might be a space for some realisations through the
subtle hints of this theatrical reality. The events of our lives are
like the props for the stage where the story and the plot is acted out
with others. As Moulana Rumi says every brick that makes up the world
is made of illusion.
Our Creator says in the Qur’an:
“The life of this world is nothing but a play, whereas, behold, the
life in the hereafter is indeed the only (true) life: if they but knew
this!” - Qur’an 29:64
These creations are supposed to be a reminder alluding to higher
purpose, but we human beings, in our state of “zolum and jahul”, keep
using them for different purposes; entertainment, self satisfaction
and forgetfulness of the Real. This is how we contaminate the goodness
of life. We celebrate the actors performances, give them awards
without ever thinking if there is any message for us - as nothing in
this life is meant to be just for play without a higher purpose.
Imam Ali (a.s.) says in Nahjul Balagha:
“They have not taken lessons from things which are full of lessons,
but they have taken them from far off places.” - Sermon 221
Moulana Rumi says:
"You see the world according to the measure of your eye" and then
goes on saying
“the Arifs (gnostics) possess a ‘surmeh’ (black powder make-up used on
the eyelid),
go and seek it. So that your eye of stream may become an ocean." -
Masnavi, Book 5:1905-7
He is alluding that Arifs having done the required inner purification,
are given the reward of seeing the inner reality of things, (which is
an act of Beauty).
In the story of Moses and his staff, Allah tells Moses to throw his
staff down and it turns into a serpent moving rapidly, and then tells
him:
“Take hold of it, and fear not; We shall restore it to its former
state.” - Qur’an 20:21
In this story, first Allah sets the stage by asking "what is this in
your right hand O Moses?" and Moses responds:
"It is my staff; I lean on it; and with it I beat down leaves for my
sheep; and other uses have I for it." - Qur’an 20:17-18
There have been different interpretations of this verse such as Allah
wanting to hear Moses speak or that Allah is testing him.
These verses are pointing to the esoteric and mystical reality. It
means that as long as man only sees the outer form of things he will
only see the staff. But things in life inherently carry other and
deeper dimensions and uses. The miracle is the transformation to
perceive the inner dimension of things.
The fear referred to is the fear of letting go of the familiar form
and touching (perceiving) beyond the form. We then are being assured
in this story not to be afraid since after the transformation we are
still able to see the form.
We need to pay attention to every word in the Qur’an and not get
carried away with the story, because the story covers the esoteric
teaching since the stories are meant to be the apparent (zahir) and
the teachings hidden (batin). We know by reading the above that
something more mystical is happening since Allah is aware of
everything and knows what the staff is and what usage it has. He is
the creator of the staff. It is for the benefit of us that He takes us
through all the apparent and exoteric usage of the staff that has been
enumerated, and then to the esoteric. If we realise this, then we are
likely to reflect and wonder how many other things are there that we
keep missing and taking the apparent meaning as the only reality.
May Allah help us to recognise the theatre of life and may He grant us
to stay awake to our real self.
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim
In the name of Allah, The Merciful, The Compassionate
PEACE AND THE INNER JIHAD
By Sheikha Fatima Fleur Nassery Bonnin
The Meaning of Peace
As we experience and witness the turmoil, unrest, war and devastation
in the world, the absence of peace and the need for peaceful living
becomes abundantly clear. But in order to have peace in the world, we
need to have peace in our communities, and in order to have peace in
our communities, we need to have peaceful people in those communities.
Societies reflect the state of the people within that society. Peace
cannot exist in a society unless the individuals within that society
change and experience peace within themselves.
Our current political environment is derived from the idea of peace as
a product of war; that is, there appears to be a justification for war
as a means of achieving peace. This mentality not only necessitates
the questioning of its logic, but also the questioning of its
effectiveness. The world news, as being broadcasted through our
television sets and newspapers, testifies to the fact that this widely
accepted doctrine does not work, and in fact, will never work. On a
fundamental level, it is a mistake to conceive of peace as the absence
of war. This type of peace is merely the result of negotiations and
peace treaties between factions and/or nations, in an effort to ward
off war and unrest. This shallow perception of peace serves only as a
mental exercise, derived from assemblies of man enforcing and
implementing positions of power. The end result is marked by win-lose
situations and delivers only temporary solutions to looming
dissatisfactions and potential uprisings. The point has been lost.
Peace is a Spiritual State
For a person to be at peace, he needs to go beyond his pre-occupations
with the ego-driven self and move towards the virtues. He needs to
transform his ego-personality which is the hub of all his conflicts
and negative attributes and shed his associated jealousy, selfishness,
greed, anger, lust etc by transcending to a higher level, where the
demanding ego is no longer the dominating force. This is the meaning
of the internal jihad, and this process is by no means an easy one,
but indeed a necessary one.
It is reported that during the early formation of Islam, when the army
of Islam returned from a huge battle with the enemy, the Prophet of
Islam, peace and blessing be upon him, said:
“You have returned from a smaller jihad (battle), and now it is
incumbent upon you to perform your greater jihad.”
When the astonished people asked what could be a greater jihad than
the one they had returned from, the Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, said:
“The battle with ones nafs (ego-personality).”
This Hadith (saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him)
emphasises two fundamentally important issues. The first, points to
the difficult task of our internal jihad and in doing so, prepares us
for it. The second, establishes the necessity of the battle we must
wage against our nafs (our ego-personality). The Prophet (pbuh) is
letting us know that victory in the outer jihad is not enough for
mankind to live in peace and harmony. It only provides the necessary
space to do our most important work which is the jihad against our
nafs.
The words of the prophets, (particularly those words that have been
recorded and whose authenticity is undisputed), afford us and future
generations the keys to unlocking the doors to our inner and outer
truth and reality. We need to contemplate them, understand them, be
guided by them and most importantly put them into practice.
The Human Predicament
Human beings are in a difficult predicament in this journey of life.
The soul comes into this life given a cloak of personality, shrouding
his God-consciousness. Therefore he sees himself only as his ego-
personality and is blindly ruled by it. He has only a short period of
life on earth to fight and overcome this domination so that he may
know his Creator in spite of all the ego-attachments and distractions.
It is a challenging task, but this task is what we have been created
for. However we are not left entirely on our own and are not without
help. God sends us prophets, scriptures, saints and guides, not to
mention events that shape our lives and provide us with lessons to be
learned.
Denial of Our Spiritual Aspect
When God is taken out of the equation of ‘man and God’, man is then
left on his own, and therefore becomes conscious of his self instead
of being conscious of God. This marks the breeding ground for ego
development. Life then becomes the pursuit and fulfillment of ego
desires, and truth and reality become subservient to ego domination.
This is in opposition to spiritual unfoldment. The spiritual aspect is
where one can be in peace and harmony. The ego aspect is where one is
in conflict and disharmony. Therefore an ego-dominated society is
obviously filled with conflicts and disharmony. In order to function
in such a state, it would be necessary to be forgetful and in denial
of our spiritual aspect. This is what we see today in our secular
society.
In order to live in a state of denial about one’s spirituality and
consciousness of God, the secular life must create material
distractions and engagements. This means that any secular society
requires upheaval and unrest in order for its dysfunction to function.
There are constant issues to be resolved, needs to be met, greeds to
be fulfilled and the illusive state of inner peace remains out of
reach. Most modern societies not only support and promote this
mentality, which has become a way of life, but these societies also
teach people to become skilled and creative participants. People’s
talents, intellects and abilities are used in order to sustain this
theatrical version of reality. The better one is at it, the more
successful and respected one becomes in the eyes of such a society.
At a certain point, one cannot even distinguish truth and reality in
and amongst the lies and justifications being presented as truth. This
is what we are facing in the world today. From the perspective of
modernity, it is engaging, challenging and exciting. From the
perspective of the Truth and God-consciousness, peace and harmony, it
is disastrous. And it keeps getting worse, because the trend of making
the unreal appear real, forever gathers momentum.
“While those who are determined in denying the truth harboured a
stubborn disdain of ignorance in their hearts – Allah bestowed from on
high His inner peace upon His apostle and the believers and bound them
to the spirit of God-consciousness, for they were most worthy of this
(divine gift) and deserved it well.” - Qur’an 48:26
Man and the Truth
Man’s relationship to the truth, especially in our modern society, is
worthy of reflection. Al Haqq, one of the Names (attributes) of Allah
(swt) means the Truth, the Reality. While Al Haqq, the Truth with
capital “T” means the ultimate truth, the only truth and the only
reality, man’s version of the truth is different and so is his
perceived reality within that truth. Truth has become personalised or
individualised, which allows it to continually change according to the
perspective and benefit of the individual. Therefore it can easily be
twisted, politicised and nationalised. The universality of the truth
is thus lost and substituted by the individual’s personal or communal
truth. This creates a situation in which no two people or two
communities can experience the same version of truth because neither
is the reflection of the Truth. For instance these days the
Palestinian’s truth is different from the Israeli’s truth and
America’s truth is different from that of the Middle East.
In addition, being conscious of the Truth (which is the result of
being God-conscious), mandates certain ways of life and certain moral
conducts such as following God’s laws (Shariah), which protect all
humanity equally since God is the God of all humanity. Allah (swt)
says in the Qur’an:
“And say: ‘Truth has arrived, and falsehood perished: For falsehood is
bound to perish.’
We sent down in the Qur’an that which is a healing and mercy to those
who believe: To the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss.” -
Qur’an 17:81-82
The Purpose of Life – to Know and Love God
In Sufism, the purpose of life is described in a Hadith Qudsi (when
God speaks to the prophets) regarding the question of creation. Allah
(swt) says:
“I was a hidden treasure and I loved that I be known, so I created the
creation so that I can be known.”
The purpose of our life, the goal of coming into this world is to know
God (Irfan), in spite of all the smoke screens, veils and distractions
- the most powerful of which lies in the veil of one’s self.
It is always very difficult to fight one’s ego-self. In fact according
to Sufi teaching if it is not difficult, one is not doing the real
work. What makes the struggle against the ego possible is the desire
to know and love God, since He has placed this desire in the heart of
mankind, whether man knows it or not. When this desire is moved from
the state of potentiality to expression in life, one is considered in
Sufism, a traveller (salek), on the journey to God-consciousness.
The soul comes to this world for the purpose of moving through the
various tests and obstacles set in his way, and insha’llah, (with the
will of God), he will fend off temptations and not stray too far from
the path, remaining focused on the true purpose of his journey, and
his eventual return to a state of unity with God. Allah (swt) points
this out repeatedly throughout the Qur’an, for example:
“To Him is our return.” - Qur’an 2:156
"Unto Him you will return." - Qur’an 2:245
To fulfil the purpose of life we need to turn to the spiritual
teachings of our religions and harness the inner meanings of the
teachings of our prophets. While the outer dimension of religion is
concerned with salvation from the fire of hell, or with securing a
place in paradise, the inner dimension of religion is concerned with
knowing God and loving God, because being God-conscious (taqwa) and
being present with God (hozour), is the highest level of perfection of
the soul. It is in utilising the inner dimensions of our religions,
that we face the possibility of transforming our ego domination and
achieving peace and tranquillity, both internally and therefore
externally. It is for this reason that the Prophet Mohammad, peace and
blessings be upon him, conveyed a message relevant for any time and
any place. The inner jihad is the most fundamental challenge for man,
and it is a challenge that must be endured by man.
And to those who are on the path of fulfilling the ego desire instead
of the inner jihad, Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:
“And who could be more astray than he who follows his own desires
without any guidance from Allah? Verily, Allah does not grace with His
guidance people who are given to their wrong-doing.” - Qur’an 28:50
And to those who endure the inner jihad and squirm free of the grip of
their nafs, Allah (swt) says:
“O’ you the nafs that has attained inner peace – return unto thy
Sustainer, well-pleased and pleasing Him.”- Qur’an 89:27-28
The Return to God-consciousness
The human being is designed for the return to the state of God-
consciousness. To reach such a station and proximity to God, one needs
to be steadfast and not be side tracked by distractions in his
pursuit.
Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, says in the Gospel of Thomas
in verse 8:
“Humankind is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and
drew it up from the sea full of little fish. Among them the wise
fisherman discovered a fine large fish. He threw all the little fish
back into the sea and with no difficulty chose the large fish. Whoever
has ears to hear should hear.”
Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, also says in John 3:3:
“Unless a man is born a second time, he cannot behold the kingdom of
God.”
Mullah Sadra, the revered Persian Sufi master of the 17th century,
explains the above saying as:
The first birth is from the womb of a woman, the second birth is from
the womb of the ego-senses.
To be born again requires the transformation of the ego-personality
and according to the Islamic and Sufi teaching, breaking free from the
commanding self (al-nafs al-ammara), which is the general state of
human beings, passing through the state of the accusing self (al-nafs
al-lawwama) and then reaching the state of the self at peace (al nafs
al-mutmainna).
This is the true state of being and it is only possible by discarding
layers of one’s ego identity and one’s preoccupation with the ego
senses. When one starts confronting any aspect of one’s personality-
fixation and begins to dig beneath the surface, one will eventually
find God-consciousness.
Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:
“We shall show them Our signs, in the universe and within themselves
so they know that this is The Reality (Al Haqq).” - Qur’an 41:53
The Way to Peace
The absence of God-consciousness prevents one from following God’s
laws, and therefore prevents His protection of the earth and its
inhabitants. God has made it clear to us through the teachings of His
prophets, that there will be no inner peace as long as one forgets God
and follows one’s own ego.
“Be not like those who forgot Allah and He made them to forget their
own souls! Such are those who are wrong doers (having wasted their
spiritual potential).
Not equal are the companions of the fire and the companions of the
garden. It is the companions of the garden who will achieve peace and
felicity.” - Qur’an 59:19-20
We can now reformulate our equation to propose that an absence of God-
consciousness results in war, and that peace, rather than being the
absence of war, is the state of God-consciousness.
http://www.australiansuficentre.org/article_peacejihad.htm
...and I am Sid Harth