Quran: Humanity’s Only Hope

 Quran: Humanity’s Only Hope

The inherent limit of human understanding is the greatest obstacle in understanding the Quran. The All-knowing author of the Quran informs us of the realities of the physical and metaphysical realms. Faced with this, the reader of the Quran, despite his vast learning and intelligence, feels intellectually powerless and out of his depth. All of our knowledge is limited to what we acquire during some stage of our short lives through painstaking labour. Even then, the sum total of this knowledge is confined to a branch or aspect of all human learning. In modern times knowledge has shrunk even more; specialisations in one’s own field has resulted in the loss of scholars who have a universal knowledge base. The sheer explosion of human learning in the last century perhaps makes it impossible for a single human being to combine all knowledge in one mind. To fully comprehend the Quran we must pool together the research undertaken by all branches of science.

The outcomes of knowledge can only be fully appreciated if all those who have struggled and toiled utilise the fruits of their labour for the benefit and welfare of the whole of humanity. However, knowledge in the hands of the advanced nations has become a means of reinforcing their superiority. The weaker nations of the world are prevented from acquiring this learning to ensure that they are never in a position to challenge the powerful nations. It is true that various countries in the world participate in researching some branches of science, but the majority of extremely intelligent human beings are not entitled to enter the higher learning that gives honour, status and seeks to understand the universe through deploying sophisticated technological means.

Why do Western scholars not recognise the value and importance of the Quran in the way that Muslims do? The reason for this is absolutely plain. The quest for God, to include Him in your own life and that of the Cosmos, acknowledging His power and dominion is not seen as a priority of the Human Race. They are shying away from making the most vital decision, and make no attempt to find out how the conditions of Earth were made adaptable for human dwelling. For argument's sake let us accept that all this could have been the result of random events; the tragedy is that no branch of learning or research has taken this question seriously or objectively critiqued the alternative views on this. At times these views are mocked, ridiculed and dismissed because those who hold them are seen as backward and intellectually inferior.

The truths of religion are not judged on their own merits but on the abject conditions of those who believe in it. In modern times, Judaism and Christianity struggle to produce followers who live up to their noble teachings. But this does not undermine the moral ideals of these religions. In the same way Islam too is devoid of individuals possessing depth of intelligence and character who are able to absorb the sublime intellectual values of Islam and at the same time are characterised with sincere devotion to God. As individuals and as a society we are removed from grasping the true benchmarks of religion in general, and Islam in particular. Shallow thinking, ignorance and blind following of Mullahs who have cheapened religious ideas, have transformed Islam from a religion rooted in intellect and wisdom to a religion of empty rituals performed mechanically. Islam today is riddled with attitudes more commonly associated with cults and secret societies. The dominant religious traditions regard education as a means to personal status and a tool to spread sectarian bigotry. By setting up narrow-minded and partisan educational institutions they are transforming sincere Muslims into emblems of fear and terror, wrenching compassion for humanity and noble character traits from their hearts.

The Quran does not permit such extreme hatred and blind aggression. It exhorts us to exercise extreme caution even when fighting for God. The rules of military Jihad are firmly rooted in moderation and respect for humanity. It deplores and strictly opposes the manipulation of these rules to justify the indiscriminate killing of humanity outside the rule of law. Islam cannot be categorised under the popular slogans of our times. It is beyond modernity and tradition, conservatism and progressive liberalism. The foundation of Islam is the Quran. In every age this book has been the classic of its time, providing authority and certainty. Although objects and means change with time, human nature remains constant. The human being of today is not that different from his ancient counterpart in terms of ethical values and ideals. He is not modern in this. During all ages Man has been modern; or to put it in another way, he is as old as he was in ancient times in relation to his humanity.

Sadly, the direction of knowledge diverted away from refinement of the Self. Despite gaining mastery over objects, we have been unable to create a standard for the improvement of our base habits and character traits. We failed to establish institutions (with the exception of the Sufis) which would allow us to change the make-up of the darker side of the human self. Science proved helpless in curtailing our uncontrollable appetites and gluttonous passions. Nobody has discovered a cure for selfishness. The outcome in human terms has been disastrous; greed and the lust for power and fame have gone beyond any reckoning. The concept of self-awareness disappeared and was replaced by the fire of self-interest whose flames raged far and wide. The standards required to enter paradise were gradually lowered, yet those who yearned for it vanished. In contrast, the clamour and rush to enter the ranks of Hell is remarkable! In the words of the Prophet there are only two camps to choose from: Iman or Kufr, belief or disbelief.

The situation in the Muslim world is that although there is no outright rejection of faith, there is a huge gulf between belief and practice. Hypocrisy is the tool and path leading to Kufr. The religion of Islam has been damaged by this. So when the question of guidance of humanity arises it is rare that the name of Islam is mentioned. Real men of God are few but the cheerleaders of Mullahism are many; shallow men prostrating to God are in abundance but where are the worshippers infused with sincerity towards God? Men with well groomed features, flowing beards, elegant turbans, who worship greed and wealth are plenty. The Quran has been reduced to chants and litanies recited in memorial services for the dead. Its understanding has become captive to the machinations of the destructive Self. Mullahs are mushrooming in profusion, but ordinary people are still thirsting for spiritual fulfilment. The world of Islam is bewitched. The magical minds of the wizards of the West produced false gods of modernity which captivated the imagination of the Muslims. In the name of innovation and modernisation the Samiri (sorcerer who led the Israelites astray by carving the golden calf) of the present age has created new citadels that cannot be breached by ordinary minds. There is nothing that can break this spell, except the Quran.

The Quran is the genuine magical tablet of the universe, the only book that provides all the answers. Without it, you cannot sustain any theory, idea or conclusion that seeks to provide a comprehensive and unified explanation of reality. The paths of philosophy and science ultimately hit a brick wall. In the imagery of the Quran this caravan of superficial knowledge, despite thousands of explanations and interpretations, is like a group of travellers on a ramshackle ship in the midst of a raging sea and violent storm. Holding onto a broken rudder they drift along through torrential rain, lightning and thunder. The momentary flash of lightning provides them with a glimpse of their surroundings, and seconds later they are plunged back into the depths of darkness.

All theories are incomplete and are unable to provide a universal explanation of everything. The Quran alone offers a ‘Theory of Everything’. The highest authority in all matters must be accorded to God. The attention of existent things needs to be turned to the One who has Absolute Existence. Rise and fall, profit and loss, past, present and future, ideas and imaginings, ignorance and awareness, Heaven and Earth, self and cosmos, fear and depression, anxiety and worry, complacency and urgency, business and art, good and evil, illumination and darkness; in fact every issue or question of the world and the cosmos gains clarity and meaning through Him. The dialectics of debate rarely lead to complete understanding; nor do the investigations of philosophy quench Humankind’s thirst for certainty. All metaphysical reality is reduced to abstract concepts fuelled by conjecture. Understanding ultimate reality unaided is beyond the intellectual apparatus of Man.

The Quran instils certainty about the Real Creator - an understanding which is free from speculation and doubt. The great project of Life on Earth becomes a meaningless and futile endeavour if we ignore the fundamental reality of this Force (God) which animates the whole of existence. It is like a man who has lost the use of his mind and lives out his life without any purpose or recollection of who he is and what he was supposed to be doing. No greatness or honour can be conferred to a person who has lost the use of his higher faculties. Any attempt to refer to such an individual with accolades of glory is nothing but empty words. In the same way, all sublime thoughts and goals acquire meaning, and thus honour, when they are connected with God. Without Him they are like glorious flowers in full bloom growing in the desert with nobody to admire or appreciate their beauty. Eventually they wither away and crumble into dust, as though they had never existed!

The situation of Man is somewhat similar. He grows and blossoms in all his glory and then, in a single instance he ceases to exist. I sometimes wonder about the mindset of Man and what drives him to compete for celebrity and status when at the back of his mind he knows that it will all go up in a puff of smoke. Caught in the vortex of mutual appreciation and flattery, what is it that Man values as he gets ready to breathe his last? I don’t know for certain, but I can say with complete conviction that the grandeur and fame showered upon the corpse after death brings no real benefit to it. Life is pointless without reference to a higher power (God). We cannot change the inevitable outcome of death even if we were to bring together the collective intelligence and resources of the entire species. The flicker of death forever casts its shadow on life. Throughout life, evil appears to be the selection of the aggressor whilst good seems to be the choice of the faint-hearted, even though they both culminate at the same point – death. Despite this, grasping the good holds more appeal and promise than indulging in evil.

It is difficult to state the pre-requisite knowledge needed to understand the Quran. However, we must be careful not to obstruct anyone, whatever their background or level of intelligence, from reading the Quran. The nature of the Quran is that it gradually descends and ‘reveals’ itself to its readers in direct proportion to their purity of intention and capacity to receive. One of the most important characteristics of a great scholar is that he judges people according to their intellectual capacities. He does not expect those of limited experience and intelligence to respond intellectually and nor does he hope to receive an ignorant response from the learned. Consequently he pitches his message in line with the intellectual capacity and experience of his listeners. God is the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible realms of reality (Alim-ul-Ghaib wa-Shahada). He understands the outward and the inner aspects of Mankind, and is intimately aware of the levels of understanding and experience of every single human being.

All those who approach the Quran benefit from it. The All-Wise Creator has placed within His book something for everybody. There are many who are only able to phonetically recite the words of the Quran and have no understanding of the meanings contained within it. Such people benefit immensely from simply reciting the words of the Holy Book and will experience a wonderful sense of serenity. Those who merely want to focus on improving their outward actions and their lifestyle will find that the Quran has provided them with a framework to achieve this aim. Beyond this there are some who seek a broad and general understanding; such people will find the Quran to be the greatest guide to wisdom and guidance compared to any other book. For intellectuals and scholars, the Quran is an abundant resource which informs their research and investigations. As a result of their diligent study, God opens up for them specific meanings in the Quran. Besides all these groups of people there are a few who approach the Quran purely to know God and seek His good will and pleasure at all times. Their study of the Book opens up to them channels of inspiration from God.

The Quran raises the level of human understanding and insight to an unprecedented degree. It provides solace for the seekers through its sublime conception of the divine. First and foremost it is the Book of Knowledge. It places an extraordinary emphasis on knowledge to the extent that it exhorts the noblest of beings, stationed in the most sublime rank of Prophethood, Muhammad (PBUH) to beseech God and declare: ‘My Lord increase me in knowledge’.

And say, "O My Lord! advance me In knowledge (20:114)

It praises those who question and reflect, proclaiming that they are the ones chosen by theQuran. Equally it reviles those who follow faith blindly, dogmatically and without thinking. God declares in the Wise Book

For the worst of beasts (people) In the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb,- those who do not use their intellects (8:22)

These are the people who deliberately suspend their faculties of reason and intellect. They approach the speech of God in a feeble-minded manner characterised by blind imitation which paralyses their minds. This is the state of the vast majority of educated Muslims. The Quran is a focal point for their devotion but not of their reflection and study. Contemporary Muslim scientists, philosophers and scholars harbour a secret fear that if they were to apply the same rigorous standard of research required of other fields to the Quran, it would not be able to withstand such a critique. The intellectual arrogance of this claim is staggering. They are not prepared to give the Quran a fair chance, or even test their assumption of deficit in the Quran. They proceed straight to judgement! There are some intellectuals who feel they are doing a favour to God by reading His book and giving it their consideration. In their minds they believe that they are making a huge sacrifice by aligning themselves with God and the Quran. In the Indian Subcontinent, religious scholars who claim to be intellectuals have cast themselves as self-sacrificing martyrs to whom God should be grateful for defending His Book. The study of the Quran did not lead them to uncover the limits of their knowledge but instead it drove them to make outrageous claims of superiority: that they were the revivers of religion (Mujadid) and the Pole which upholds it (Qutb). The last few decades have rarely produced a scholar of the Quran who did not display a wish to lay the foundations of a personal Islamic empire or who did not create vast organisations in the name of the Quran or Mysticism (Tasawwuf) centred on himself. It appears that the poison of pseudo scholarship seeped into their blood stream and an insane obsession to seek personal greatness by exploiting religion enveloped their outlooks.

A psychological analysis of the minds of these scholars clearly reveals that they have strayed far from the path of balance. Instead of instilling the majesty of the Quran, they focused on establishing their personal authority in the minds and hearts of their followers. The Islamic movements that have arisen over the last century have all claimed that the Quran is the basis of their ideologies. However, after a short while the insane desire to single-handedly bring about a revolution, whose focal point is the personality of the founder himself, overshadows everything else. The desperate situation of many Muslim countries has made it easy for ego-driven scholars to offer quick fix solutions and promises of glory to the masses who verge on the brink of despair. The belief that the Mehdi will come and solve all our problems is a product these religious salesmen are keen to sell. It is the best-selling Islamic ideology of this age as it appeals to our sense of complacency and requires us to do nothing except wait.

These expert scholars of the Quran rely on many defective interpretations of the Wise Book to support their personal Islamic revolutions, irrespective of the context and stage of development of the Muslim Ummah. This misuse of the Quran is the worst example of political exploitation to gain control over the lives of ordinary people. Entire generations of respected and esteemed commentators of the Quran were not driven by this hunger for power, but instead they imparted their insight, wisdom and teachings to the community of Islam and then journeyed on to their Lord. The Quran should never be understood through the filter of one’s personal inferiority complex; nor can the Quran be approached by preconceived notions that are then projected on to its verses. Islamic schools of thought are plagued with bigotry and sectarian hatred because their followers do not hesitate to force their partisan interpretations onto the Quran, using it as a tool to score party political points. This dishonest approach to the Quran has won them a few blind and bigoted followers, but the higher teachings of the Quran have been assigned to oblivion and obscurity. Furthermore, they block others from the sincere understanding of the Quran by claiming they have a monopoly over its interpretation. The intellectual capacity of all people is not the same. It is impossible to accept that there are no other individuals, besides these ego-scholars, who possess the higher levels of intellect and understanding to comprehend the Quran.

The Quran states that God raises the rank and status of whomsoever He wills and that above every person of knowledge there is another who surpasses him. The sectarian groups of today shower accolades and mighty titles on their most minor scholars in an attempt to psychologically create a feeling of inferiority and inadequacy amongst ordinary Muslims. They refer to the most ordinary translators of the Quran as geniuses and masters in order to instil respect, loyalty and blind acceptance. The master and his followers are both blind adherents. The objections and criticism which applies to one also applies to the other. The only difference is the point of reference. Where there is a range of intellectual capacity within people, the phenomenon of blind following is usually present. Contemporary scholars of the Quran are the least balanced. They adopt abnormal approaches to life and pass these onto their followers. The Quran encourages its readers to ponder deeply and after a lengthy period of reflection to arrive at a conclusion. In contrast the Quran experts of today pass judgement with haste and do not permit any questioning of their process. Emotional attachment and response has seeped into every atom and fibre of the Indian Subcontinent. This fanatical approach causes immense damage to the objective style of thinking adopted by the Quran.

People have a tendency to measure the majestic author of this Mighty Book with the benchmark of their limited intelligence and personal views. They limit their focus on the Cosmic Book to a few mundane issues related to personal life, dress and relationships. I accept that these matters are mentioned in the Quran and we should not ignore them, since Islamic society depends on such laws to regulate the affairs of people. However, we must not ignore the whole and focus only on its constituent parts, nor lose sight of the wood because of our focus on individual trees. As a Muslim it is important to be aware of the rituals of religion, but is it true that the entire message of the Quran starts and finishes with these external aspects? Is it the case that a Muslim on his death bed will only be worried about his prayers and fasting or should he also be concerned about the purity of his heart, the depth of his understanding, and the development of his spirituality? Do we apply the same superficial benchmark to other disciplines? For instance, would we be content with a pharmacist who has read the contents page of a book on pharmacy and is able to read the labels of medicines but has no understanding of the properties of any of the drugs he is prescribing to the general public? Is it right that a student studying for an MA degree continues to focus on the lessons that he learnt as a youngster? Is there no difference in understanding between a Post Graduate student and a child in primary school?

No other field of study suffers from the intellectual destitution that characterizes our approach to religion. Those at the helm have constructed narrow boundaries around their minds and have condemned everyone else to stay within those limits. We do not get beyond the surface aspects of our faith. Have the students of the Quran understood the goal of the teachings of this Noble Book? The love and recognition of God, His proximity and devotion has not been able to go beyond the length of the Mullah’s trousers. Why are the teachers of Quranic sciences unable to instil a deep rooted love of God in the hearts of their students? Is it possible to perceive the magnanimity and nobility of character in the believers which, in the words of the Quran, produces a divine light which marches in front of the servants of God acting as their guide? We do not notice the barren womb of this age producing spiritual masters such as Junaid of Baghdad, Bayazid of Bistam, Abdul Qadir of Jilan, Ali Hujweri, , Moeenuddin Chishti and Baba Farid. The teachings of the Quran produced such amazing individuals. In contrast, the understanding of the Quran by power-hungry scholars churns out hordes of narrow-minded bigots whom we see lurking on street corners clad in towering turbans, immaculate dress and with raised trouser lengths that reveal their anklebones as a mark of their piety.

The most prestigious organisations of the world undertake a careful process of recruitment and selection involving sophisticated tests designed to identify the best brains and abilities. These are the measures we take to ensure the smooth running of a small enterprise in a very small world. Do you imagine that God, most Sublime and Exalted, would select the feeblest-minded people who dress in the outward clothing of Islam to oversee the management of the Quranic system upon which the entire cosmos depends? Such people cannot be regarded as your intellectual equals, let alone be entrusted with the reins of leadership of Mankind. It is not befitting that they don the cloak of stewardship of the Earth or be considered worthy of providing direction and vision in religious or worldly affairs.

The Quran has cause for complaint. It was the benchmark for those who remembered God day and night, shed tears in awe and wonder, and whose hearts were infused with the love of the sublime. They took on the colours of God; they did not dismiss as insignificant anything on Earth or in the cosmos; they exercised their faculties of reason and intelligence, pondered over the creation of the universe, the heavens and the alternations of night and day to understand the principles that Govern creation. They were able to gain mastery over the winds and subjugate the clouds and rain; they pinpointed the hidden treasures of the Earth; they were constantly engaged in the exploration of the signs and symbols scattered in the cosmos; they were ever grateful to the wisdom contained in the Book which guided their investigations; and they paid their debt of worship to God in a manner which was befitting His majesty.

These men of letters, scientists, intellectuals, souls driven by the desire to explore could not satisfy their thirst for knowledge except through the Quran. They never tired of reading the Quran as its meanings were inexhaustible. The divine cloak of knowledge enveloped them. These believers (Mumin) and submitters (Muslims) were so dear to God that he disclosed to them the paths of hidden knowledge. Such was their knowledge of the Book that, like Asif bin Barziyyah, they had mastery over fusion and diffusion of matter. With a mere gesture of their finger, an illuminating lamp would burst into flame. From the fingers of the Messenger of God (PBUH) fountains of fresh water would flow. Even angels and the Jinn would bow their heads in submission to their leadership. The throne of Suleyman and the winds were under their control. From behind the clouds angels saluted them in admiration.

This is not the stuff of fantasy and make-believe. This is the reality of those who surrender themselves to God ( Arabic : Muslim), who adore their Lord; who are the inheritors of the Book; who are the stewards of God on Earth (Khalifat-ullah fil Ard). We are referring to the followers of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, and of the students of the Quran. All the miracles referred to before are no longer witnessed today. Yet the resource that enabled these feats, namely the Quran, is still with us today. It is a question about our engagement and approach to the Quran, the Book of Reality. Our superficial contact with the Quran makes the flowing fountains of human potential seem like a mirage in the desert. The sacred paths have become covered with debris. Unity has been sacrificed at the altar of sectarianism. Madness has gripped the Muslim Ummah. Faith and morality are no more than folk tales. The resources of faith are sold in the marketplace. Knowledge of God is confined to the length of the beard and the cut of one’s collar.

Can we reclaim the lost legacy for which we were created?

Everything around us has crumbled. Doubt has encircled every certainty. But one thing has been preserved; a treasure that none has been able to pillage, a book that has stood the test of time and survived unadulterated, undistorted and unscathed. It is the speech of God; His overwhelming evidence, an invincible argument. It is the source of all wisdom and knowledge, conferring honour and dignity to those who submit to Him (lit. Islam and the Muslims). It reveals the secrets of the universe and the Self. It is the criterion which defines the priorities of thought and life. It is the key that opens the door to the love of God and the Prophet (PBUH). It is a discourse which unravels the most complex of enigmas. Its elegant and inimitable style captivates and delights. It promotes the ideal of intellectual humility and develops loftiness of thought. It enables Man to attain his full human potential. When you return to the Quran, distances will diminish and events will turn in your favour. The mercy of God will burst forth from the storehouses of Heaven. The sun will dispel the dark shadows of loss and failure. The movements of the planets will become compliant, and the Heavens and the Earth will await the command of the Deputy of God on Earth.

However, the blessings of the Quran are not the sole preserve of the Muslims. The Quran speaks directly to humankind. It provides the argument that dispels doubt and ushers in certainty. It contains the data that will enable us to verify the claim of God. The time has come for the whole of humanity to objectively evaluate the Quran. God has made and presented His argument.

An English Edition of Muqaddama-tul-Quran (pp.198-208)

THE ARGUMENT: with reference to the Quran

by: Prof.Ahmad Rafique Akhtar

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An English Edition of Muqaddama-tul-Quran by Prof.Ahmad Rafique Akhtar

shabbiralamaat: RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMES...

shabbiralamaat: RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMES...: RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMES Prof. Ahmad Rafique Akhtar            I have deliberately chosen this subject for t...

RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMES

RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMES

Prof. Ahmad Rafique Akhtar

           I have deliberately chosen this subject for today’s discourse. About half a century back, a great tinker Iqbal in his seven lectures gave a new philosophic out look by creating a logical and philosophical defense for revelation and mystic experience. But this aim is not valid in modern times. During the last half a century the nature of challenges has changed. The new challenges are not philosophic, they are not scholastic. The achievements of sciences are miraculous. Intellectual supremacy is no more important. Pragmatic approach, Practical attitude and power orientation given new prejudices, new likes and dislikes. Western thought is more and more data oriented. Distress, anxiety, neurosis, psychosis and innumerable psychic    and Para psychic syndromes have reduced man’s life to a non spiritual entity.

            We are facing the blatant aggression of scientific thought discovery and inventions accompanied by the paraphernalia’s  of five stars hotels, luxuries pools, boutiques, supersonic jets, atoms, neurons and antimatter. A normal mind is stunned by the onslaught of modern sophistry. This flux of progressive materialism is not allowing us to stay, deliberate or meditate. We don’t have time even to read Iqbal’s lectures on reconstruction.

            Lets have a look at the response to these challenges; Islam over all is a sharply divided in to secular and scholastic approaches. Mediocrity has resulted into two major faults:

1                   Intellectual inferiority in Islamic thought and Muslim mind.

2                   Absolute confusion of priorities in religion.

The reason is obvious; over this period there has been no teacher mystic in Islamic world.

The secular Muslim is dazzled by the fabulous western progress. His curiosity and research has thoroughly convinced him that for modern times Islam is decadent, obsolete and a spent force.  He is convinced of power based argument which only lies in western, social and political setup. He venomously hates the tasteless and scholastic religious organizations. He does not find any wit, decency and convincing argumentation in prevailing religious atmosphere. Where ever he finds a religious movement he finds it averse to progress and akin to prejudice, bigottery and even stupidity.

             He thinks religious revival is all destroying and is a mad dream. Western thoughts offer him a secularist, permissive and adjustable philosophy, with humor, courtesy, ease and sophistry. It offers him taste and culture and above all enough room to breath with modern ideas. He is shy of himself and shy of Islam. Those who cannot revolt are cowards and every day they keep on building new argument to justify corruption and to justify their religion.

Scholastic religionist is the other part of Islamic world. For centuries he has been following a religion with blind faith. He does not believe in choices and questions. He is semi literal, semi cultured and least progressive. He has inbuilt taboos in him competitive argumentation. Scholastic side is horribly short of age, technique and curiosity; they create an image of boredom and, stubbornness. Religion is suffering from sects, creeds, caste and there is chronic mix up of priorities.

            If religion be a pyramid there is nobody on the top who knows. Feels and loves God. Anybody who joins or accepts Islam for a vision of God ends up within fallacious hypocritical and absurd mystic conceptions. I don’t deny the existence of a few ecstatic individuals who have lost their balance in their struggle and a very few more have been able to achieve personal victories but they are unable to manage eloquence to explain the concepts of God. In their naïve explanation of religious, reality and experience they further confuse the ultimate existence.

            God is himself the subject of modern curiosity. Generally religion is acceptable in modern society as a personal interest, a lesser obsession and an age old set of rituals. Denial without research is the common attitude. Mostly the defense   is based on Islam as the solution of problems, not as only way to God.

            Islam has become an independent institution which has God as a nominal head. It is not being projected as the means of achievement the priority of intellectual curiosity.

            Challenges of the modern times are exactly aimed at God himself, the response to the challenges is finding out an argument about Islam. The response insist on claiming Islam  as the only complete order  of God but fails to provide main with an insight of God.

            This crisis is not new but whereas in the past we have always been able to produce a Junaid, Abdul Qadir or Ali Bin Usman. We are still looking forward for somebody who should touch the top of pyramid, who should be able to provide an argument.

            Intellectual curiosity is reduced to explain methodology but the moment it touches the chapter of God it fails. The reason is obvious.

            There are three statements which lead us to the knowledge of God, they all mean the same. Unluckily these statements have nothing to do with practical aspect of religion.

            When asked, Christ said “Know they self and you shall know God” then the famous saying came. That is:

            “When God wants to award someone with His knowledge He opens his eyes on his own self’, The Prophet said (Peace be upon Him).

            There is no doubt about the fact that God’s knowledge is through the knowledge of self.

            This is the job of a sophisticated intellect which outgrows instinctive imbalances at the first stage and goes on further analysis to create a balance of heart, mind and feeling and in this very balance, lies the touch of Allah. When understood analyzed and balanced out grown human instincts leave ground for Godly quality.

            Whereas generally human beings count only three steps of achievement by human mind namely, intelligence, intellect and intuition. The mystic moves on to the ultimate refinement of fourth category i.e.  Ilham.

            The first three are commonly shared by all human beings but fourth one is only available to a believer and a Muslim. A mystic carries the past stays in the present and points out the future. It’s only a mystic who establishes the priority and endeavor to achieve the closeness by normal attitude.

            God created man and blessed him with the specialty of thinking. He provided the protocol to the important guest of the Lord in the grave. The only priority allotted to human intellect is God himself. Religion from Adam to Muhammad has been varying in the nature of shariat and practical laws in different the only priority of human mind i.e. God. Religion void of search for God is reduced to set rituals.  Islam is a way to God but unluckily we have made it our destination.

            In the past time many decades Muslims have been trying to create religion as a God. Many formats of religion have been introduces to create an Islamic revolution without a true feeling for God and with out making an effort to understand the self and ultimately to understanding God.

             Psychology applied to others is a science but if applied to one’s own self is mysticism. Whereas the West is more objective and scientific they have shown no feeling for the ultimate reality, even their metaphysics is aimlessly pursuing abstract values.

            On the contrary Muslims have the sentiment for reality but they are not objective and scientific in approach.

            Let me simplify the whole subject .Allah is an immediate experience whenever He is approached sincerity of intention and proper priority.

            According to Allah Himself His remembrance is the only way to convince Him that man has given Him his proper place in heart.

            But for the understanding of self one has to be normal for without normalcy a divine experience is always questionable.

            Once the priority is established and balances maintained, main responsibility being over, a musliman marches from inner conquests to external victories, ilham, intuition or intellect achievements become the products of faith. A new commitment and a formidable character is built at personal and national levels. Sciences or arts act subservient to a consummate mind, who is in touch with the market. Inventor and creator, personal and national inferiority leaves room of objective understanding and coherent interpretation. False superiority dies and genuine decision and appreciation, hopes and probabilities for the present and future are born.

            Out of a chaotic inconsistency, a uniform centricity is created which after a small period of trails and tribulations leads to the Quranic decision.

“And slacken not, nor grieve and you will be victorious if you have faith.” (3:139) 

 Fehm-O-Idraak

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Enemy Within - Reflections on the Human Self (Nafs)

Enemy Within - Reflections on the Human Self (Nafs)

“As for the one who feared the facing of his Rabb (Lord) and shunned the nafs from the desire (of all that satisfies his ego), then indeed Paradise, that is the abode (for him)” 
(An-Naazi’aat Surah 79:40-41)

Deliberation and reflection on the Human Self has continued unabated over the centuries. From the time that self-realization was linked to the recognition of God, the wayfarers in the procession of (divine) passion began to search for salvation in the enchanting and tempting vastness of the Human Self. This enigma has continued to engage mankind under the guise of various names, such as, self consciousness, deep understanding and self-realization. Few, however, have succeeded in attaining to the depth of its meanings: whilst those who were afraid of it, grew more in terror as their understanding of it grew.

Those that did gain some knowledge of it, found the nafs to be the arch enemy of man, dominating every aspect of his life: the lawful and unlawful, good and evil, chaos and order, poverty and opulence, war and peace, the positive and the negative. Further, they witnessed it in the pomp and glory of the victorious and in the wretchedness of the vanquished; in the sublimeness of knowledge and wisdom and in the prejudices of the populace; in the dignity and awe of kings, and in the petitions of the penniless; in the refined style of wordsmiths and in the vulgar tongues of the rabble; in the romance of love and beauty and in the backdrop of libidinal desires. In short the influence of this corrupting Self was felt everywhere.

The question arises: What was its origin? And what is its true nature?

The issue was not always that complicated. Over aeons of time animal characteristics firmly lodged themselves in the inner (consciousness) of man. To such an extent that human life, which began on the basis of survival and self-defence, was unable to shed these characteristics even in the midst of the most advanced social and economic structures. All human systems, no matter how supportive they appear, have in some fundamental way aided and supported some aspect of the nafs.

Despite the change of battlefield and type of contest, the conclusion of the struggle between man and beast was replaced by the struggle of mutual rivalry between Homo Sapiens. Before this time man, on a collective level, was as one single body fiercely upholding his individuality in the face of opposition from other forms of life. Emotions of generosity and kindness grew in strength alongside the spirit of rebellion and arrogance: survival is avarice for life. Further, the sense of survival that the Prophet Suleyman (a.s) witnessed in the procession of ants, surged like a herd of wild elephants in its diverse and varicoloured forms in the character traits of man.

Knowledge and wisdom failed to release the Human Self, which had its origins in the struggle for survival, from the mindset of survival. Instead, it altered the means of achieving the same goal. For instance the entire fields of Arts and Sciences, which attained mastery in the understanding of (physical) reality, and all the methods adopted to civilise man all had their centre and focal point in the promotion of ease, comfort and the strengthening of the Self. The Self constructed channels which would promote sympathy and affection within man in its favour, and would be regarded as the (ultimate) standards of humanity.

How could man possibly regard as an enemy that which had seeped into his consciousness becoming a fundamental part of his life and was now flowing within his blood and veins? Despite the exhortations to adopt the path of guidance, it was an extremely difficult challenge for man to see himself as his own enemy. Indeed, for whom should he wage this war on himself and for what reward: ‘friendship’ of God and an unseen paradise! Moreover, the Human Self depends for its support on outward causes. It convinces and influences man through the agency of the five senses. As a result (Paradise) was seen as a mirage and an (empty) promise, impossible to test before ones death, not to mention God and the Intellect, that were far removed from the (ambit of the) five senses and the boundaries of the heart and vision.

The nafs is another name for the nerve centre of man: it is his childhood, his youth and his old age. Indeed, the Human Self is a ‘packet’ of needs and wants. It is a defence system, resting on the basic instincts of man, which has since prehistoric times become so powerful that the entire body of science and knowledge cannot withstand its defence weaponry. Lurking in the ‘trench’ of survival this warrior is familiar with the strategies needed to ward off all the assaults of knowledge and reason. However, its greatest weapon is to show sympathy and affection to its ‘victim’. This, then, is a war that man has no desire to win. There is no compensation or blood money forthcoming for the one that is slain. In the words of the Generous Lord: I (God) created my biggest enemy in the form of man. Indeed, the inner (consciousness) of man is ruled by this Dajjal and his acts of construction are in truth acts of destruction. This anti-Christ dwells in both you and me. The statement ‘I am’ is an expression of its individuality, for it divides (both people and the person) and is the personality of every individual. It can be glimpsed in the scholar’s boastings of his knowledge, in the depraved behaviour of the ignorant, in the ascetics’ display of piety, in the man of letters’ desire for fame, and in the Princes desire for power and glory.

Psychologists attempted to understand the workings of this bundle of instincts; they searched for the underlying principles of man’s reactions and behaviour; they subjected his feelings to the theories of ‘inferiority’ and ‘superiority’. Discovering in the process a whole host of complexes, phobias, neuroses, psychoses, fantasies and evil whisperings, insanity and madness, lurking in the mind of man. Further, they searched for the fundamental causes of fear and depression.

But why?

Their goal was neither to find God nor to explore the Self in order to find God. It was merely to activate, to reinvigorate, and to strengthen the Self which had become passive, downtrodden, defeatist and inactive. This was simply so that it could once more resume the struggle for survival. However, the main distinguishing factor between psychologists and sufis is that the former seek to understand the Self for the sake of the Self, whereas, the latter seek to understand it so that they can place it in the service of God. Moreover, nafs and Desire are two inseparable companions and together they carve out the priorities and preferences of the Nafs. To the extent that Desires, bosom companions of Satan (Literally who sit in his company and ride together), can affect and alter the ‘seasons’ of the Nafs. The nature of the Nafs is that it craves to dominate others, and jealously guards its own possessions. Yet it seeks to plunder the property of others. Set aside clemency and forbearance, all the civilised behaviour of the Nafs is nothing but ‘camouflage’ and defensive ploys. It is the Governor of the Province of ‘No Mercy’ and ‘No Remorse’; appeals for clemency only add fuel to its tyranny. Further, in defeat it turns dangerous and seeks to inflict injury on others. The full brunt of its enmity is directed towards the ‘alien’ soul that originates from an alien place and dwells within its territory. It exerts its entire efforts to prevent the Soul from returning (to its source of origin).

In contrast, the choice and priorities of the soul are clear and eminently superior. It possesses the consciousness of the One God, and despite being imprisoned in a physical body its yearning for the Divine Presence never ceases. The Nafs seeks to wipe out this memory and longing and, like the angels imprisoned in the chasm of Babel, the subjugation of the Spirit to the body and mind is its fundamental goal. In this struggle for mans’ humanity, the Nafs seeks assistance from Satan by occupying the pathways leading to the Sublime Assembly (mala ‘alaa). Moreover, benefiting from centuries of experience in this struggle, the Nafs becomes a terrifying social force whom none has the power to subjugate save God. As the Prophet Yusuf (a.s) said: ” None is spared from (the attacks of) the nafs: for the nafs always commands evil, only those whom God has mercy (are saved from it)”. Thus, only divine intervention can protect the soul from the domination of the acquisitive and merciless Nafs.

God has declared war on this enemy and has made it known that one who yearns for His love and intimacy must oppose the Nafs no matter what form its takes or what strategy it employs. Since, in every age, the Nafs drapes the ‘corpses’ of its devotees (dead) in the latest style of shrouds. If not as Olympus, Brahman, Shiva and Vishnu, Ashtar and Isis; then as the models of abstract philosophies. If not in the worship of physical objects, then in the festivals of culture and tradition, in the complementary understanding of ecstasy and sobriety, and in the interaction between literature and homosexuality. Today, in our day and age, in the labelling of oppression and injustice as civilisation and the mass media’s propaganda as truth, in the movements of indecency and obscenity promoted in the name of Art, idol worship parades under the guise of the Fine Arts, and any mention of God is dubbed backwardness. Indeed, these phenomenon are master strokes of the Nafs, and executed with the utmost of ease (lit. dexterity of his left hand)

The tyrannical Nafs is always close. So it comes as no surprise when we witness it in the poet’s smile on receiving applaud for his poetry; in the writers eye, as it sparkles in a Literary assembly held in his honour; in the politicians hand as it waves to a cheering crowd: in the humble nod of the holy mans head, when the praises of his piety are sung; and in the Champion (lit. quarrelsome person) who puffs his chest in pride at the rehearsal of his achievements. In all these situations the Nafs is in extremely close contact. Furthermore, when the Nafs enters (our consciousness), God withdraws. For proximity to the Nafs means only distancing from God, the distance between Heaven and Hell, the distinction between the Rahman (Allah) and the shaytan (devil), between the forces of evil (Ahraman) and the forces of good (ahwaramzaada), and in the conflict between light and darkness. Thus the manifestations of the Nafs are unlimited.

Consider the pieces on a chessboard. Despite being limited to just a few pieces, the number of possible moves that can be made are, perhaps, over a billion. Similar is the case of the Nafs. Consisting of a few fundamental instincts common to both humans and animals, the mutual interactions and permutations of these handful of instincts are unlimited. According to one mystic: to this day I have not fathomed two things: the stations of rank of Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the forms of deception employed by the nafs. However, individual instincts acting on their own cannot exert influence and control over the nafs without the mutual involvement of other motivating instincts. From all of these, desire is the ultimate driving force of the nafs, and it operates on ever more sophisticated levels as man becomes more ‘educated (and cultured)’. It reaches a stage where it goes beyond the ‘control system’ (influence) of the fundamental balance placed inside man. When this occurs destruction becomes its second nature.

The nafs, nevertheless, does not deceive, rather it is sincere in its deception: since both its scientific and emotional natures are closely intertwined. Furthermore, its governing principles are plain and evident, namely that, the survival instinct does not recognize any moral values. It has, from time immemorial, been accompanied by all the aides and supporters (agents) it requires to maintain its continued existence: envy, rancour, slander, anger, rage and lust. Not a single one of them will ever betray the nafs, operating universally without distinction of race and religion. Despite fluctuations in the severity and vigilance of their attacks, their aims undergo no such change and remain stable. For instance, their collaboration does not always lead to killing and bloodshed, but envy does not permit even a shred of compassion to enter its dealings.

These qualities stand diametrically opposed to the attributes of God and are devoid of any sense of reverence (lit. worship/servitude). Their field of work is restricted and their horizons extremely limited. The sublime sense of tranquillity is rarely witnessed in the conduct of these instincts, which, akin to a blazing forest fire seek to scorch and ravage instantly everything in their path, offering no opportunities to stop and pause. Its flames are fanned by the winds of egoism, defiance and self-respect (pride). The latter is perhaps the most puzzling and in need of further investigation. It is an interesting and amusing fact that the vast majority of people regard ‘self respect’ as an admirable attribute. The truth, however, is that the notion of Self respect is a ‘Palace of Glass’ built on the twin foundations of luxury or ease, and a sense of inferiority. Indeed, we do not possess a criterion to assess the Self; for it constructs itself by exploiting the crisis and insecurities that we experience in our lives, from childhood into old age. The Nafs adopts the path of antagonism or the path of harmony towards its victim depending on its situation, and becomes itself the raw material for the manufacture of ‘self respect’.

In this scenario ‘self respect’ becomes a highly intricate psychological concern. Despite the fact that the Nafs can be regarded as a factor of great significance and weight, it can, nevertheless, be fully understood in the early stages of its development and before a man becomes ‘cultured and educated’. With the growth of skills, education and new outlooks in a person, the nafs begins to resort to a greater degree of sophistication in its ‘technical’ capacities. Consequently, the acquisition of Knowledge and Art leads to the development of increasingly refined and enigmatic emotions. When united with personal and Self-influenced preferences, these feelings result in the Nafs going beyond the scope of accountability.

This is the phase in which ones’ entire spiritual prowess and thinking becomes a target for manipulation by the Nafs. For no one can surpass it in the hatching of reasons to justify itself. Exploiting the whole spectrum of values of good and evil the Human Self displays the results of its handiwork everywhere: mutual pride, arrogance, detestation of others and their opinions, ostentation and show, the hunger for power, assigning importance to oneself, scientific and intellectual boasting, surrounding oneself by like-minded people, creating ‘mirages’ through speech and manipulation of emotions, creating divisions among people, self love, material opulence, the pandering after choice, the designation of identified approaches to various branches of learning, and in the latest styles of culture and civilisation. We witness the handiwork of the Nafs where ever we turn.

In the western intellectual climate, despite its advancement, longing for power and fame is regarded as a fundamental part of human nature. Thus receiving praise for ones achievements and striving ones utmost for this goal is seen as something noble and worthwhile. Similarly, in the East the endless list of honorific titles at all levels is an evident illustration of the Self’s handiwork. No religious scholar, thinker or professional sees any harm in receiving these titles whose very roots lie in flattery and hyperbole which ultimately originates in the Self’s flattery and praise of the admirers themselves.

Both the mystic and the cynic view the intrusions of the Nafs with ridicule and derision. Despite his mockery and sarcasm of the Self, the cynic cannot, however, shelter himself from being consumed by the flames of envy and anger, a product of the self’s counter attack. In contrast, the mystic neutralises the states and feelings induced by the Self through the adoption of a sublime philosophy of life, intellectual modesty, and achieving balance in life. Furthermore, the cynic resists the Self like a diseased man who shows contempt towards everyone who is healthy. The mystic, walking under the shade of Divine love and affection, does not regard his merits over others as deriving form his own person. Rather he considers all notions of excellence and pre-eminence as a trust and favour from God. Thus he is preserved from the destructive emotions of arrogance and conceit, for he realises too well that any claim to ‘superiority’ (Godhood) based on borrowed ‘goods’ is transitory and groundless.

The Nafs does however have its rivals. Humour is a deadly poison for the Nafs for it possesses an equal footing to the ‘greatness’ and superiority of the Self. Of course, Humour can act as a tool of the Nafs in many ways: finding faults and weaknesses in others, assassination of their character, creating scandals, invading the privacy of others, and gaining pleasure by degrading others. These are amongst the favourite pastimes of Humour. However, when it turns its gaze on itself, it succeeds in breaking the enchanting spell of ‘self sympathy and support’. Digging its heels in the trenches of self-deception and self-centeredness, it deals heavy and sustained blows to the scheming Self. Is not the one who can laugh at himself a thousand times better than one who laughs at the expense of another? The nafs routinely ignores its own defects and yet is constantly vigilant of its status and standing.

However, this watchdog over the Nafs is above morals of right and wrong, oblivious to honour or disgrace, even-handed in times of want and plenty. It flourishes merely through the complete aid and assistance of God. Humour recognises that hopes and aspirations are not the function of the needy, for their period of duration is not long: nor does it attribute its aptitude and ability as originating from itself; nor does it claim the right of ownership over loaned ‘goods’; and nor does it regard life on earth as perpetual. Further, it regards the ultimate goal of knowledge as the achievement of balance and equilibrium in life.

Thus, Humour prevents the Nafs from displaying sympathy towards itself and obliges it to accept its shortcomings. It tolerates each and every person in accordance to his or her intellectual capacities. The single most important factor behind the pervasive influence, in the present age, of conditions such as impetuosity, discontent, depression and boredom, is the refusal of self-accountability, promotion of self-absorption, the desire for ease and comfort, and in the displacement of reverence by the desire to become God. Despite the acceptance of the eternal and all-governing God, indifference and active striving against His guidance, management and submission leads us to assume personal, splintered and self centred ideas, as well as the adoption of negative lifestyles. As a result, there is bloodshed and destruction, intense emotions of dissatisfaction, insomnia, and memory loss. The present age is deeply suffering form these factors.

The nafs does not deceive, rather the phases of trial and testing that the children of Adam have to undergo are of two types: the static and the dynamic’ (‘moving and shiftable). The former ‘technology’ is centred around the Self, whilst the latter is under the control and guidance of Shaytaan. The technology of the Nafs is characterised as static since it does not possess any originality both in its aims and its methods. From pre-eternity till the genesis of man the Self, yearning for everlasting life, led man astray. The outcast Shaytaan manifested this yearning in the time and space dimensions of Paradise with the result that Adam was distanced from the vicinity of God.

The Self furnishes and prepares the ground in which Shaytaan sows the seeds of corruption. Followed by the growth of the sturdy tree of ‘repulsive desires’. It is a poisonous ‘shrub’ which destroys the healthy harvest of knowledge and understanding. The lethal success of the nafs rests primarily on the mind of man and the lack of knowledge and ignorance of the commands and counsels of the Generous Lord. God, like a great and eminent teacher, does not employ compulsion in the matters He has given choice to man. Indeed, it would not have been difficult for God to make the whole of mankind accept His guidance. None would have the power to refuse, nor even to contemplate it. Even the notion of disobedience would not exist.

If this had been the case, the purpose of education would not have been achieved. Since the fundamental goal of education is to develop the capacity to make right choices. For instance, giving a man the ability to make correct choices and then passing judgement on him, would be an arbitrary and pointless system and God is certainly not inequitable. Thus man was provided with opportunities to develop his intellectual capacity through a variety of supportive and encouraging methods. Alongside this, the Self too was equipped with the capacity to sense loss and express regret. From time to time it is possible for this capacity to lead man to awareness, and offer him, yet again, another opportunity to regain his sense of balance and soundness.

In short, this Human saga in Gods view consists merely of three possibilities: sin or error, the sense of regret (guilt), and repentance and forgiveness. Can there be anyone more unjust than the one who knows he has wronged, knows that his repentance will be accepted, and still fails to make amends for his loss and failures. It is this injustice and ignorance alluded by God in the Quran as the ‘trust’ of knowledge bestowed on man. The rehabilitation of man and inspiring him towards it by means of hardship, is at least in Gods wisdom not a possibility. Since hardship can itself lead to a kind of enmity and the harbouring of hidden notions of pride and arrogance. Indeed, sacrificing ones life is not such a worthwhile action and, certainly not one, which leads to deserving the proximity and closeness of God. If this were the case, the sturdy bull that drives the oil press would surely be the greatest mystic and knower of God! The Self adulterates logical necessity with false claims and demands, making it a constituent part of shaytan’s repertoire (lit. Satanism).

In any case, God regards man superior to beasts and animals and Intellect as the most distinguished part of his creation. Deliberation and reflection offers man the capacity to make his choices more freely and autonomously. Although the Nafs promotes the currency of its transitory preferences and priorities, recognising true identity is a product of the efforts of ones Fitrah (primordial nature) and balanced intellectual curiosity. However, the Nafs does possess a vulnerability that can be exploited by the folk of knowledge. It is this weakness which can be utilised to temper its excesses and halt the flow of its destructive tendencies, namely, that the Nafs possesses, more than any other desire, intense curiosity and inquisitiveness. It is continuously engaged in the acts of smelling, tasting and finding out. It seeks amazing and bewildering sensations and occurrences, always hungry for new experiences, and it has a passion for individuality. This passion drives it to seek knowledge of the world and its surroundings and occasionally directs it to tread the path leading to God.

By utilising the Self’s inquisitiveness and curiosity, its level of knowledge and training can be increased, thus distinguishing it from the common masses and the poorly educated. It resembles a wild, predatory beast almost impossible to tame. However, it is not uncommon to observe that even wild and predatory animals such as lions, wolfs, wild dogs, and poisonous snakes can be reared as pets. In the early stages of training and despite its willingness, the Self revolts and refuses to submit on account of its original characteristics. It unceasingly struggles to act according to its former tendencies and habits. Similarly, in the early stages of its ‘nurturing’ the nafs should not be driven by any sublime and worthy ideals, rather its curiosity should be used to make it seek and strive harder.

After the completion of its training and the adoption of new habits and tendencies, the Nafs is eager to stamp its individuality and distinguish itself from others. With the passage of time and growth of knowledge the Nafs begins to develop love and affection for this new approach and internalises it as a permanent and freely chosen practice. This developmental stage of the Self’s thought, leads to the desire to seek the friendship of God. The ideas of this new ‘world’ and the discovery of new horizons prevent the Self from abandoning this choice for divine longing. All the while, its original instincts are striving to pull it back to its days of ignorance (Jahiliyya). However, the strength and fortitude of the new practices keep it steadfast on the path towards God. Further, through the mercy and support of God, tranquillity and inspiration descends upon the Self. This unexpected blessing is one that the Human Self has never tasted before. It is now that its purpose in life becomes (crystal) clear and its beliefs and thoughts clarified. Indeed, (ultimate) consciousness is attained.

However, this phase is not without its own perils and dangers. Righteousness, coupled with the intense desire for piety and the hardships of the struggle for self-purification, seek to instil in the Self the craving to make claims of superiority and the pursuit of a special status for itself. In this phase of its intellectual evolution, apart from the Love of God and sincerity nothing else can help the Nafs. Indeed, the love of God and submission to the Messenger are beacons of Guidance in this way station. However, compliance to the messenger does not merely consist of outward actions and optional acts of worship. Rather it requires a complete and in-depth understanding of the Prophets’ love, ethics and values.

In all of this three ranks of the ‘sweetness’ of faith are clearly discernible. Firstly, when love is for the sake of Allah and enmity for the sake of Allah. Secondly when love for the messenger of Allah is stronger than all worldly ambitions and desire for wealth. Finally when the nafs feels absolute abhorrence to return to values of the animal instinct, which are synonymous to unbelief or kufr. The self at this stage of its ‘training’ will not, under any circumstances, turn back to its former ways. It is also at this stage that the minor mistakes of the Nafs are overlooked, and it is given the news of forgiveness both in this world and the next. This is alluded to in the Quran: ”O the Nafs (that is) content, return to your lord pleased and pleasing. So Enter (amongst) my bondsmen and Enter my Paradise”.

Finally no one can claim to be the ultimate specialist or an expert on the Nafs. However, broadly speaking, the Nafs is surrounded by the habits and tendencies acquired during three main phases. Thus it consists of genetic qualities; immediate parental upbringing; and personally acquired capacities. The latter two factors seem more prominent and are easily identified. However, the former, centuries old ‘Fitrah’ can be an invincible enemy. Thus, the mystic fights his ultimate battle against his own ‘Fitrah’. In the face of overt and secret enemies, namely the Nafs and the Shaytaan, it is Allah alone who can influence this Fitrah, which He created. Ultimately, Allah’s Grace and Love can conquer this level.

www.alamaat.com

Translated from “Muqaddamat-ul-Quran” 

By: Prof. Ahmed Rafique Akhtar

Prof.Ahmad Rafique Akhtar 

Mysticism - Fact or Fiction...???

Mysticism - Fact or Fiction...???

There must have been ultimate reality existing under some name in the ancient mythologies and civilizations be it eeshwar,God or bhugwan.Three thousand years ago we had historians like heun sang and fashion who sought the ultimate reality.haripur is a fertile land and the brains here are ever more fertile than its land.when the huns destroyed taxila,at that time 3000 buddhists,despite being capable of resisting the attack,were put to sword.Taxila is a wasteland since then.Every land has its own specialty and all the time are specific.The only indivisible entity is Allah himself,rest of everything is stratified and has defined orders.Humans are superior to lands,likewise some homes are superior to other homes and some men are superior to other of their kind.Allah has determined these order and superiorities and he has also prescribed the course of action to be follow attain those levels.

Then they were  some people who started off with the objective of search of reality and the real purpose of life and they spent their entire live seeking Allah’s proximity by making him their beloved these people were those destitute who could not be satisfied by any mundane pleasure and their wisdom had reached its zenith their girth of intellectual capacity encompassed  the heavens and the earth and they had known their own self inside out these people  underwent masochistic ordeals to muscle their way through to reach their destiny of identity these knowledge and reality and seekers are termed as soofis. The topic of the truth about of mysticism raises our inquisitiveness to a level where we can question as to what it all is. It also arouses the questions as to which school of thought among the once surrounding us in the society, is right.

Obviously, they must  be some parameters and yard sticks which would serf as benchmarks on the bases of which standardization could be made. without  those standards, we can not distinguish an act from  Godly to un godly one .

Who knows who Allah knower is and who is not? Unfortunately, amid total benightedness sneaking everywhere in the society, the real searcher starts screaming and gets sick and tired at the pseudo-mystics and their monasteries.     

He concludes that he heard them speak heartlessly and faithlessly but none of them could satisfy him.

Notwithstanding the heartiest search for doorstep, from village to village and from monastery to monastery, the efforts to fin an Allah-knower ended up in miserable fiasco being unable to find an a real mystic intimately knowing Allah is a reality in today’s world. Such a condition leaves the society bereft of everyone where there is not a single person who can clime that he knows Allah intimately.

Once the holy prophet (SAW) passed by a town which was almost a wasteland with people plunged into miserable conditions running the whole gamut of crippling diseases and other derivation (such as in Pakistan nowadays). The holy prophet SAW) asked if there was not a single person in that town that prays to Allah sincerely for his fellow brethren’s

Socio-economic betterment and physical being. One of the holy prophet (SAW) reads that when one prays for his brother in his absentia then that prayer is granted. It is highly unfortunate for a society where there is not single person who pray for the fellow brethren. the major reason attributable to the all the ills of Pakistan of all sorts is that there not a  single person who is sincerely looking for Allah alone; in common parlance there is not single soofi in land.

The showed and cunning intellectuals of today treated mysticism as a deception and deflationary adventure and unanimously and unilaterally decided that the entire knowledge of mysticism is just concept beyond practical implementation, and they also termed it a mirage signifying nothing. For instance, Mr. Ali Abbass Jalalpuri repeatedly cast objections on mysticism, while some equated mysticism. With Greek philosophy and other drew analogies between Hindu yoga and mysticism. However ,what nobody brothered to understand was that mysticism  is not something new; rather it has exited in every society it is humanly impossible that this earth remains empty of the people intimately knowing allah .the history of  allah mysticism dates of longinus, and then this tradition continued since zino. The stoic of eliia, to Dionysius, the aropagit (a famous mystic of Egypt).we also have st.augustine and Thomas Aquinas as glaring example in the Christian world. before the advent of Islam there never was a time or eon without any mystic or search of knowledge .then knowledge got completed ,human intellect touched its zenith and the mercy of Allah was personified in the form of holy prophet (saw),s appearance in the world .the blessing of knowledge and wisdom reached its culmination .since then we had immediate disciples of holy prophet (saw) in the form of the companions of the holy prophet (saw)and the followers of the companions of the holy prophet(saw) and then the followers of the followers of the companion of the holy  prophet (saw) which as a whole constituted the major class of  intellectuals. During the times from holy prophet (saw)to the followers of the followers of the companions of the holy prophet (saw),all the societies founded by the Muslims  were solidly headed toward Allah .under the direct guidance of the greatest universal teacher, the holy prophet (saw) ,the companion were founding such a society where everyone needed Allah .after the death of the holy prophet (saw),the luxury of direct teaching and training came to an end. Regardless of the fact the companions of the holy prophet (saw) were the best people, but the numeric strength busy in Allah, s search had decreased. It may not be true to everyone, but the fact remains that many embraced Islam because of its bourgeoning grander in power an d geographical increases. Many restored to embracing Islam in order to evade taxes. In a nutshell, the proportion of Muslims really seeking Allah had greatly decreased form what in the time of the holy prophet (saw) and the times immediate after that .succinctly speaking, the search for Allah was considerably confined to a select few. Nevertheless, never did it than the tradition of search for Allah vanquished altogether there were many great teachers simultaneously at one time in the history after the times of the followers of the companions of the holy prophet (saw). On the one hand if we have Imam Hassan Basri, then we also have Khawaja Habib Ajmi .if Rabia Basri appears in the history, then we also see Siri Saqti imparting Knowledge and wisdom to his acolytes. I appear as if the time was never empty of this mystic struggle, but in the passing times the lamps of knowledge, wisdom and understanding seem to fading. Knowledge has plunged into the abyss of decrepitude and destitution. We rarely find some one sincerely yearning for Allah ,s proximity remotely some where in our society . 

Many complicated terminologies do not define mysticism; rather it is a very simple knowledge. Knowing Allah is incumbent upon every person professing Islamic faith. Had it been difficult to find and know Allah, the Muslim Ummah would have been exonerated that they cannot find Allah or know the ltimate Reality. Allah has really simplified the task of knowing Himself and getting Himself. Everyone sequences his own mental priorities as they befit his mind, but the one who while in appropriate time in his age using adequate facilities chooses Allah to be his top priority is a real mystic be he of weak capacity or strong capacity. We are grievously mistaken when we isolate the life of a great mystic and see the time when he is on the pinnacles of mystic glory. Our standalone perception discounting the struggle of Ali Bin Usman and Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani leads us to think that they were the people of great substance which we could never be. We see them at giddy heights of glory which are considered to be enviably insurmountable for us.