Sunni Imams and Sufis
The conversation took an interesting turn that whether the Imams of Sunni Muslims recognize and accept Sufis. Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen quoted:
There is an interesting story about Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Initially, he kept his distance from the Sufis. However, he experienced the sweetness of faith after spending time in the company of Bishr al-Hafi. From then on, whenever someone came to him asking about the Essence of Allah, he would direct him to Bishr al-Hafi, while he himself would teach those seeking knowledge. His students felt ashamed and asked him the reason for this. He replied, “You do not understand! He possesses the kernel of faith, which is the gnosis of Allah.”
These were the scholars who thought beyond personal benefits therefore were raised in ranks. If one examines the list of spiritual guides of Imam Abu Hanifa, the name of Bahlool stands at the top. Bahlool wandered along the banks of the River Euphrates, lost in Divine meditation (majdhub). The great Imam himself said that had he not spent two years in Bahlool’s company, he would have been spiritually ruined. He also famously stated, “If my legal or theological decision contradicts the Quran and Hadith, then throw it against the wall (disregard it).”
Once, a Sufi and his disciples were on their way to a banquet when they passed by a mosque. Abu al-Ma’ali Imam al-Harmain was seated with his disciples in the mosque after offering the dawn (Fajr) prayer. When he saw the group of Sufis heading to the banquet, he thought to himself, “They have nothing better to do than attend banquets, and engage in idle talk and states.” After the banquet, the spiritual guide passed by Imam Harmain.
He said to the Imam, “O jurist! What do you think of a man who sits in the mosque giving lectures since morning while in a state of impurity and also engages in backbiting?” As the spiritual guide spoke, the Imam began to realize the truth: he had indeed offered prayers and delivered lectures without performing the required ritual bath that morning. When the spiritual guide finished speaking, the Imam admitted his fault and became a devoted follower of the Sufis. Scholars often become arrogant due to their knowledge, and the cure for this arrogance lies in the spiritual sight of a true spiritual guide.
Imam Abu Hanifa and Divine Vision
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen said:
It is said by Imam Abu Hanifa that he saw Allah a hundred times in his dreams. Divine vision refers to remaining in the state of beholding Allah. Recognition of Allah is impossible without Divine vision. It is such a blessing that no other act of worship can compare to its sweetness.
Ghawth al-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani once said:
One who claims to worship Allah without beholding Him is pretentious. The Divine covenant is the covenant of recognition. The Prophets came to remind humanity of this promise. After the seal of Prophethood, the chain of Sufis has continued to this day. Scholars often deny the possibility of Divine vision because they have never beheld Allah. This knowledge is secretly passed from one Sufi to another. Scholars falsely claim that visiting the pure Sufis, who bear the Divine Trust of Allah, is an act of polytheism. Those who have truly beheld Allah abandon everything and dedicate themselves to the servitude of their spiritual guide.
Faith is Secured
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen said:
It is due to the four Imams that the faith is secured. No new Fiqh can now be made. Every sect is bound to follow an Imam. Nowadays, people have their own (twisted) beliefs (but to be accepted by public), they follow the way of any one Imam. Although, this is not the right way as one is following the wishes of his self (nafs). One erroneously follows whatever is suited by his nature though on the other hand following one Imam completely is necessary. Faith of all the four Imams is the truth.
Accepting, Recognizing and Following
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen said:
As per (Sufi) stages, the first is of acceptance, the second is recognition and lastly following. By acceptance, it means to have faith. One who accepts actually knows. The real thing is to accept because the journey of love starts after it, which gradually becomes intense. Similarly, Abu Lahab knew that the Prophet speaks the truth but he did not accept that. Everyone knows but a few recognize as well but there are rarely people who accept and they are the lovers.
People did not accept the Prophets. Abu Lahab said that he knew Prophet Mohammad is indeed a Prophet but he will not accept the fact. Allah says:
یَعْرِفُوْنَهٗ كَمَا یَعْرِفُوْنَ اَبْنَآءَهُمْۘ
Meaning: (They recognize Prophet Mohammad) as they recognize their sons. (6:20)
It means they know the Prophet as they know their sons. In fact, they recognized him but did not accept him as a Prophet of Allah. Similarly, the mother of the believers, Safiyya bint Huyayy’s father and uncle knew the fact that it is indeed Prophet Mohammad about whom the Jewish scholars have been foretelling yet her father said that he will not accept him as the last Prophet as he is not from among them. Likewise, the people of today know about the Sufis but they refuse to accept them. It is the saying of the Holy Prophet that a Shaikh is among his people as a Prophet is among his nation.
Ways of conversation by Allah
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen said:
Allah converses in three ways:
- Firstly, Allah converses through revelations
- Secondly, through an angel
- Thirdly, from behind a veil
وَ مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنْ یُّكَلِّمَهُ اللّٰهُ اِلَّا وَحْیًا اَوْ مِنْ وَّرَآئِ حِجَابٍ اَوْ یُرْسِلَ رَسُوْلًا فَیُوْحِیَ بِاِذْنِهٖ مَا یَشَآءُؕ
Meaning: And every man does not have the faculty that Allah should speak to him (directly) except by Revelation (He bestows upon some the holy status of Prophethood), or (should speak) from behind a veil (as He spoke to Prophet Moses on Mount Sinai), or by sending some angel as a messenger to reveal with His permission what Allah may will. (42:51)
The one with whom Allah converses directly is a Messenger or a Prophet. The one with whom a Messenger converses are the Companions and the one with whom the Companions converse are Tabiun (generation of Muslims who followed the Companions).
Waham
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen said:
Waham is to converse with Allah esoterically. Whatever a question arises for an individual, he finds its answer through waham. The existence of the sages (spiritual guides) of the umma of the Holy Prophet is like Mount Sinai where they converse with Allah. Ibn Arabi once said, “Gnosis is achieved through waham.” The Essence whom one listens to inwardly, is the one who eventually manifests within one’s being. Waham is elevated than unveiling (kashf) and inspiration which are one sided as compared to waham which is on both sides.
Sahib
Allah says about the Holy Prophet:
مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَ مَا غَوٰى
Meaning: Your sahib never lost his way, nor has he (ever) strayed from the right path. (53:2)
In this verse the Holy Prophet has been addressed as ‘sahib’. When the Prophet came back from Miraj, the idolators raised objections. Allah said at that point, “Your sahib never lost his way, nor has he (ever) strayed from the right path.” Allah also said that he does not converse on his own accord rather says what I say and says what he sees.
وَ مَا یَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوٰى
Meaning: And he does not speak out of his (own) desire. (53:3)
Whatever the Holy Prophet said, it falls into following three categories:
- Hadith
- Qudsi Hadith
- Quran
Closer than Two Bow Lengths (Qab Qausain)
ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلّٰى(8)
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَیْنِ اَوْ اَدْنٰى(9)
Meaning: Then He (the Lord of Honour) drew closer (to His Beloved Mohammad [blessings and peace be upon him]) and then drew even closer. Then a distance measuring only two bow-lengths was left (between Allah Unveiled and His Esteemed Beloved), or even less than that. (53:8-9)
The distance between Allah and the Holy Prophet came to two bow-lengths. In Arabic, the distance of two bow-lengths is used as an idiom when it needs to be stated that distance became negligible. Allah further stated, “Or even less than that.” This nearness was such that Allah called the Holy Prophet’s hand as His Own Hand.
یَدُ اللّٰهِ فَوْقَ اَیْدِیْهِمْۚ
Meaning: Allah’s hand is over their hands. (48:10)
The nearness in the words, “Or even less than that,” cannot be expressed. Distance is for the universe of creation whereas this incident is of the universe of Command, the station of no station.
فَاَوْحٰۤى اِلٰى عَبْدِهٖ مَاۤ اَوْحٰى
Meaning: So (on that station of nearness) He (Allah) revealed to His (Beloved) servant whatever He revealed. (53:10)
It means that Allah conversed with His beloved. There are secrets between the Lover and beloved that no one else knows about. Imam Jafar al-Sadiq said, “Allah revealed what He revealed and this revelation was without any medium. These are the secrets between the Lover and the beloved therefore no one else knows about them.”
The Holy Prophet did not negate what he beheld.
مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَاٰى
Meaning: (His) heart did not take it contrary to what (his) eyes beheld. (53:11)
Seekers of Allah follow this Sunna of the Prophet and do not negate the secrets unfolded before them.
The Title of ‘The Truthful’
Abu Bakr Siddiq got the title of the Truthful because he verified the incident of Miraj of the Holy Prophet. It is narrated by Abu Hurairah that the Holy Prophet said to Angel Gabriel, “Gabriel! My umma will not verify Miraj.” Angel Gabriel replied, “Abu Bakr will verify because he is ‘the Truthful’.”
Abu Jahl came to Abu Bakr with his accomplices and narrated the incident of Miraj quoting whether he believes it or not. Abu Bakr befittingly replied, “If the Holy Prophet says that he went on Miraj with his entire household, I will still believe him.” Due to this he was titled ‘the Truthful’.
One of the Wisdom’s of Miraj
If Miraj had not incurred physically for the Holy Prophet, people would have denied Divine vision. Miraj took place so that people would come to know of the possibility of the Divine vision. It is one of the secrets of Allah and He Himself says that people are arguing over it.
اَفَتُمٰرُوْنَهٗ عَلٰى مَا یَرٰى
Meaning: Do you argue with him about what he saw? (53:12)
When the Holy Prophet ascended for Miraj and beheld Allah, he did not faint like Prophet Moses neither crossed the limits of his physical being. Nothing like this happened to the Prophet. Prophet Moses was told to take off his shoes at Mount Sinai whereas the Holy Prophet went with his shoes. It is so, Allah exalts some over the other.
فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلٰى بَعْضٍۘ
Meaning: We have exalted some above others. (2:253)
Prophet Moses had to pray to open the knots of his tongue (so that he may call towards the Divine message) whereas when came the turn of the Holy Prophet, he was told by Allah that his chest has been opened (esoterically with the light of knowledge, wisdom and gnosis).
اَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ
Meaning: Have We not broadened your breast for you? (94:1)
It means to be opened esoterically. It is most difficult to explain Divine gnosis. If Allah opens the esoteric world then Divine vision is beheld unveiled.
Divine Light and Physical Body
The Companions learned the Holy Quran from Prophet Mohammad. The Quran was unveiled on the inwards of the Companions whereas scholars can only know about it using the intellect therefore Mullah are entangled in the arguments of light and physical being. Every human being has a physical entity as well as that of light. Allah says about this physical being:
خَلَقَ الْاِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ
Meaning: He is the One Who created man from a dry mud sounding like earthenware. (55:14)
Whereas Allah says about the light:
وَ نَفَخْتُ فِیْهِ مِنْ رُّوْحِیْ
Meaning: And breathe My (Divine) spirit into this. (15:29)
Allah says about it:
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ
Meaning: Say: ‘Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.’ (2:156)
The Holy Quran is the word of Allah. People cannot even comprehend Allama Iqbal’s poetry, let alone the Holy Quran. Take example of Sultan Bahoo’s books. People understand his books differently in the initial, middle and towards the end of their spiritual journey. Therefore, if one wants to comprehend Quran then one should take himself in the Mohammadan Assembly.
The Holy Prophet did not had Shadow
The Holy Prophet was entirely the Divine light therefore he had no shadow. His physical being was light as well. No one can directly tolerate the light of Allah therefore mankind was made from the light of the Holy Prophet. Man has this aspect too.
From where Sufis acquire Knowledge
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen said:
Bayazid Bastami says, “I learned knowledge from the Eternal and Self-Subsisting.”
Rumi said:
ما ز قرآن مغز ہا برداشتیم
استخوان پیش سگاں انداختیم
Meaning: We took the essence from the Holy Quran and threw bones at the dogs.
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