On reviving our precious faith with the gnosis of love

Out of love be-came the existence. When rose the Hidden-Treasured Pure-Love-Consciousness, seeking the recognition of It, It said to the illusion-mirror 'Be' and so it be-came.

On that command from the single point of everything, the universe burst opened only to become the ever expanding womb and to embrace all that there is.

The cosmogenesis is love. The play of sustaining-the-creation is love.
The destruction is also to draw only the lovers near - al muqarrabun.
The resurrection is but an excuse for rendezvous of the Beloved and It's lover.
The eternity is for the lovers, ever-to-be, free.

Pure love demands that gaze of the lover fall only on the Sole Beloved who wishes neither any comparison, nor any association. Thus in the creed of love, no sin is greater than seeing other than the one. 'Let thine eyes be single!'

Hence cries rise from the pages of the sacred codex:

Qul Hu Allahu Ahad!
Come out of your delusion and affirm!

Qul! Affirm!
Affirm by saying:

Hu Allahu Ahad!
That Beloved is One without a second.

Allahu as-Samad.
The Eternal Beloved

Lam yalid, wa lam yulad.
Not fathering any, nor as Father
In this pure sacredness, forget about any gender.

Wa lam ya kun lahu kufuwan ahad.
Can there be any comparison for the Ultimate Beloved?

In truth, for the Beloved One
comparison - there is none.

Faith is precious, for it is the very entanglement between the One Beloved and It's lover. Religion is reduced to a carcass, it may even become an excuse to hate and discriminate another when this love is absent from the heart. Our precious faith is revived, is resurrected by breathing into it 'life,' which is gnosis of love. It is recognizing how Love is the Ultimate Secret Ingredients of Everything, it is the very Theory of Everything that there is. When our eyes are made to open to see this elegant secret, every single matter will also be opened to us. May our precious faith be revived with the gnosis of Love, replacing our weak and incomplete faith with increasingly perfected faith. Through that gnosis one after another doors may open to us, for indeed Allah is ever opening these doors through His Command: Inna fatahna laka fathan mubeena - Indeed We have granted clear opening to thee (48:1).

Read in the Name of the Most Merciful, the Exclusive Lover

Indeed We have granted clear opening to you.

That Allah may forgive your community their past faults and those to follow and complete His favor to you and guide you on a straight Path,

And that Allah might help you with a mighty help.

He it is Who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the faithfuls that they might have more of faith added to their faith.

~ The Last Testament, Signs of Opening (Surah al-Fath) 48:1-4 ~

Sadiq M. Alam

Mymensingh / 31 Jan 2013

# Further:
* Ansaari Tafsir of Surah Ikhlas
* Raazi on Ikhlas
* Faith (pistis) and Knowledge (gnosis)

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Mawlid an-Nabi 2013 AD - 1434 AH / Speech by Shaykh Nooruddeen Durkee

There has certainly come to you a Noble Messenger from among yourselves. 

Grievous to him is your suffering; [he is] concerned over you and 

to the faithful he is tender and merciful.

~ Message of the Final Testament 9:128 ~

Allah has indeed bestowed a great favour upon the faithful when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His Signs and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error.  

~ 3:164 ~

And We have not sent you, [O Beloved Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds. 

~ 21:107 ~

 

12th Rabi'al Awwal on Hijri Calendar is celebrated globally by the lovers of the Prophet as the day of remembrance of the birth and advent of the Final and Seal of Prophets, the Messenger of God, the Truthful Spirit, the Holy Soul - the Mercy to all worlds - Muhammad Mustafa, may Allah's deep peace and blessings shower his precious being. Mawlid an-Nabi is the celebration of Allah's great favor for the faithfuls as mentioned in Quran 3:164 and also celebration of mercy to creation as mentioned at 21:107.

In the North America those who led from the front to establish the Mawlid as a regular event and gathering for the Muslim community, the name of Shaykh Abdullah Nooruddeen Durkee will appear on top because of his tireless and sincere work for many years for the love of the Prophet and his Mawlid, may Allah accept them and increase them in future and reach them to many hearts and minds.

From the Syakh's perspective Mawlid is celebrated as an occasion to remember Allah and His Chosen Messenger as well as an opportunity to teach the central characteristic of the Messenger, that is to be mercy to all of creation about which Allah says in the Qur'an - Wa ma arsalnaka illa rahmatanllil alamin- "I have not sent you except as a mercy to all of creation."

This year also the blessed Mawlid event has been held at Green Mountain School under the Direction of Shaykh Nooruddeen where other guest speakers and presenters also participated. The event was broadcast all over the world via Google Hangout and Youtube.

Shaykh Nooruddeen Durkee, may Allah bless him and grant him long life, mentioned in the Introduction of his talk that this is the 13th annual Mawlid held at Islamic Study Center, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. In his introductory speech he reminded the need of Mawlid as the means of educating the community about the nature of Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alaihi wa sallam. Mawlid is done for no other purpose but for Education, Education and Education about the locus of Mercy sent to the world.

Wa ma arsalnaka illa rahmatanllil alamin. Wa ma arsalnaka illa rahmatanllil alamin. Wa ma arsalnaka illa rahmatanllil alamin. You want to be a Muslim, don't give me the hats, don't give me the beards, don't give me the niqab, don't give me the hizab. If you want to do that, that's fine and good. But give me mercy, give me mercy people. Give me mercy. Be merciful to your selves, be merciful to your husbands, be merciful to your wives, be merciful to your children, be merciful to other human being, be merciful to your neighbors, be merciful to everybody. That's the message of Sayyidina Muhammad sallalahu alaihi wa salaam.

I can tell you many things, but I want you to leave with that and understanding where is that coming from. He says, qataba rabbikum ala nafsihi Rahma. It is coming from 'the One Who Has Written Upon Himself', Allah Subhanu watala, Mercy. So this is the time for Mercy. This is the time.

~ from the Speech of Shaykh Nooruddeen Durkee at Mawlid 1434 AH at Green Mountain School on 20th January 2013

Click on the image screen below to watch Shaykh Nooruddeen Durkee's speech in full during Mawlid via Youtube:

Watch Shaykh Nooruddeen's Mawlid Speech

You may watch all of the latest Mawlid speech and other presentation via Green Mountain School's website [www.greenmountainschool.org].



# Past Posts on Mawlid:
* Message of Rabi al-Awwal: Recognizing the Deeper and True Sunnah of the Messenger
* Milad-e-Nabi | Milad-un Nabi | Maulid | Mawlid
* Blessed month of Prophet's birthday | Rabi-al Awwal

# Further:
* Nativity of the Prophet Muhammad: The Mevlud/Mawlid Tradition
* Hans Christian Andersen and The Mawlid in Istanbul
* Mawlid story on Storify
* 2013 Mawlid from Turkey

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Sonic Theology from Sufi Islamic Perspective

With every breath
the Sound of Love surrounds us,
and we are bound for the depths of space,
without distraction.

Out beyond duality, we have a Home,
and it is Majesty.
That pure substance is different
from this dusty world.

We once came down; soon we'll return.

~ Mevlana Rumi

WHAT IS SONIC THEOLOGY

Sonic theology deals with sonic experience of the divine reality. Sonic means audible sound (or phenomena related to sound), Theology means that which sheds light on God or help reach the gnosis of God, ma'refa in Sufic Islam. According to Christian theologist Wilfred Cantwell Smith, Theology is, "Speaking the truth about God." For postmodern theologians, theos is taken back more towards the archaic Greek meaning of the term as 'divinity', that which 'shines' or 'reveals' itself from beyond the horizon of intelligible representations. Thus Sonic Theology becomes the field of studying sound and vibration as means of reaching gnosis of God, knowledge about divine realities.

The mysteries of Vibration and Sound when it comes to understanding divine realities and the reality map of the world in which we live in, is a less explored area. Those who belong to traditions where sound, utterances of sacred words is at the heart and soul of the religio-spiritual experience, even they are not much aware of the beauty and mysteries hidden within this domain.

Sufi Islamic perspective is rich with isharat or pointers toward Sonic Theology, but before going specifically into Islamic perspective of Sonic Theology, it is worth pointing out that all major world traditions have role of sound or vibration or sacred words. From a comparative religion perspective it is clear that almost every religion has either explicit or implicit teachings, either exoteric practices or forgotten esoteric hints about the central role of vibration and sacred sounds in opening subtle centers within for greater realizations.

A very good exploration of this subject is done in the book "Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound" by Guy L. Beck. In the introduction of the book we find, "Creation as a speech event is part of the Abrahamic traditions, although theological developments of this foundational assertion have tended toward abstract and intellectual formulations, thus depriving them of their sonic quality, their "noise." As the Qur'an relates: "Allah creates what He wills. When He decrees something, He simply says to be, 'Be!,' and it is." (Surah 3:47)… Sacred sound in Judaism has ancient roots in Psalms, as in this early example: "The voice of Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty." (Psalms 29:3-4)

Beck has translated the Hindu terms "Nada Brahman" as Sonic Theology. In Hindus philosophies, there is term called Sabdabrahman meaning, God as Word-Consciousness. Sonic Theology can also be called "The Yoga or Union of Sacred Sound." Medieval Hindu text, Parama Samhita says, in chapter 6, "I shall describe to you the supreme character of the mantras, their key letters and the way to use them. This is however a secret… it is by mantra that God is drawn to you. It is by mantra that He is released." Hinduism has sacred sound as its heart and soul, thus when it comes to understand the role of sound in relating with the Divine, the ideas of ancient sages and mystics of India is a very useful place to begin to get a panoramic view of these ideas.

In the book cited are scholarly examples where it is aptly pointed out that, "The scholarly study of scriptures of the various religions will remain seriously limited and one-sided if it does not become more sensitive to the fundamental oral character of scriptures such as the Veda, the Qur'an, and even the Gospels." To be sure, the oral dimension of language and scripture in religion is truly significant.

The mystery of sound is not the only mystery among the senses. There is boundless mystery, of another sort, in vision, too, and further mystery in touch, as well as in taste and smell. But the mystery of sound is the one which … is the most productive of understanding and unity, the most personally human, and in this sense closes to the divine."

Western scholars of Hinduism discovered something important, "Holy words have been operative in human history.. the way that they have found their way into human lives is not through the eye, but through the ear; Hindus have affirmed that the holiness of the Word is intrinsic, and that one participates in it, not by understanding, but by hearing and reciting it." In Hindu tradition, language is thought to be truly and most fully experienced only in its oral form.

In Western ancient world: in Greek ideas, the very term "logos" always suggested and supported the idea of a fundamental identity between the act of speech and the act of thought."

Vedic tradition tells us that Om as the primordial Sound / Vibration / Adi Nada.

In Judeo-Chrisitian tradition we find: "In the beginning was the Logos (Word / Vibration / Light), and the Logos was with God." (John 1:1)

Islamic tradition has this isharat (pointer) that says, God uttered Be! and everything became. Kun! Fa Ya Kun!.

Vibration from Modern Scientific Perspective

Modern scientific view of reality tells us that everything – every atom and molecules in every nook and corner of this universe is formed out of energy vibration. Einstein's famous formula E=mc2 indicate that matter (m) is but an expression of energy (E). This is also now one of the basic accepted principles of quantum physics with the discovery that sub-atomic particles are ultimately not particles at all, but are rather progressively more subtle forms, until ultimately consisting of vibration, pure Energy and units of probability (quantum potentiality or Quanta).

Vibration is one of the most fundamental characteristics of the entire Universe. Matter comprises smaller units known as molecules, and still smaller units known as atoms. Yet smaller still we find sub-atomic particles which in turn are made up of still finer particles and so on, until the ultimate constitution of anything is of pure Energy vibrating at specific rates according to individual characteristics.

In the macro world we discover that dense objects, sound, light, electrical waves are what they are because of their vibration. Perceptible sound to human has the frequency of 20 to 20,000 vibration/sec, Electricity is 1 billion vib/sec, Visible Color is 500 billion vib/sec, invisible spectrum even higher. X-ray vibrates at a rate of 2 trillion vib/sec. As we progress still higher, the scale of vibration we reach do not manifest any characteristics yet to modern science and hence totally ignored. It is erroneous to conclude that progressively higher levels of vibration do not exist, simply because they cannot be observed or measured by science. Vibrating at speeds completely beyond the comprehension and observation of science are the inner dimensions of planes, part of alam al-Ghayb, the so called invisible or unseen Realms in contrast to the alam ash-Shahadah or observable /witnessing Realms.

You are a vibration, so you generate sound and light. You have a spectrum of energy, a spectrum of light.  Your voice is a vibration, your thoughts are, your heartbeat is, etc. If you listen to things around you, they all have a vibration.  We interact with each other through vibrations. We can modify vibrations for the better by changing their frequencies.

A Zen reflection:  Silence is not the absence of sounds.  On the contrary, silence is the sum of everything, of all vibrations.  And then, the sum is also a vibration, here a buzzing sound.  Listen to yourself in the NOW.  Do you hear your own vibration, your own silence? (credit)

SUFIC ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE OF SONIC THEOLOGY

Think of the astronaut in outer-space. There are myriad of protocols and modalities which empower the astronaut in outer-space to communicate with the earth. Similarly from the Extreme Point of Divine Qurb or Nearness which is an Indescribably Reality and Pure Light beyond the realm of idea, the emanation and communication happens through veil after veil. (Even the astounded and baffled Quantum Physicist had to come to conclusion that the physical universe of matter can be considered as "frozen Light.") Audible Sound, specially that of the Revealed Scripture in it's original language, words, sounds and vibration is a protocol and modality for communication.

I quote from Dara O. Shayda and Hind Rifai's work and translation as shared on Untired with Loving:

Allah’s Kalima (Word), as far as the relationship with the human being is concerned, is a Nur (Divine Light) that is lucent within the human heart. This Light is felt within and observed by the mind which may translate this luminosity from deep within the heart into spoken words.   

Similar to the observation of the optical light i.e. colors, hues, frequencies, intensities, polarization, etc... this Nur (Divine Light) of Allah’s Words is observed by the mind in form of concepts, meanings, thoughts, memories of human cognitive faculties and translated into spoken words, sounds, chants and rendition of emotions upon the face, body and the tongue. As the colors, hues, frequencies are NOT the light itself, similarly the spoken words, sounds, meanings, thoughts and in general human cognizance of the said Nur (Divine Light) are not Allah’s Words.

The mind then is the ‘translator’ of Nur (Divine Light) from within the heart into human speech, since the origin of the Allah’s Words is in the other universe and those Words shone upon the heart via the said Nur (Divine Light): Translating the Nur (Divine Light) from the other universe into words in this universe.

... a person may not believe in the Divine Words and yet repeat them; in this case, these words originate from this world within the human cognitive faculties or brain cells and are uttered by the tongue and consequently recycled into this world again: Translating cognitive physical forms from this world into speech heard in this world.

On the other hand, when a Sufi reads the Divine Words, s/he 'translates' the lucent emanation from the other universe into spoken words entering into this universe! Here the human being is the 'Divine Translator' who translates the Nur (Divine Light) into spoken words, human emotions and actions: Translating from Azal (Sempiternity) to Muhdath (this spatial-temporal universe), from ‘there’ to ‘here’, and this is the meaning of the Kahlifa (Deputy): Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." [2:30]

The Qur’an has entered into this universe translated from the original Nur (Divine Light) into spoken/written words by means of different ‘tongues’:

1.    Allah has directly spoken and the words emerged as some parts of the Qur’an
2.    Angels spoke and the words emerged as some parts of the Qur’an: 164. (Those ranged in ranks say): "Not one of us but has a place appointed; 165.”And we are verily ranged in ranks (for service); 166. "And we are verily those who declare (Allah's) glory!" [37: 164-166]
3.    The Archangel Gabriel spoke and the words emerged as some parts of the Qur’an: "We descend not but by command of thy Lord” [19:64]
4.   The Prophet spoke and the words emerged as some part of the Qur’an: "Now have come to you, from your Lord, proofs (to open your eyes): if any will see, it will be for (the good of) his own soul; if any will be blind, it will be to his own (harm): I am not (here) to watch over your doings." [6:104]
5.    Some Companions of the Prophet spoke and the words emerged as some part of the Qur’an e.g. from ‘Umar who said similar words: “and take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer” [2:125] or “and that IT/He may take to Himself your ranks martyr-witnesses (to Truth)" [3:140]

(Source: Suyuti’s Al-’Itqān, Chapter 10, volume 1) (credit and further)

The practice of deep listening

In every cycle of ritual prayer (salaat) practiced in Islam, as the devotee stand up from bowing position, reminds himself or herself by announcing "Sami Allah hu liman hamidah" - 'God ever listens to every spontaneous praise' - a Sufic translation of this beautiful phrase will convey the meaning that "Allah is the Beloved who is ever listening to His lovers praising the Divine Bond of Love."

It is then followed up by saying, "Rabbana, wa lakal hamd" - 'Our Lord, and to Thee belongs all praise'.

So “Ever listening” (Sami Allah) is a Sifat or Attribute of Allah and when we are engaged in deep listening, we are practicing a Sifat, a quality of Allah and with right intention, this illuminates the inner being, the subtle centers / lataif. Understand also that a sincere lover also has this quality to listen with undivided attention to what the beloved is saying.

Takhalluk bi khalqiLlah – embody the qualities (akhlaq) of Allah ~ says our Prophet, thus perfecting this quality of deep listening

Quran says, deep listening is one of the way towards realization and receiving of grace

Only those become realized / respond / accept - who listen (truly)... ~ The Quran 6:36

Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best in it: those are the ones whom God has guided, and such are the gnostics. ~ The Quran 39:18

I have chosen thee: listen, then, to the inspiration. (Allah's mystical conversation with Moses on the Holy Mountain) ~ The Quran 2:13

When they listen to that which hath been revealed unto the messengers, thou seest their eyes overflow with tears because of their recognition of the Truth. ~ The Quran 5:83

Be not like those who say, "We hear," but hear not: ~ The Quran 8:21

When the Qur'an is recited, listen to it with deep listening, and pay attention: that you may receive grace. ~ The Quran 7:204

MAGIC OF HUMAN VOICE

"The voice has all the magnetism which an instrument lacks; for voice is nature's ideal instrument, upon which all the other instruments of the world are modeled.” ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan


Our voice, the human voice, can be used as a tool for self-awareness, which is the foundational mindset to heal oneself. With proper training, you can use your voice as a "sonic tool" to vibrationally activate, heal, resonate/harmonize body, mind and spirit. Human voice can change state of consciousness almost instantaneously. It balances hemispheres of the brain, re-wires neural nets, and changes the vibratory pattern of the etheric, emotional, mental, and bioelectric bodies.

In "Healing Sounds," by Jonathan Goldman, he states: "From a physiological viewpoint, vocal harmonics creates changes in the heart beat, respiration and brainwaves of the reciter."

By producing various vowel sounds such as A, I, U we are actually vibrating a very important gland: Thymus which plays a key role in the immunological defense system, stimulating production of white blood cells that fight disease and infection. The thymus gland is fairly large at birth and continues to grow until adolescence, when it begins to shrink. During the first few weeks of life, T-lymphocytes created in the thymus migrate to the blood stream and colonize lymph nodes through the body. These later begin to manufacture powerful antibodies vital for immunity.

Thymus being very adjacent to the lungs and also heart, the sound which are produced from within has direct vibratory effect and stimulates this very organ.

Vibrations in the sternum will stimulate the immune system because the oscillations boost the thymus which controls the production of the body’s key defence cells called T lymphocytes.
Some researchers even believe that different infections and cancers in old people are closely linked to the decline in T lymphocyte production. Hence, if you were to stimulate the thymus in some way e.g. through prayer or song, it is sure to be advantageous.

Qur'an again and again ensures and confirms that is has healing in it (which of course refers both on esoteric and exoteric sense, both healing of spiritual organ, i.e. heart and healing of body).

Yaa ayyuha an-naasu qad ja’atkum maw`izhatun min rabbikum wa shifaun limaa fee as-sudoori wa hudan wa rahmatun lil-mumineen
O Mankind! There has come to you a guidance from your Lord and a healing for (the diseases) in your hearts, and for those who believe a guidance and a mercy. ~ 10:57

Wa nunazzilu mina al-qurani ma huwa shifaun wa rahmatun lil-mumineen
And We sent down in the Quran such things that have healing and mercy for the faithfuls. ~17:82

qul huwa lil-ladheena amanoo hudan wa shifaun
And declare hat [the Quran] is a guidance and healing for the believers. ~ 41:44

Traditionally these six Signs of the Qur'an located on: 9:14, 10:57, 16:69, 17:82, 26:80, 41:44 - are known as the Healing Signs or Ayat-ash-Shifa.

One of the (not all) exoteric (zahiri) explanation of the mechanism of healing of body through boosting this vital organ (thymus, brain centers and other) responsible for immune system. Allah knows the best. (see the presentation at the end which shed light on Physiological aspect of this).

The IDEA OF TONING 

and How Quranic Recitation is the Most Powerful Tool for Toning

Toning is an ancient method of healing and it is a system of healing that utilizes vowel sounds to alter vibrations in every molecule in the body.

Mitchell L. Gaynor, M.D., a leading oncologist and director of integrative medicine at the Strang-Cornell Cancer Prevention Center, states in his book The Healing Power of Sound, that "the very tools high-tech scientists have used to understand molecular biology are revealing that mind-body communication occurs on the deepest levels of cellular function... understanding mind-body unity is essential to recognizing how sound - which has vibratory effects on cells, organs, emotional effect on the brain, and which taps a spiritual dimension as yet undefined- is the next frontier in holistic healing."

The 3 basic sounds are the long basic vowel sounds of A, I and U. These are what the Sufis call the universal harmonic constants and they are used in all mystic paths that utilise sound. Master these sounds and you will ascend the stairway to heaven. ~ Shaykh Hakim Abu Abdullah Ghulam Moinuddin

Toning is defined as 'to make sound with an elongated vowel for an extended period.’
Toning oxygenates the body, deepens breathing, relaxes musles and stimulates the whole body.
Regular toning helps to restore health to the mind, body and spirit.

Prophet sallalahu alaihi wa salaam, always stressed reading Qur’an loudly and not silently by saying: “The comparison between a silent reader and a recitor is like a bottle of perfume when it is closed and when it is opened”.

The Qur’an itself recommend reciting it slowly (with pauses) for complete absorption of its effects. That means that if we recite very fast then the frequencies can overlap and mingle up resulting in a vibratory chaos thus rendering the beneficial effects useless.

Even the reading, memorizing, pondering and recalling the Quranic verses stimulate various parts of the brain centers, thus giving them boost and prevent their degeneration and keep overall well-being in all ages.

how brain areas are stimulated with sonic activities, from medical journal

Saiyad Nizamuddin Ahmad wrote in a book titled "Sacred Inscription as Cosmology: Glimpses of 'Ilm al-Huruf" (this booklet is available via communication with Green Mountain School)

"Adherence to the rules of Qur'anic chanting (tajwid) activates the letters causing sacred sounds to reverberate within and without. The various combinations of harakat (vowels) and huruf (consonants) activate and channel the numerous Divine names throughout the being of the reciter. The basic long vowel sounds of Arabic A, I, U represented by ALIF, YA, and WAW are of special significance and have different effects.

A "travel downward and stimulates the heart, the repository of Divine Attributes." (Hakim Moinuddin Chishti The Book of Sufi Healing)

I "travels upward and stimulates the pineal gland, which is not fully understood by Western science, but is felt to be responsible for activation of the life force.

The sound of U "resonates on the outer rim of the pursed lips, and intermingles with the idhn of Allah, as His permission for our lives unites with our inhaled and exhaled breaths."

… the recitation practices - especially of the Qur'an - in Islam are not merely mechanical, ritualistic mutterings but are potentially very powerful. The ultimate aim of all of these practices is 'irfan (gnosis) whose perfected state is the realisation of all the Most Beautiful Names, or the perfection of the branches of oman.

Regardless of the terms used for the end result of the process itself is one of ta'wil (tracing back to the Source). This term is also used for the esoteric commentary or interpretation of Qur'an - and this is by no means a coincidence. For there are - as we said at the outset - two Qur'ans - al qur'an al-tadwini (the Recorded Qur'an contained, as it were, between the covers of the Book), and al qur'an al-takwini (the Qur'an of Engendered Existence). This Qur'an of Engendered Existence may also be conceived of in two ways. Man has within him a world, a Qur'an which we can call al-Quran al-anfusi: the Qur'an of the Inner Self, which is distinct from what is known as Qur'an al-anfaqi: the Qur'an of the Outer Horizons.

Man must know himself. He must perform a ta'wil of his own wujud (his own being), for "He who knoweth himself knoweth his Lord." This mystical exegesis is the spiritual exodus of the exegetic.

Just as the Qur'an speaks on the level of historical time (al-zaman al-kathif) of certain persons and events like Pharaoh and Musa, 'alayhi salam, there are, on the level of subtle transhistoric time (al-zaman al-latif), tyrants and those who destroy them, furthermore on the level of hyper-subtle time (al-zaman al-altaf), there is within everyone a pharaoh who must be defeated by the Musa of one's inner being. This "internalization" of the Qur'an constitutes the onto-genesis of ta'wil. (see the book, Henry Corbin's The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism for more on this).

The muqatta'at are indispensable in this onto-genesis inasmuch as they contain the entire surahs they precede just as the seed contains a whole tree. Their proper recitation helps to realise these Qur'anic realities within.

Among the methods of such internalization there is one practiced by the Shadhdhuliya sufi tariqa (although other sufi turuq such as the Chishtiyya Sabiriyya Imdadiyya, also use it) which involves the recitation of Hizb Bahr (Orison of the Sea), which consists of various Quranic verses Divine Names and invocations. It was bestowed on Shaykh Abul-Hasan al-Shadhdhuli (d. 1258), quddisa sirruhu, by the Prophet himself, sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam, in a vision. (the Orisons are available here to order)

(Within Hizb Bahr) this repetition of KAF HA YA AYN SAD serves to actualise the realities of Surat Maryam within the reciter. Later in the Hizb HA MIM occurs followed by KAF HA YA AYN SAD and HA MIM AYN SIN QAF which are all accompanied by certain hand and finger configurations akin to the mudras of Hinduism and Tibetan and Shingon Buddhism. .. These letters and indeed the entire Hizb should be recited in the manner of what is called tahqiq in the science of Quranic recitation. This means that each letter of every word or utterance is pronounced clearly and correctly, giving each letter its due by articulating it from the appropriate point of articulation in the human speech apparatus.

Few Practices

Among the most ancient of languages we have Hebrew, Aramaic (Semitic language), Sanskrit and Arabic being of the same characteristic of being very highly sonic in nature, its sounds even on subtle level have deep influence on it's meaning and they use very high range of different part of human sound producing capabilities. Among all of these ancient languages (there might well be some in Africa) which were once used to communicate Divine and sacred communication in one time or another in human history, Arabic has the characteristics of being one of the most ancient as well as a vibrant and living language. Arabic is also the latest of the human languages chosen as a modal for Divine Revelation in Qur'an which is the Last Testament after Old (Torah) and New Testament (Bible). The language is quite unique in its character and sonic quality.

From a Sufi Islamic perspective, the best spiritual practice is the recitation of the Qur'an which has the healing properties both inwardly and outwardly. It affects the mind, intellect, heart, the spiritual subtle centers as well as the physical body, brain centers, various organs around the chest and neck which are vital in producing various chemicals which only recently are being discovered as directly responsible for our well being.

The recitation of the Qur'an with audible level is the most useful spiritual practice in Islam, both outside the daily prayer as well as inside of it. The quality has to be such that it soothes our own being, our heart and spirit. The reciter has to be mindful of the stations and states of the verses or signs so that it may penetrate the core of his or her being to have the effects of higher vibrations.

Recitation of certain parts of the Qur'an on regular basis, recitation of the Divine Qualities, the 99 Asmaul Husna (the Beautiful Names of the Divine) are some of the recommended sonic practices.

Once a friend asked what is the best practice as a cure from depression, axiety and distractions of the world, feeling low in body and spirit, my answer was reciting the Qur'an aloud in original Arabic if possible. This is more effective than silent meditation and here is why:

When some one is, lets say depressed he or she if they sit down quietly with the intention of meditation, since the state of the mind was in depressed state, it is like to affect. The trying to be silent mind will still hear chatter, will have spill over from the predominant states of the heart. Whereas if someone is reciting the Qur'an, trying to understand its meaning, he or she is not staying with his state or allowing it to influence, rather he or she transfer himself, herself to a new domain. Upon hearing the sounds which are produced in the chest (from air of the lungs, next to heart, vibrates not only the heart but also chest region), comes out from the vocal chord, produce sounds and vibrations and goes back to the ear of the reciter himself, herself and finally to all parts of his body, starting from brain as well as with vibration affecting cells on molecular level. Now after reciting the Qur'an it help the person shift completely from the earlier state. The chronic depression in the West as well as in the East for many has much simple and elegant cure in Sonic methods than anything else. No medicine required, no chronic suicide to end human lives which is become epidemic in many parts of the world.

Sufi Sonic Practices are best practiced under the guidance of a Sufi Master and if that is not possible, at least by joining to Sufi Remembrance (Zikr) gatherings where collective chanting is performed with amplified effect of the sonic practices of the Divine Sounds.

May God grant us success for all success comes from the Divine. May Allah increase our aspirations. 



Slides on Sonic Theology follows:

Sonic Theology from Sadiq Alam

# Further:
* Book on Tasawwfu via Green Mountain School which has sonic practices
* The Recital of the Quran as a Spiritual Practice

* Tongues, Sound and Language* Harf (Alphabetized Divine Words)
* Ishari (Vectorial) Taswit (Auditory Exegesis) of Siin (s Sound)
* Bā (Alphabetized Divine Word: B sound)
* Grammar States
* Muddakir: Spiritual Auditory Mirror Memory
* Auditory Mirror Neurons
* Harf Lām (Alphabetized Divine Word ‘Lam’)
* Prophetic Language: Words and Phrases
* Rumi on Human Voice
* Qul, Say!

* Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound by Guy L. Beck
* Sacred Sound: Experiencing Music in World Religions by Guy L. Beck

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The Role of The Divine Feminine And How It Translates Into Women’s Wisdom: Past, Present And Future - a paper by Naila Amat-un-Nur

Let us begin by paying homage to the Feminine Principle that is the emblem of courage, self-sacrifice, unconditional giving, generosity, endurance, love, harmony and beauty. Let us salute this power that has acquiesced to the demands of the Masculine Presence not out of weakness, but for the sake of letting Life fulfill its potential of becoming. So be not deceived by its outer gentleness and superficial frailty for inside it holds the power that has tempered many a violent storm; it has withstood the destructive force of oceanic tides and silently endured the fires of extinction. Like a Phoenix it has emerged again and again from the ashes of self-immolation.

In the words of Edip Harabi, a Turkish Sufi-Poet of the 19th c., we encounter the feminine voice reclaiming its lost place in the world of man:

O’ Muhammad, they say we are inferior!
Where is it men got this mistaken idea?

They disgrace the Prophet’s family with their false claims and blasphemy.

Our Mother Eve---is she not a woman? Beloved Khadija—is she not a woman?

The Prophet’s daughter Fatima—is she not a woman? Is the Quran not full of praise of them?

These pure consorts of the pure heart---can they be any less?

Whoever calls women inferior cannot reach the Truth.

You wouldn’t expect these ideas from one who knows.

Who is it that gave birth to all these Prophets of Truth?

God didn’t do anything absurd in creating us.

We don’t accept being seen as somehow less.

Women raised every saint that has walked the earth.

I dare you to accept this.

Don’t think this world can’t exist without men.

Think of Mother Mary just once: She gave birth to the glorious Christ, fatherless.

O’ mankind, we are more courageous than yourself because we show respect to you out of love.

We travel together with you on the Path—leave all these claims behind!

We may look different to you in your dresses.

In reality we are not trailing behind you.

And we warn you, we don’t consider it courageous to claim we are inferior.

Did Muhammad, the Chosen, come from a lesser being?

Did Ali, the Valiant, come from a lesser being?

Beware! Do not call your mother inferior.

What she prays at night might change your life forever.

Listen carefully to the speech of Zehra.

O’ men and knowers of Truth tell us:

Did we not give birth to all the masters who led you on God’s Way?

A woman as a partner or spouse, gives man the opportunity to contemplate the Divine in herself. As Shaykh al Akbar Ibn Arabi points out, “ A man may most perfectly contemplate God in woman, since, in her, he contemplates at once his own servanthood and dominion and in union with her may experience, in microcosmic mode, that fusion of polar experience which is the Reality.”

What is meant here is that Adam was the first creation and Eve was produced as a consort of like nature, through him. Just as Adam comes after the Divine Creator , in a suppositional line of succession, Eve comes after Adam. Just as the Divine Whole is attracted to its part in Adam, man is attracted to his part in the woman. It is natural for the whole to be attracted to the part and for the part to long for the whole. This is a theme that is well known to the proponents of Tantric philosophy as well. The whole cycle of manifestation reveals level after level this same union between the higher and the lower, the Active and the Passive, Heaven and Earth, Purush and Prakriti.

In the Hindu tradition, the uniting of Purush, which is Consciousness, with Prakriti, that is the Creative Nature, is the beginning of the Cosmic Dance; it is the beginning of the Drama of Creation (LILA), which is simply the play or sport of Energy and Matter. This interaction of Energy and Matter (which are really inseparateable), creates the illusion of duality, the illusion of polarity. Energy and Matter are NOT really opposed to one another, just as two teams on a playing field are not really opposed to one another; it is just a sport, it is just a drama.

Islamic mysticism makes us aware of the same truth through the concept of Wahdat-al-Wujud, which simply means Oneness of Existence. We understand that actually it is the only one Divine Androgyne which is separated into two poles for the sake of fulfilling manifestation. When the One comes into external manifestation, it has to create the “other” for the sake of offering a distinction for the knowledge of Being. This is why life is based on dual principles like Divinity-Humanity, Creator-Creation, Light-Darkness, Male-Female etc. On deeper speculation one understands that there is in reality no other from whence this duality is surfacing, Thus at the culmination of his/her search man/woman realizes that it is only the One Being that has created duality and in turn multiplicity in order to experience the infinite richness of Its own Being.

When we talk of gender issues and dynamics, we see that what is the real cause of conflict is not so much a rivalry out of natural tendencies, but in fact, a false understanding of the Truth and of what is Real. Therefore we heard Edip Harabi remind us in his poem, “Whoever calls women inferior cannot reach the Truth.”

As long as man just looks at himself for perfection, he remains misguided, and when he searches for it in the Female and finds it, he has attained it. Shaykh Al Akbar Ibn Arabi says that man’s contemplation of the Divine is perfected in the woman, because in her he is able to see the perfect reflection of his own spiritual truth which is a product of both Male and Female qualities, as Jamal and Jalal. In Islamic theology, the male principle as the active, aggressive and conquering one is represented by the term Jalal , and the female one as passive, receptive and submitting symbolized as Jamal. The submission , though I dare to add, is not simply a defeatist surrender in this respect, but in truth a willful acceptance for the sake of some requisite transmutation. In other words, the submission turns into a creative act with regard to a future becoming. As in the case of impregnation, the female’s acceptance of the seed is submission with regard to that, but creative with regard to birth.

Hazrat Inayat Khan said, “Everything that is to be built on the spiritual plane is finished when it is also built on the physical plain.” And I would make it relevant to our discussion by interpreting it to mean that for manifestation to give meaning to its Divine purpose, it is necessary for the Male-Female to complement each other here in the material realm. As long as the imbalance remains through the bias to supercede or overpower the other, the Blueprint for the Divine Image to be reflected here on earth will remain unfulfilled.

Ibn Arabi has also explained that the term “women” represents the various aspects and nature of the cosmic pole, suggesting nature, form, body, receptivity, fertility, becoming, beauty and fascination. In other words the Feminine, symbolizes microcosmically, that very principle of the cosmic image, which reflects to the Divine Subject the panoramic beauty of His Own Infinite possibility to become. We are also introduced to an interesting analogy by Ibn Arabi of the term “Rahma” which is the Creative Mercy to “Rahm” an Arabic term for the womb. The Creative Mercy is that which brought creation into existence giving the creaturely existence an opportunity to Know and to be Known. Allah says in the Quran that His Mercy precedes His Wrath; another pointer to the all-encompassing and inclusive nature of the Feminine Principle.

After all it is the Universal Nature that held within it all the things that could unfold in a succession of an outpouring of forms. It became the seedbed for the fruition of Eternal Consciousness. Absolute Consciousness or the Total Intellect had to pour into the Universal Soul or Nafs-e-Kull in order to enter into the experiential realm. This way though the Masculine as Consciousness is stationed at a rank above the Soul, yet it is dependent on the Soul for its very manifestation. This hints at the interpenetration of all the levels and sub-levels of Existence. We may also think of the hologram model of the universe which is presented to us by modern physicists. Every part of the whole contains the complete whole in it. This way we realize that ultimately each in existence is a complete existence and there is no less or more. It is in recognizing this Truth that we can overcome our superficial beliefs that are a victim of limitation, ignorance and misjudgment, and prejudice stemming from that.

I am reminded here of Prophet Muhammad’s [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] saying in which he addressed his daughter Fatima r.a as , “Umme Abiha”, meaning “mother of her father”. Fatima, the radiant, enjoys as much veneration in Islam, as Mary in Christianity. Beyond the surface meaning of the appellation which may have been her nurturing and loving devotion to her father, lies a deep mystical allusion of interest to us here. Allah as Ahad was the Unknowable Essence existing by Itself, without a beginning or an end. In successive descents of devolution , the One Absolute Being gave rise to manifestation. It was the desire for Creation in Being that manifested the First Light. This First Light is called the Nur-e-Muhammadi or the Haqeeqat-e-Muhammadi in Islamic theology and in Gnostic Christianity, The Logos or the Divine Prophetic Word. We have heard as a reference from the Bible, “In the Beginning was God and with Him was The Word.” For the sake of convenience in understanding we can further translate this into Divine Consciousness or Knowledge or Intellect. This stage of manifestation as yet did not bear any resemblance to the manifestation in form. Subsequently were created the blue-prints of cosmic being in the form of the essences and realities. They were in turn typified and differentiated. Where Purush is the Undifferentiated Consciousness, the Male Principle, Prakriti is the Creative Spirit of the World, or the Female Principle. The Devi Upanishad of the Hindus says, “Great Goddess who art Thou? She replies, “I am essentially Brahman. From One has proceeded the world comprising Prakriti and Purush, the Void and Plenum. I am all forms of Bliss and Non-Bliss. Knowledge and Ignorance are Myself. I am the entire world.”

In Islamic theology and cosmology, we see the Universal Nature or the Total Soul as Prakriti, allowing itself to be pervaded by Consciousness and then in turn producing it in the forms of nature as the different things or entities. The name for God as Creator in Arabic is “Fatir”, and there is also a sura or chapter of the Quran named by it. Among certain mystical circles it has a direct relevance to “Fatima’’, the name of the Prophet’s daughter. The Arabic name “Fatima” is said to mean a weaned child, or the infant separated from the mother’s breast.

The root of the name is F’.T’.M’ and the Arabic lexicon defines it as meaning variously, to break a habit, sever a rope or dye a cloth. If we reconstruct the meaning of “Fatima” keeping the term that the Prophet s.w employed for addressing his daughter, in mind, we could say that it refers to the Prakriti or Creative Force that became the repository of the Total Intellect in order to give birth to its form. In this respect the Female Principle of the Divine is the mother of creation. Muhammad s.w being the essence of all of creation as the Insan-i-Kamil or Perfect Man was given physical form by the Universal Nature symbolized by the name Fatima. He may have also hinted at the essential nature of Fatima being akin to the characteristics of Universal Nature as creativity, generosity, love, sacrifice and beauty. To me the meanings of the root word F’.T’.M’ carry equal relevance as it is the Universal Nature that coloured or dyed Consciousness into diverse forms and things. It is the Universal Nature that brought a break in the habitual continuity of Consciousness existing in Its undifferentiated mode. “Fatima” as the Universal Soul or Creative Nature held within Her the seeds that made the Muhammadan Reality a Cosmic Manifestation.

It was only when the transcendent male aspect of Divinity came to dwell in Its immanent female aspect, that the experiential state could be entered upon.

In the patriarchal age of the rule of the distant Father-God, the spirit of the Sacred Feminine became increasingly suppressed. The Age of Unity that we are now living in requires the coming together of the transcendent Father-God with the Immanent, Ever-Present Mother-God in order to bring true realization to our Life-Experience. The full potential of our being can only be achieved through the marriage of contraries.

In alchemy this is a central theme, where the marriage of Sulphur [the Spirit or Male principle] and Quicksilver [the Quintessentia or Female principle], the Sun and the Moon, the King and the Queen forms the basis for the Great Work. Alchemy tells us that man as a result of his lost Adamic state is divided within himself. The parable of the Fall is actually explaining the Divine Sport or Leela as it is called in the Hindu tradition, of the inherent duality of human nature being born of the two underlying principles of creation, Active and Receptive, becoming aware of this opposition and thus being expelled into the current of degeneration and death; a natural sequence for consciousness to be purged of the deceptive effects of manifestation as multiplicity. Man can regain his integral nature only when the two powers , whose discord has stunted his evolution, are again reconciled with one another. The regaining of this integral nature is a prerequisite for the Union with God. The widespread chaos and destruction the world is witnessing today is a result of this natural attraction being repulsed by our artificial intelligence. The earth is longing for heaven, the body for the Spirit and yet there is some lack in our understanding that has convinced us that this is not possible. We must break the barrier of this false illusion and step forward to welcome the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth as Jesus said.

Like Fatima in Islamic mysticism is the symbol of the Creative Nature, similarly, Mary in Christianity carries the lineage of the archetypal Feminine. Mary as a blessed virgin gave birth to a child who was not fathered by any man. He was the direct incarnation of the Divine Spirit. Mary’s more traditional name “Maria” takes its etymological root from the Latin “Mare” meaning Sea. She is thus understood to be that Sea of Divinity that holds the forms of Knowledge within itself. She became the living conduit of the Essence of God as symbolically it is through her that the Divine was born into manifestation. Mary, here, again , is the symbol of the Great Soul that carries creation in its womb. The essence of creation being the Divine Spirit, symbolized as Christ.

The Quran says that from water is the creation of every living thing. Jesus is that blessed current that emerges from the Pure Sea “Mare” of Creativity.

Peace in the world today and in the future begs for a shift in our understanding and a true and sincere acknowledgement of the Unity of Being. Andrew Harvey leaves us with a hard warning in his book, “The Return of the Mother”, “She [The Mother} is asking us to grow up to the grandeur of that [our mutual] relationship. It is an inner grandeur, but it is too searing, too immense for some people who wish for a veil between themselves and Her. She is not going to allow that veil in this time, all the veils between us and Her are burning down in this era, so that a new, ecstatic, intimate, infinitely direct and practical relationship can be created between Her and the entire Human race, far beyond dogma, far beyond religion, in the heart of Love, in the restored human body, in the illuminated Heart-Imagination. It is a huge revolution and birth , and that is why it is also a huge suffering.”

We see that the earth is suffering in myriad ways today. The earth is convulsing, the sky is shedding tears of suffering in torrents, the winds are howling; all because Nature sees what man does not see: Man is failing to live up to the Divine Trust. Pillage and destruction rule the hour. Greed, Conquest, Aggression, Monopoly, Hate, Intolerance have become the law of the materialist’s gospel. The Masculine-Feminine energies must enter into a synchronized relationship before the inexorable force of annihilation devastates all beyond the hope of a rebirth. The fallow ground of human consciousness, lies in wait, after being worked upon by the tools of contrariness, to now receive the seed of Unity. This seed of Unity-Consciousness is what will make humanity grow into the humanity of Divine Hope. We had to suffer the devastation in order to know what is eternally preserved and beyond destruction. We as a human race have lost touch with that compassion and unconditional love which is the very ground of our being. This alienation from our true essence is what has created disharmony in our lives. Peace is a quality inherent to us but has been lost due to the distortions we have superimposed upon it. When Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is within you”, he was not pointing to some transcendent heaven removed from everyday life, but a place of salvation at the core of our very selves. As a realized sage he was pointing to a state within man where opposites have been reconciled, where the heart and mind have become one with God.

The Church Father Hippolytus said, while explaining the view of the Simonian sect: There are two aspects of the One. The first of these is the Higher, the Divine Mind of the Universe, which governs all things and is masculine. The other is the Lower, the Epinoia or Thought, which produces all things and is Feminine. As a pair united they comprise all things. Since He Himself brought forward Himself, by means of Himself, manifesting to Him His own Thought, it is not correct to attribute creation to Thought alone. For She [the Thought] conceals the Father within Herself, the Divine Mind and Thought are intertwined. Thus, though they appear to be a pair, one opposite the other, they are actually one. This once again takes us back to our earlier reference of “Umme Abiha”. To reach the Kingdom here on earth , we must realize and affirm with our whole being the Reality of Oneness, of Unity as the Kalimah of Unity proclaims, “La ilaha illallah.” There is no god only the One Being. We must find the treasure-house within where all the contraries dissolve into a singular harmony. Where we can sing like Rumi: One day in Your Wine-shop I drank a little wine, and threw off this robe of this body. And knew drunk on You, the World is Harmony. Creation, Destruction, I am dancing for them both.”

The patriarchal understanding separates the Creator from Creation and divorces Heaven from Earth. This results in dismemberment of our psyche, of our emotional, mental, spiritual and material existence. A purely patriarchal or matriarchal solution is not the answer. A true union and mutual respect is what is called for. To see one in the other and the other in the one and both wholly in the One is what is needed. The Power of the Sacred Feminine teaches an integral world-view. We must learn to harmonise, fuse and transform. Aggression, greed and intolerance must melt into compassion, generosity and acceptance. Catastrophe can become grace only if we succeed in facing bravely this current challenge. Be it male or female, each one has to invoke the Sacred Feminine within, especially now and for the coming times.

It is no mere chance that visionaries like Sri Aurobindo and Hazrat Inayat Khan both proclaimed a century ago the ultimate resurgence of the Feminine. Sri Aurobindo’s prophetic words were: If there is to be a future, it will wear the crown of Feminine Design. Hazrat Inayat Khan left us with the caveat: I see as clear as daylight that the hour is coming when woman will lead humanity to a higher evolution.



by Naila Amat-un-Nur


The paper was presented at the GPIW conference held in Jaipur, India in March 2008. The theme of the conference was 'The Divine Feminine.'

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The Vastness of Human Heart

The Heart and Soul Nebulae

Like a (tiny) ball in a (vast) desert or a seed in an (immense) ocean and this entire cosmos compared to the Lord’s Throne like a ring in a desert. Messenger of Allah Peace Be Upon Him has mentioned that all the above that was mentioned next to the human heart is like a seed in a desert or less i.e. the human heart is far vaster that anything we can imagine or anything we can observe, “So blessed be Allah, the best to create” (Koran [23:14]). (Shebly said, “Anyone that can grasp even a bit of the Tawhid (Divine Oneness) cannot grasp the rest, due to its immense weight” and some other time he said, “Even if someone grasped a bit of Tawhid (Divine Oneness) it is as though carrying the entire earth & cosmos on eyelashes”. That is why Allah forbids killing people because each human being is a fantastic creature within the heart though to our ignorant eyes look like some skin on few bones!)

Allah has created all hearts vast as such. But some people struggled with much effort thus entering that fantastically large realm of human heart and some others added even more veils to cover the path to this vastness and their minds cannot even fathom any passageway to this enormous space of the heart. Allah Almighty in every place has shown me the nature of this situation (without words):

Allah Almighty made the Human Qaaleb (Matrix, Mold) like a pool of water underneath a spring flowing from the Realm of Ghayb (Transcendental Divine Absence or Unseen). Five canals stretched out of this pool each corresponding to one of our senses. Each canal goes from the pool that is filled from Ghayb (Transcendental Divine Absence or Unseen) towards the Realm of Shahaadat (The Observable Universe), therefore the benefits from the Divine Unseen Realm pours into the Physical World of our senses. These days people have lost the water that once flowed freely through these canals.

It is the Divine Sunnah (Tradition) to bring forth Kamaal (Perfection) in a gradual manner and often by perfecting the mixtures of things. So the Lord immixed a Transcendental mix of Ghayb (Unseen) & Shahaadat (The Observable Universe) by means of powers from out of this universe and the physical forces on this earth thus guided the composite combination towards a unique perfection which was previously unattainable & impossible in either Realm i.e. Ghayb or Shahaadat. The goal of this commixture: So there is cognizance about Its Divine Holiness by looking at either the detailed (via reasoning) or surface information (e.g. faith) of this new commingled creature. Meaning the inhabitants of the Realm of Ghayb (Unseen) e.g. the angels have “a general overview” for their specific Ma’refat (Divine Gnosis). (They are free from the details of knowledge and reasoning e.g. angels see the Lord and worship It without any need for reasoning or proof or full understanding they just do it given an overview of the Lord, Semnani calls this “general over view” i.e. detail-less reason-less belief)

But the composite nature of the Realm of Shahaadat (The Observable Universe) as viewed by its inhabitants is neither in “a general overview” nor in full dense details. (Human beings do look at some details and delve deep to see what is going on and reason & rationalize as they go. At the same time they cannot grasp all the details and therefore they develop some general overviews of objects around them as well e.g. theories and explanations which are mostly based on intuition or faith. Man does not worship without question he must rationalize & analyze and explain as a part of his belief. Man also can worship with blind faith. Man can commix the last two as well.)

Within the human body the Lord immixed these two, Ghayb (Unseen) with general overview and the Shahaadat (The Observable Universe) with some degree of detail & reasoning, and then shone upon it a ray from Its Divine Light so with the aid of this light the human being can see his Self and can behold the rest of the creatures. Therefore empowered to know & understand the Creator of all things by means of detailed investigation & rationalization, though by means of the “general overview” of Ghayb (Unseen) had some previous innate understanding of the Creator however with the composite combination of reasoning & rationalization of Shahaadat (Physical World) human being has additional instruments for understanding the Lord. In summary, the above said combination is devised to bring human being to (gradual) Kamaal (Perfection) of understanding.

Mother & father (A part of these instruments to perfect the human being) are likened to construction workers who work on the pool & the canals to perfect the flow of the water from the Ghayb (Unseen) to the Shahaadat (The Observable Universe) i.e. nurturing their child. They take the water and make mud to build additions to this pool by means of their own physical instruments & mental faculties. Often rocks and mud fall into the pool during the construction filling it up and even after the construction workers are long gone the pool is still loaded with much debris. (Nobody there to remove the mess)

This pool, a paradigm for the reality of human being, is now dry or badly muddied so the owner of the pool starts looking for more water to fill up the pool again. This is where Satan comes to play, he whispers to the ears of the owner of the pool that indeed the canals (our senses) carried the water to the pool and it is dried up now because these canals need more water from the physical world flowing into them to fill up the pool i.e. indulging the senses by lusts & desires. (Basically Satan tells the owner of the pool that the original water came from the physical world into the pool or the more senses are indulged the more water into this pool)

Now that the owner of the pool is completely blinded by the Satan, he works hard on his desires & lusts to bring the water to the canals (senses) to fill up the pool. The harder he tries the drier the pool becomes, even what little mud there was now is completely dry. The owner of the pool is parched and thirsting with misery and failure for long time to come.

Finally the pool is ruined and the construction workers long gone so the owner of the pool wonders: Perhaps if I found someone else who has his pool in order I can learn from him how to fix my own. This way I follow their instruction and will not fall into error, like did so with Satan that dried my pool without any benefits. Therefore he sets out to find a teacher!

Map of the Heart and Soul Nebulae | Know that for the Way to Truth there is also a reality map and task of a human being is to find it to become worthy of the title HuMan.

He looks for a teacher to inform him how to fix the pool by removing the mess and showing him where is the true source of the water is to bring in more and refill the pool. Upon the Sohbat (Companionship) with such a good teacher he learns that the water he seeks is not out there, it is all flowing within his own Self as a part of his own nature. Furthermore he learns that to open this pool requires skills & know-how and this art is the same amongst all human beings without exception. You follow the person who knows how to manage the pool therefore you can open up the source of the water and refill the pool or ignore what he says and you will fail again & again by yourself.

The owner of the pool ought to be taken to the valley of Shariah (Divine Law) to follow the Gentleman of the Universe Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him and at this point he finds sweetness of obeying the Prophet. The debris & mud are removed and much water gushes into the pool and the original source of the water becomes plain.

No matter how much the owner of the pool understands and manages the pool and its source of water and keeping the canals clear and so on, from time to time debris fall into the pool and again lots can go wrong. Therefore he needs a living teacher, someone to help him to manage the pool.

The teacher gives him the shovel of Dhikr (Divine Remembrance) and slowly helps him to dig up some dirt & debris—it is hard to use this shovel at first—and let the water come out where he drinks from it to satiate the thirst, gaining some more strength teaching him more how to use the shovel—more & more gets easier & easier to use the shovel of Dhikr (Divine Remembrance). Once he learns the craft he can manage the pool and keep the access to the original source of the water clear and let the water flow non-stop with the right pressure through the canals and this is to serve as an example of how the human Qaleb (Matrix, Mold) has been created in conjunction with the senses.



Original by Sheikh Semnani, translated in English by Dara O. Shayda
+ Published from Untired with Loving

* Semnani: 40 Sessions
* Advice from Sheikh Semnani

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Quest for the Meanings of Existence / Sohbet with Naila Amat-un-Nur

Naila Amat-un-Nur is the Head of Pakistan Chapter of Sufi Order International, an organization dedicated to "Universal Sufism" founded upon the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. She came upon the Path circa 2004 through the initiation of, first by Sufi Master Inayat Khan in a veridical dream and immediately afterwards by his grandson Pir Zia Inayat. This all occurred at a cross-road of time as 2004 was also the year of Pir Vilayat Khan's passing away from the world and veiling with the Beloved, may Allah be pleased with him.

Naila received the permission to teach as well as to initiate as a Sufi Teacher in 2008. She gives regular teaching classes and hold zikr gatherings at her home-run center in Lahore, Pakistan. She also holds a Masters in Comparative Philosophy: Islamic and Western.

Quite long time back I came across her website called Nazr-e-Kaaba (the Eyes of the Heart) where some of her writings are shared. In this Sohbet or spiritual conversation she has beautifully shed light on a number of areas such as her own spiritual journey, the very fascinating story of how her initiation on the Sufi Path happened in the inner plane even before on the outer plane of existence, her interests, her take on the relevance of Sufi Teachings in this time and more. I hope and pray that you heartily enjoy this interview as much or even more than the interviewer.


Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, We begin in the Name of Allah Who is the Perfection of Mercy and Perfect Love. Before we start the Sohbet, let me share two passages from the Final Testament where God is addressing the human heart. The first passage is about the early Sufis (Ashab e Suffa) who lived at the Prophet's Mosque who are characterized as lovers of God who call upon their Lord ceaselessly seeking only His Face. The second passage is an striking one where both men and women are mentioned side by side and give the glad tidings equally for their virtues; pointing to the reality that in spiritual domain, both men and women holds the same potential for the reception of Divine bestowal.

And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this ephemeral world. ~ The Qur'an 18:28


Behold! For soul surrendered men and soul surrendered women, for faithful men and faithful women, for sincere men and sincere women, for patient men and patient women, for humble men and humble women, for charitable men and charitable women, for fasting men and fasting women, for chaste men and chaste women, and for men of abundant zikr and women of abundant zikr - for them has Allah prepared generous forgiveness and immense reward. ~ The Qur'an 33:35

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~ The Sohbet / Sufi Conversation ~

Sadiq for Technology of the Heart: Those who do not know you, please give us a short introduction of yourself, a spiritual resume if you like, to describe your spiritual interest and heart's calling.

Naila Amat-un-Nur: My birth name is Naila Hayat Noon, and I acquired the surname “Tiwana” through marriage. My second or if you like “spiritual birth” name is Amat-un-Nur, given to me by my Pir, Zia Inayat Khan. The name “Amat-un-Nur” means the female servant of the Light, “ab‘d” (servant/slave) being the male expression of this noun as in “abd’allah” (the servant/slave of Allah). The fact that I received this name from my Pir is rather meaningful since “Nur” (Light) has always appealed to me as the medium through which I could reach and understand God, Truth or Existence. In other words the Ayat-un-Nur of the Holy Quran which describes God as the Light of the Heavens and the Earth has been a direct source of my inspiration.

When people ask me how I came upon the Sufi path I like to answer with the famous adage “Sufis are not made; they are born”. I can trace an inner longing for something greater than the world of senses to my earliest memories. I was a rather serious child for my years and remember falling into spells of deep inner reflection, trying to figure out the whys, hows and whats of existence.

Although it is said that one should not stereotype the way to higher consciousness as marked by pain, for some people have opened up to illumination in the very midst of joy as well, for me it has been a journey of deep agony; an agony which now is the sweetest gift that I could have received from the Divine because it was literally divine friendship that came disguised as a hideous scoundrel only to test the worth of this worthless creature. Alhamdolillah (Praise be to Allah), that I was guided by Allah’s grace out of the dark night of my soul into the bright daylight of His Wisdom and Courage. It is only when you become the Light yourself that you can serve as a torch to others who are floundering in the dark.

Nearly a decade ago I met my spiritual guide, Pir Zia Inayat Khan, and was initiated into the Hazeratiyyah Order of Pir O Murshid Inayat Khan. We belong to the Chishti school of transmission, specifically to the Chishti-Nizami-Jilli-Kalimiyyah line. Four years back in 2008 I received the ijaza (permission) from my guide to initiate mureeds and impart Sufi teachings.

Naila with Pir Zia

I am involved in organizing spiritual retreats and attending Sufi conferences and seminars. My special interest lies in rethinking Islam in the light of the teachings of great masters such as Shaykh al-Akbar Ibn Arabi, Shaykh al-Ishraq Shihabuddin Yahyah Suhrawardi, Mawlana Rumi, Hazrat Inayat Khan, Frithjof Schuon and other teachers of the perennial tradition. The breadth of vision that Hazrat Inayat Khan’s transmission has bequeathed to me allows me to drink from the spring of wisdom irrespective of creedal or religious identities. A natural corollary of coming to the understanding of the invalidity of chauvinism and factious divisions is my strong sensibility of gender-related unfairness that has been read into the meaning of the Quranic message.

It could be said that my significant interests include the re-interpretation of the teachings of the Holy Quran in a universalistic light, and spirit of progressive dynamism, as well as understanding and nurturing the neglected power of the Feminine as a necessary step in humanity's final evolution. I feel it would be a great disservice to our wonderful faith if we as awakened Muslims do not strive to clarify the distinction between Islam and Muslimism, the former being the message in its untampered, pristine form and the latter its representation by Muslims according to the level of their understanding and form of interpretation which I daresay has not been free of the imprints of cultural and regional influences. It takes a great being to rise above all such influences in order to receive the message in its pure form and to live it and present it as such to the world. Such a one would be him/her who like Raba al-Adawiyyah does not worship God for the love of paradise or the fear of hell but for Allah’s sake alone, for the purpose of existence is none other than His worship, His recognition.


S: What led you to meet Pir Zia and how would you describe your meeting with him. It is often said that when one meets one’s spiritual master / teacher / guide, there is an intuition of heart that triggers. Somewhere within we know that this is the person with whom I can form this sacred bond and every such encounter is unique for different seekers. Do you wish to share a little about your meeting with Pir Zia and the circumstances that led to your initiation?

N: Murshid Inayat Khan says “When the cry of the disciple has reached a certain pitch, the teacher comes to answer it.” And these are not just words but this is the way it truly is. My soul had been honed by life’s pains and disappointments to the level of knowing that what it wanted, what it sought, it could not find in the world of matter, the realm of endless desires and infinite hopes. I had tarried far enough and long enough alone, and now the time had come for someone to take me by the hand and make me cross the biggest hurdle of selfhood to arrive in the land of the soul’s freedom; the place where I could finally come to rest in the peace, contentment and joy that I had always been seeking but probably in the wrong places. As the Sufis say there are as many paths to God as the souls of humanity. Each soul is unique in its expression of the Divine Face and my positioning with regard to the location and the desired destination would determine the kind of guide and the nature of transport required to arrive at the goal and so it would be different for you according to your placement with reference to it; the guide or the transport that will carry me there will have to suit my needs of the journey and yours.

There is a Hadith which says that the souls who have once met on the higher planes before manifestation and have shared affinity lose sense of that knowing after incarnating on the material plane. But once they do meet again on this physical plane, they recognize an unknown connection and after realizing it in their souls, they will never forget again.

There are four bonds of love: the physical bond, which is the lowest form; the mental bond, a little deeper; the psychic or soul bond; which is deeper still; and finally the divine bond which is the spiritual bond between the soul and the divine and there is no higher or greater bond than that. The relationship between the Teacher and the initiate is one of a spiritual bond and that transcends every other kind of connection. One could say it is the God-connection, one’s soul’s very life-supply. And just as the child does not need to be told who it’s mother is as it recognizes intuitively, for when in infancy it is taken away from the mother’s lap and placed in a stranger’s arms it begins to cry, similarly each longing soul knows the smell, presence and touch of its Master. I longed desperately for my Teacher and it was during that time that I came across a book by Pir Vilayat by the name of “Awakening”. I was very moved by its simple, direct yet profound wisdom and especially its non-denominational character. Finding some information on the back-cover, I sent an e-mail offering to arrange a seminar by him in Pakistan where I lived. In reply I heard his secretary say that he was not in too good a physical state now due to old age and ill health to be able to take the strain of long travel but his son, Pir Zia Inayat Khan, who had been appointed his successor could be contacted in his stead. This was in 2003. Something told me to redirect the invitation to Pir Zia.

I received a very heartwarming reply from him in which he mentioned “your message reminds me of one of the last few words of my grandfather, Pir O Murshid Inayat Khan, who said “when the Message returns to the east our work will have just begun”.” He regretted not being able to come to Pakistan just yet but forwarded a kind invitation to his own seminar due to be held in Delhi soon in Feb 2004. Just before this communication with Pir Zia, direct air travel between India and Pakistan was barred but strangely enough (actually not so strangely) two days after receiving Pir’s invitation air travel opened up between India and Pakistan and there was a fresh impetus to developing a rapprochement between the two nations. Travel plans were successfully completed and I arrived in Delhi to attend the seminar, meet Pir Zia and participate in Murshid Inayat Khan’s Urs (death anniversary).

Painting of Murshid Inayat Khan

Before I left for India though I had a dream in which I had the good fortune of seeing Murshid Inayat Khan who gifted me with a chador (cloak). I was humbled by this magnificent gift through my dream.

On meeting Pir Zia I communicated my dream experience and he in turn explained to me the different kinds of initiations among which Owaisi (from Hazrat Owais al-Qarni r.a) was one of initiatic transmission received from a non-living master or on a spiritual plane only. He shared that my dream was a sign that I had already received an Owaisi initiation into the order directly from Murshid Inayat Khan.

Now if I needed to traverse the various stages of the spiritual path step by step I had to take hand with a living teacher to be instructed in the Way. It was understood that that decision had to come from the heart and soul of the would-be disciple. In the course of the next few days I reflected over my experiences and when we were seated at the blessed shrine of Murshid Inayat Khan on the day of his Urs , I received an overwhelming spiritual impulse to give my hand in the sacred hand of Pir Zia, whom my spiritual heart recognized as the destined Guide of my soul to its divine goal. And thus did I receive the greatest gift a human soul can receive in this world. I had been given physical birth by my parents years before but that day my Pir gave me spiritual birth. Alhamdolillah.

At the Dargah of Hazrat Inayat Khan

S: What are the unique characteristics of the Chishti School in general and what are the distinct flavor of your particular line of transmission which is Chishti-Nizami-Jilli-Kalimiyyah?

N: The Chishti Sufi Order is particularly known for its Love, Tolerance and Humanitarian Ideals. The common motto of the Order is “Love for all and malice towards none”. Although the initiatic heritage of Pir O Murshid Inayat Khan includes the transmission of the four-schools order that was prevalent in India, which is to say that initiation was given in the Qadiri, Suhrawardi, Naqshbandi and Chishti altogether, yet it was the Chishtiyyah traditions and practices that were followed and adopted more specifically in the line that he inherited. Similarly there could be others who upheld a specific line of transmission more than the others while having received a general initiation into all four schools such as those who followed the Naqshbandi or Qadiri or Suhrawardi specifically.

Essentially the goal is the same yet the methods of approach can differ depending on the capacities, demands and inherent inclinations of souls. For the Chishtiyyah the inspiration comes from the Madhab-e-Ishq or School of Love of the Persian mystics and poets such as Hafiz Shirazi, Ayna al Qudat Hamdani, Bayazid Bistami, Jalaluddin Rumi, Shams Tabrizi and the like. Music has always played a very important role in the Chishti way and the tradition of Sema or listening to spiritual verses has deep roots in this tradition. In India this led to the development of a unique style of spiritual music and singing termed as the Qawali which was originated by the Chishti Amir Khusraw who fused Persian and Indian music traditions to produce this genre of devotional music in India in the thirteenth century.

Pir Zia, Present Head of Sufi Order International, in contemplation at a Sufi Gathering

The Nizami-Jilli-Kalimiyyah line of the Chishti Order carries the mark of Wahdat-ul-Wujud or Unity of Being which conveys that there is only the One Being that is Absolute, and all other beings are shadow existences. Every being other than the One Being has a source from which it comes and that is the Absolute Being. From the birth of differentiation between the divine being of God and the lower beings of the cosmos was born the impulse of love or longing for reunion. Love further got divided into “ishq majazi” (temporal/relative love) and “ishq haqiqi” (real love). The Nizami-Jilli-Kalimi transmission specializes in taking the initiate from the bondage of the stage of relative love and setting him/her free in the realm of real love.

Shajara (Tree of Spiritual Transmission) of Chishti-Nizami-Jilli-Kalimiyyah lineage

The representation of the chain of transmission is called the Shajara (tree). In Sufism a Shajara is a tracing of initiatic ancestry rather than a representation of the full flow of baraka from the Source. It is worth noting that at any juncture, there may be several shaykhs authorized to carry on a lineage. This living transmission begins with Prophet Muhammad and reaches the present day head of Sufi Order International Pir Zia.

Hazrat Muhammad Rasul Allah Hazrat ‘Ali Wali Allah Hazrat Khwaja Hasan Basri Hazrat Khwaja ‘Abd al-Wahid bin Zayd Basri Hazrat Khwaja Fuzayl bin ‘Ayaz Hazrat Khwaja Ibrahim ibn Adham Balkhi Hazrat Khwaja Huzayfa Mar'ashi Hazrat Khwaja Hubayra Basri Hazrat Khwaja Mumshad 'Ulu Dinwari Hazrat Khwaja Abu Ishaq Shami Chishti Hazrat Khwaja Ahmad Abdal Chishti Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Chishti Hazrat Khwaja Nasiruddin Yusuf Chishti Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Mawdud Chishti Hazrat Khwaja Sharif Zindani Hazrat Khwaja ‘Usman Harvani Hazrat Khwaja Mu‘inuddin Hasan Sijzi-Ajmiri Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki Hazrat Khwaja Fariduddin Mas‘ud Ganj-i Shakar Ajhodani Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Mahbub-i Ilahi Badauni Hazrat Khwaja Nasiruddin Chiragh Dihlavi Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Kamaluddin ‘Allama Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Sirajuddin Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh ‘Ilmuddin Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Mahmud Rajan Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Jamaluddin Jamman Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Hasan Muhammad Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Muhammad Chishti Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Yahya Madani Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Shah Kalimullah Jahanabadi Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Nizamuddin Awrangabadi Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Maulana Fakhruddin Dihlavi Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Ghulam Qutbuddin Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Nasiruddin Mahmud Kale-Miya Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Muhammad Hasan Jili Kalimi Hazrat Shaykh al-Masha’ikh Muhammad Abu Hashim Madani Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid ‘Inayat Khan Hazrat Pir Vilayat ‘Inayat Khan Hazrat Pir Zia 'Inayat Khan.

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S: We know that Sufis are sons and daughters of time. Their message is universal and yet exactly contemporary and very relevant in every age. We know that the greatness of the great Sufis were precisely their being very relevant to the time, who spoke the language of the time & space in which they lived and conveyed

From the perspective you being the head of Sufi Order International Chapter in Pakistan, what is your personal take on this being relevant to our present time and the country that you live in? Do you think Sufis in Pakistan are standing up to their sacred responsibilities as being educator, transmitter and carrier of the Message?

N: Verily, a Sufi is Ibn-ul-Waqt or Bint-ul-Waqt which implies that he/she is fully surrendered to the demands of the moment. There is no attachment to the past or the longing for the future. The Buddha said “Life can only take place in the present moment. If we lose the present moment, we lose life.” The Sufi al-Qushayri said “The moment is what you are in. Like a sword the moment cuts away everything around itself so that it can be free. The sword is gentle to the touch and its edge is sharp. Those who handle it gently are unharmed. But those who treat it roughly are injured.” The goal of all concentration, contemplation and meditation practiced on the Sufi path is to become fully present to the moment. It is only when we will be fully here and now that we will be able to give our best in response to what is being asked of us.

Abu Muhammad Muta’ish another Sufi Master says: “The Sufi is he whose thought keeps pace with his foot — i.e., he is entirely present: his soul is where his body is, and his body is where his soul is, and his soul where his foot is, and his foot where his soul is. This is the sign of presence without absence. Others say on the contrary: ‘He is absent from himself but present with God.’ It is not so: he is present with himself and present with God.” In my understanding this is a very crucial teaching which we need to adopt not just here in Pakistan but globally.

The culture we are living in is becoming increasingly materialistic and self-serving which is giving rise to multiple personal, social, economic and political issues that are disrupting the peace and order of societies and nations. We claim to be the Islamic Republic of Pakistan but the irony is that we as a nation have not even begun to understand the magnitude of the responsibility we carry as a representative Muslim people. While we recite the Kalimah-e-Tawheed with the tongue, its reality has failed to penetrate our souls. Had it penetrated our souls we would not lie, kill, torture and denigrate in the name of Allah. Traditionally the Chishtis have favoured the policy of not associating with the rulers and the powerful in order to safeguard the purity of spiritual culture which could be tarnished by worldly powers, however there have been others who have espoused national and political causes such as Amir Abdul Qadir al-Jazairi (d.1883) the champion of the colonial-overthrow in Algeria , Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi of the Naqshbandiyyah also known as Mujaddid Alf Thani or Reviver of the Second Millenium in India or the Sufi orders in Sudan that transformed themselves into political forces. In today’s world we are fast moving forward in the process of an evolutionary unfolding of a planetary consciousness which is going to prove obsolete and defunct all ideologies, whether political, economic, social or religious that prove inconsistent with the vibrations of a cosmic awakening which will herald the fulfillment of the Age of Unity initiated by the advent of Islam and the coming of the final Prophet Muhammad s.w.

I consider it a necessary step for Sufis also to step out of their cloisters and to enter into mainstream public teaching and interaction in order to manifest the change that is so vital. The difference between a Sufi and a monk is that the Sufi lives in the world to practice his/her spirituality and the monk gives up the world to practice his. The desired change that is to come can only come through the opened heart of the Wali and not the narrow dictates of the cleric.

Naila at a conference in Marrakesh, Morocco

A way to facilitate this transformation is to encourage as many Sufi seminars, symposia and dialogues as possible. It is important for the spiritually realized to now break the silence of mystic repose in order to actively direct the positive transmutation of the negative expression that certain ignorant people have given to Islam. If clerical dawa’ can be organized and methodically implemented so should Sufi education and cultivation be made available to people who are running about shepherdless and falling prey to the perils of erroneous beliefs and interpretations of faith. Sadly in Pakistan I have observed Sufism to have been reduced to a wish-granting gimmick as understood by the seekers who are not seekers of the Real but actually seekers of the world. Some of the Sufi practitioners or Pirs have also sold themselves to charlatanry and miracle-mongering which is more playing to the gallery for material gain rather than observing one's commitment to the spiritual ideal. And these I would not even like to call Sufi in the first place.

One has to be pure to a very high degree before one can apply the term Sufi to oneself. The Sufi Way is a noble path which advocates simple living and high-mindedness. And the abysmal level to which humanity has fallen as evident through the numerous examples of violation of human rights and honour is proof enough that the spiritual powers in our society are not functioning in their true capacity. I sincerely hope for a spirtual revival just as we hope for a revival in the many other spheres of human life in our country.


S: Looking at the world and knowing that Sufis can be found in every major Cities in the world, what you think should be the priorities of the Sufis in order to honor the very essence of what it means to be the successor of the Messenger (warith ar-Rasul)?

N: Warith-ar-Rasul (Inheritor of the Prophetic Way) is a supremely responsible designation. The Awliya as Warith-ar-Rasul carry the trust of being the representatives of the Rasul s.w. In the Baya’ or the ritual act of initiation when the hand is placed in the hands of the initiator, the seeker does not give his hand to the person of the teacher but to the divine force that is active in the being of the teacher and that goes back, hand after hand to the blessed hand of the Prophet Muhammad s.w on whose hand is the very Hand of Allah Subhan wa Ta’ala, “Yaddullah”.

Verily, those who give Bay'a (pledge) to you (O Muhammad s.w they are giving Bay'a (pledge) to Allah. The Hand of Allah is over their hands (al-Quran 48:10).

There is a widespread misconception that Islam spread at the point of the sword but in fact it spread due to the charm of the Prophet Muhammad’s personality and the purity and light of his noble being, may abundant peace be upon him. He is known as Nabiyy-i-Kareem (the Gentle Prophet) and it was the great sensitivity of his being, his profound consciousness of human-ness that made him the “best exemplar for mankind”. “And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are on an exalted (standard of) character” (al-Quran 52:4).

It is a great privilege to be born as an ummati (follower) of the Prophet Muhammad s.w but simply being born into the faith does not fulfill the responsibility. We have to be born again as the true spiritual followers of this great being in order to do justice to the grace that he brought to us. It is a real irony when you see Muslims resorting to violent means in a bid to what they call an act of safeguarding the honour of the Prophet s.w (Hurmat-i-Rasul). If we truly feel that we are custodians of the Prophet’s honour then we need to focus on cleansing ourselves and elevating ourselves morally and spiritually to the degree where we become the living expression of the prophetic virtues and ideals. The honour of the Prophet is sullied by those who call themselves Muslims and act contrary to the true spirit and teachings of Islam not by those ignorant and wretched souls who act out of total insanity. Our responsibility as Muslims is great and as Sufis even more because a Sufi pledges him/herself to the highest ideals that the faith bequeaths. As they say Shari’ah is like a highway, everyone can travel on it, but Tariqah is that strait and narrow way that can be crossed only with a highly committed concentration, an exercise of great caution and a sense of skillful discipline. As they say the permissible (halaal) of the laity is among the prohibited (haram) of the elect.

In prayer at the shrine of Sheikh Ahmed Tijani (r)

S: You do organize Spiritual retreats. Could you please give us an inside view of what a Sufi retreat consists of, how it is structured and organized and what is intended for the participants to receive at or after their participation.

N: The term “Spiritual Retreat” itself gives away the meaning which is to retreat into the spiritual ground of your being. It is a time for deep communion with the Self. The Prophet Muhammad s.w said “ There s a polish for everything and the polish for the heart is Zikrullah (divine remembrance).” Most of the time we dwell in a very superficial and surface level of our being and due to that we tend to become identified with what is transitory, ever changing and fragile. This unification with the impermanent plunges us into the ocean of despair, desperation and helplessness. Overcome by these negative emotions we begin to drown in the flood of our illusory being. The true Self remains untouched, peaceful and perfect yet we remain oblivious to it as it becomes covered over by our imagined self.

During retreat we are given the opportunity to reconnect with this true Self and this retrieval of our true nature can bail us out of the perdition of imposed selfhood. In other words you could say a spiritual retreat is a time for revival, revivification and renewal of life in every sense. The practice has its origin in the tradition of the great Prophets, Saints and Masters of humanity. The Ahle-Kahf in the Holy Quran (see Surah Kahf) are the people of introspection, Prophet Musa a.s was called to Mount Sinai for a forty day period for divine communion before he received the divine commandments., Prophet Yunus a.s stayed in the belly of the fish, Prophet Zakriyyah was sworn to a fast of silence for three days, Hazrat Maryam retreated to the wilderness when she became pregnant with the Divine Logos and Prophet Muhammad s.w retired into the Cave of Hira.

This practice is emulated by the Sufis and the withdrawal from the distraction of the world is necessary to re-align oneself with the divine light and inspiration. By retreating into the sacred cave of the Self we dig the spiritual treasure of divine grace so that we can see and then be the Face of the Beloved.

The traditional Sufi retreat is of forty days but since we live in a time when everything is fast-moving, people do not have the luxury of taking out so much time so we provide the possibility of weekend retreats which are spread over two or three days. The entire time from dawn to dusk is devoted to Zikrullah in various forms. There is Sohbet (spiritual dialogue), Taa’m (breaking bread together), Zikr (divine remembrance through chanting of sacred Names of Allah), Muraqibah (Mindfulness and Meditation), Sema (listening to sacred Sufi music) and the practice of Adab (spiritual courtesy through discipline) during the course of the retreat. What I am talking about here is a group retreat. The routine of an individual retreat would be different and more prone towards seclusion.


S: You have significant interest in the re-interpretation of the teachings of the Holy Quran in universal light and spirit of progressive dynamism. With the exploration that you’ve made in this avenue, to your view, what we missed in the last few hundred years when it comes to the field of interpretation of the teachings of the Holy Quran and what should be done to progress forward?

N: The Book of Allah, the Holy Quran, inasmuch as it is our sacred scripture, it is also a Handbook for daily living. We Muslims need to develop a constant rapport with this Great Book. The revealed Quran is the Quran-i-Tadwini while the cosmos is the Quran-i-Takwini. One is the scriptural writing and the other is the beautiful calligraphy of nature. Both are reflective of each other and there is an intrinsic harmony between them. This is what Allah intended. Man on the other hand reading false meanings into the text out of his limited and ignorant way of seeing things has constructed barriers between the textual Quran and the living Quran of nature. By doing this he has committed the grave sin of obstructing the universal flow of grace. The Quran clearly warns us “And surely this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher. Therefore be conscious of Me and no other. But people have broken their religion into sects, each group rejoicing in that which is with them. But leave them in their confused ignorance for a time." (23:52-54). Allah also says “ Their Lord responded to them: "I never fail to reward any worker among you for any work you do, be you male or female - you are equal to one another. Thus, those who immigrate, and get evicted from their homes, and are persecuted because of Me, and fight and get killed, I will surely remit their sins and admit them into gardens with flowing streams." Such is the reward from GOD. GOD possesses the ultimate reward. (3:195). And “As for those who lead a righteous life, male or female, while believing, they enter Paradise; without the slightest injustice.” (4:124).

Further “The submitting men, the submitting women, the believing men, the believing women, the obedient men, the obedient women, the truthful men, the truthful women, the steadfast men, the steadfast women, the reverent men, the reverent women, the charitable men, the charitable women, the fasting men, the fasting women, the chaste men, the chaste women, and the men who commemorate GOD frequently, and the commemorating women; GOD has prepared for them forgiveness and a great recompense.” (33:35). In the light of the above verses we have ample evidence of the just, equitable and egalitarian character of Islam. However, we have failed to see this noble ideal of musawaat (equality) implemented in Muslim societies. There is clear-cut infringement of human rights. Religious minorities, women and the perceived ‘other’ who does not fit into a certain personal definition of ‘Muslim’, are rendered lesser human and outcasts.

So I ask what kind of Islam are we practicing? The Islam that Prophet Muhammad s.w gave to humanity was the Islam of love, courtesy, respect, tolerance, peace, harmony, liberation, nobility, grace, God-consciousness, tenderness of heart, sympathy, forgiveness and last but not least selfless service. The only measure of preference allowed in Islam is taqwa (righteousness). Islam does not teach parochialism and nor is it misogynistic. By imposing such meanings onto its Message we reduce it to another religion while it is vastly greater than that; it is the deen-i-fitrah, the perfected mode of belief entrusted to mankind through the instrument of the final Messenger s.w. No matter how hard we try we cannot imprison air or the inifinitude of space and similarly the perfection of Truth cannot be put in the moulds of human understanding and be marketed as the ultimate Truth.

We have entered into the Age of Culmination, the last Epoch and it is inevitable that the barriers of human constructs breakdown before the irresistible force of Unity, of Oneness, of Tawhid. Only he/she will survive the winds of change that have begun to blow already who will awaken to the divinity within and recognise the essence behind the form and so see the only Spirit, the one Reality that is behind the various masks of different forms. All differences and prejudices will become meaningless in the Era of the New Humanity.

In the past centuries there can be noted a growing trend towards interpreting the Quran in narrower and exclusive terms. Yet, the present times sees the rise of scholars and the learned, male and female, who are moving towards a more balanced and equitable reading of the Quran. I welcome the entry of female scholars like Laleh Bakhtiar in the arena of Quranic interpretation and would hope that more women train to become Quranic exegetes. If we could receive one-third of our faith from a woman (Hazrat Ai’shah r.a, ummul-momineen) then why are we skeptical about giving free and equal access to women in the spiritual and religious spheres of functioning and development? The time is here to challenge the multiple erroneous beliefs that have been institutionalized over centuries on false religious and historical grounds. The time has come to declare with courage “Waqul jaa alhaqqu wazahaqa albatilu inna albatila kana zahooqan” (Say: Truth has come and falsehood perished; for falsehood is by its nature bound to perish) (al-Quran,17:81).

Wa Akhiro Daawana-ho-Alhamdolillah-i-Rabbil-Alimeen, Wa SalawaatuLlahi Ta’ala ala Nabiyyi Rahmah wa Khayr-ul-Mursaleen. (For the People of Paradise) the conclusion of their supplication will be, "Praise be to the Divine Being, the Lord of the worlds." And peace of God be upon the Messenger of mercy and the Best of those who were (sent to mankind).

Ameen.



# Further:
* Amat-un-Nur (Naila Tiwana) may be connected via her Facebook
* Nazr-e-Kaaba / writings and collection by Amat-un-Nur
* Sufi Order International
* House of Remembrance, Lahore

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# Past Sohbets:

* When Dreams Begin Our Quest / Sohbet with Noor-Malika Chishti

* In Quest of My Oasis / Sohbet with Amatullah J. Armstrong

* Quest in the Province of Ecstatic Exchange / Sohbet with Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore

* In Quest of A Friend Beyond Compare / Sohbet with Carol Sill

* In Quest of a Naked Intent Toward God / Sohbet with Barbara Flaherty

* Sohbet with Hilary Hart / Author of The Unknown She

* Quest of Meeting the Great Artist / Sohbet with Dominique Dubrule

* In Quest of the Truth that will set us free / Sohbet with Sheikha Maryam Kabeer Faye

* Quest of a Dusty Traveler / Sohbet with Brenda Wentworth

* An American Sufi Quest / Sohbet with Mansur Johnson

* Painting with Bawa / Sohbet with Denise Sati

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