_THE THEOSOPHY OF ISLAM._
LETTERS
FROM
A SÛFÎ TEACHER
_SHAIKH SHARFUDDÎN MANERÎ_
OR
_MAKHDÛM-UL-MULK_.
TRANSLATED FROM THE PERSIAN
BY
BAIJNÂTH SINGH
THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING SOCIETY.
BENARES CITY AND LONDON
THEOSOPHIST OFFICE, AYDAR; MADRAS, S.
PRINTED BY THAKUR DAS MANAGER,
AT THE TARA PRINTING WORKS, BENARES.
_All Rights Reserved._
Registered under Act XXV of 1867.
_FOREWORD._
=Shaikh Sharf-ud-dîn= was the son of =Shaikh Yahiâ=. His birthplace is
=Maner=, a village near =Patnâ= in =Behâr= (India). A love of knowledge
and the religious life, and signs of spiritual greatness, were found
in him from his early childhood. A strange Being was once seen by
the cradle of the baby. The mother, frightened, reported the matter
to her father, =Shahâb-ud-dîn=, a great saint. The latter consoled
her, saying that the mysterious Presence was no less a Being than the
Prophet =Khezar=[1] Himself, and that the baby was expected to be a man
of great spiritual advancement. He acquired secular knowledge under
=Ashraf-ud-dîn=, a famous professor of those days. He first refused
to marry, but had to yield when, being ill, he was advised by the
physician to take to marriage as the remedy for his disease. He left
home after the birth of a son, travelled in many places, and was at
last initiated (at, or near =Dehli=) by =Najîb-ud-dîn Firdausî=. The
latter made him his deputy on earth under a deed drawn twelve years
earlier under the direction of the Prophet of =Islâm= Himself, asked
him to leave the place, and quitted his body shortly after.
[1] A mysterious Personage, according to some, a Prophet; according to
others, a _Walî_ or 'Friend of God'. He is supposed to be an Immortal
Being, an invisible Teacher and Helper of Mankind. Moses was sent by
God to seek His instruction. '_Khezar_' literally means 'green', a
metaphorical expression for auspiciousness, blessedness, wholesomeness
and fertility.
On his initiation, =Sharf-ud-dîn= lived for many a long year in the
woods of =Bihiâ= and the =Râjgiri= Hills. In his later days he adopted
=Bihâr= (now a subdivisional town) as his residence, at the request
of some of his friends and disciples. He died on Thursday, the 6th of
Shawwâl, 782 Hijra, in the opening years of the 15th Century A. D.
His titular name is =Makhdûm-ul-Mulk=, 'Master of the Kingdom or the
World.' He was equally proficient in secular learning and esoteric
Knowledge, and possessed superhuman powers. His tomb at =Bihâr= is
still resorted to as a place of sanctity by a large number of devout
Mahomedans. He wrote many works, of which three only have yet been
published. These are:--
(1.) _Maktûbât-i-Sadî_, a 'Series of a Hundred Letters' (or rather
essays on definite subjects) addressed to his disciple =Qâzî
Shams-ud-dîn= in 747 Hijra.
(2.) _Maktûbât-i-Bist-o-hasht_, a 'Series of 28 Letters', being replies
to the correspondence of his senior disciple, =Mozaffar=, the prince of
=Balkh=.
(3.) _Fawâed-i-Ruknî_, a number of brief Notes prepared for the use of
his disciple =Rukn-ud-dîn=.
The present booklet consists of the translation of copious extracts
from _Maktûbât-i-Sadî_, the most elaborate and comprehensive of the
three published works, with Notes occasionally added from the other
two with a view to elucidate or complete the subject in hand. These
extracts, it is hoped, will cover the greater part of, if not all,
the _principles_ inculcated in these books, and are expected to give
the reader a fair knowledge of the _Teaching_ of the Author _in all
its phases_. Matters relating to mere exoteric rites, legends and
traditions have been omitted. The translation does not pretend to be
always very literal, but an honest attempt has been made to present a
faithful rendering of the original to the English-knowing public, that
they may be able to better appreciate the Teachings of =Islâm=, and
that the Brotherhood of Creeds may have one more advocate to plead its
cause before the tribunal of the human intellect.
GAYÂ, (BEHÂR.)
BAIJNÂTH SINGH.
_1908._
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Foreword
On Monotheism 1
Turning to God, or Conversion 5
On Seeking the Teacher 8
On the Qualifications of a Teacher 12
On Discipleship 15
On Discipleship (Continued) 16
The Friend of God 19
The Brotherhood of Friends 20
Polytheism, and the Friendship of God 22
Lights 23
The Unveiling of the Supersensuous 25
On the Same 28
Illumination 29
Dreams 30
On Misconceptions 32
The Outer and Inner Ailments 34
The Origin of Theosophy 36
Seeking the Path 37
The Pillars of the Path 39
Religion, the Path and Truth 39
Accessory to Prayers 41
Purification 42
The Motive 44
Prayer 45
Invoking the Divine Help 46
The Divine Allegiance 47
The Sacred Formula 48
The Naked Faith 49
The Inner Polytheism 51
The Divine Knowledge 52
Love and Devotion 55
Seeking God 58
The Way to God 60
Speech and Conduct 62
Magnanimity 64
Knowledge 65
The Steps of a Disciple 67
Islâm 71
The Noble Qualities 73
Contemplation 76
Renunciation 78
On the Same 80
The Clearing of the Path 81
Self-Control 83
Truth 84
The Descent from Adam 87
Confidence 91
Pursuit and Renunciation 92
The Company of the Saints 93
Service 97
The Transmutation of Evil Qualities 99
Avarice 101
The Evil of the World 103
Renunciation of the World 104
The Final Doom 106
The Soul 108
The Heart 109
The Desire-Nature (=Nafs=) 110
Desire 112
Discipline of the Desire-Nature 114
Discipline of the Desire-Nature (Continued) 115
Alienation from the Desire-Nature 117
Self-Toleration 118
Hidden Differences of Stages 118
Heedlessness 120
Sorrow 121
Conduct 122
Seclusion 124
Death 126
Hell 128
Heaven 129
LETTERS FROM A SÛFÎ TEACHER.
ON MONOTHEISM (TAUHÎD).
Masters of the path have divided monotheism into four stages. The first
stage consists in repeating, vocally, without any inner conviction,
"There is no God save Allâh."[2] This is hypocrisy, and does not profit
on the day of resurrection. The second stage consists in repeating the
said _logion_ vocally with an inner conviction based upon conventional
imitation (as in the case of ordinary people), or some form of
reasoning (as in the case of an intellectual theist). This is verily
the visible body of monotheism, frees one from gross polytheism and
from hell, and leads to heaven. This second stage, though safer than
the first, and less unstable, is for all that a low one, fit for old
women.[3] The third stage consists in Light shining in the heart, which
reveals the One Agent alone as the root of all phenomena, and the
non-agency of all else. This is quite unlike the conviction of ordinary
people or that of an intellectual theist. Such a conviction is a fetter
to the soul, whereas the vision of the Light breaks all fetters. There
must be a difference between one who believes a certain gentleman to be
in his house, on the testimony of others (as in the case of ordinary
people), another who infers the residence of that gentleman in the
house, because he sees his horses and servants at the gate (as in the
case of the intellectual theist), and another who actually sees the
gentleman in the house (as in the case of the third stage). In the
third stage one sees the creatures and the Creator, and distinguishes
them from Him. This much of separation still persists--hence it is not
perfect union in the eyes of the Masters.
[2] =Lâ elâha ill' Allâh=.
[3] Weak souls.--_Trs._
The fourth stage consists in the pouring forth of the Divine Light so
profusely, that it absorbs all individual existences in the eyes of
the pilgrim. As in the case of the absorption of particles floating
in the atmosphere in the light of the sun, the particles become
invisible--they do not cease to exist, nor do they become the sun,
but they are inevitably lost to sight in the overpowering glare of
the sun--so, here, a creature does not become God, nor does it cease
to exist. Ceasing to exist is one thing, invisibility is another....
When thou lookest through a mirror, thou dost not see the mirror, for
thou mergest it into the reflexion of thy face, and yet thou canst not
say that the mirror has ceased to exist, or that it has become that
reflexion, or that the reflexion has become the mirror. Such is the
vision of the Divine Energy in all beings without distinction. This
state is called by the Sûfîs, absorption in monotheism. Many have
lost their balance here: no one can pass through this forest without
the help of the Divine Grace and the guidance of a Teacher, perfect,
open-eyed, experienced in the elevations and depressions of the Path
and inured to its blessings and sufferings.... Some pilgrims attain to
this lofty state only for an hour a week, some for an hour a day, some
for two hours a day, some remain absorbed for the greater portion of
their time....
Beyond the four is the stage of complete absorption, _i. e._,
losing the very consciousness of being absorbed and of seeking
after God--for such a consciousness still implies separation. Here,
the soul merges itself and the universe into the Divine Light, and
loses the consciousness of merging as well. "Merge into Him, this is
monotheism: lose the sense of merging, this is unity." Here there are
neither formulæ nor ceremonies, neither being nor non-being, neither
description nor allusion, neither heaven nor earth. It is this stage
alone that unveils the mystery: "All are non-existent save Him;" "All
things are perishable save His Face;" "I am the True and the Holy One."
Absolute unity without duality is realised here. "Do not be deluded,
but know: every one who merges in God is not God."
The first stage of monotheism is like the outermost shell of the
almond; the second stage is like the second shell; the third stage is
like the core; the fourth stage is like the essence of the core--the
oil of the almond. All these are known by the name of the almond, but
each differs immensely from the others in status, result, and use.
This note should be studied patiently and intelligently, since it deals
with the basis of all developments, activities, and supersensuous
phenomena. It will explain the phraseology and the allusions in the
writings of the saints, and throw light on the verses on monotheism and
the stages thereof.
O brother! though an ant, thou mayest turn out to be a Solomon. Do not
think thou art an impure sinner: though a gnat, thou mayest become a
lion.... God raises the monotheist out of the dualist, the faithful out
of the faithless, and the devotee out of the sinner.--_Letter 1._
[The following extracts on monotheism from _The Series of 28 Letters_,
another work of the author, may be aptly added.--_Trs._]
According to a tradition of the Prophet, all beings were created out of
Darkness, but each took in Light according to its capacity, and thus
became luminous. Hence all beings are sparks of the Divine Light, and
their luminosity is derived from It. Now one can fully understand the
sacred verse: "God is the Light of heaven and earth."--_Letter 17._
Thou-ness and I-ness pertain to our world. They do not exist in the
region of the Beloved. He is the one Reality: futile is the assertion
of any existence but His.--_Letter 2._
TURNING TO GOD OR CONVERSION (=TAUBÂH=).
=Taubâh= literally means to turn back. But the nature of the turning
must be different with different individuals according to the
difference in their conditions and stages. Ordinary people would turn
from sin with apology in order to escape punishment; middling ones
would turn from their deeds to secure the regard of the Master; the
Elect would turn from all worlds, here and hereafter, and feel the
insignificance and non-existence thereof in order to realise the glory
of the Maker. The turning of a beginner cannot be permanent. A saint
says of himself: "I turned back 70 times and failed each time; but my
seventy-first turning proved steady, and I failed no more."
=Khwâjâ= (Master) =Zunnoon= of Egypt observes that the =Taubâh= of
ordinary people consists in turning from sins, that of the Elect in
turning from heedlessness.
=Khwâjâ Sobaid= and many others are of opinion that =Taubâh= consists
in remembering one's past transgressions and being ever ashamed of
them, so that one may not grow proud of one's many virtues. On the
other hand, =Khwâjâ Junnaid= and many others hold the view that
=Taubâh= consists in forgetting past transgressions, _i. e._, in
expunging their impressions from the heart, so that it may become as
pure as if it had never committed them.
=Taubâh= is obligatory for all pilgrims at all times, since for each
pilgrim there is always a stage higher than his present one. If he
halts at any stage, he stops his pilgrimage and commits sin.
=Taubâh= consists in a firm and sincere resolution to abstain from
sins, so as to assure God of one's unwillingness to commit them in
future; and in compensating, to one's best ability, those one has
harmed in any way....
=Taubâh= is the basis of all developments, as the ground is for the
foundation of a building. The chief requisite is =Îmân= (peace, faith,
or moral sense). =Taubâh= and =Îmân= appear together, and the latter
illumines the heart in proportion to the former.
The real =Taubâh= lies in turning from one's nature. When the disciple
turns from his nature he becomes another; _i. e._, he does not become
another man, but his qualities change. Then he unfolds true =Îmân=,
which sweeps away many-ness and leads to unity. Ere the turning, =Îmân=
is but conventional and nominal. "How long will you worship God with
your tongue only? This is no better than worshipping desires. So long
as thou dost not become a Moslem from _within_, how canst thou be a
Moslem merely from _without_?" The lame ass of conventional faith and
the lip-behaviour that we have cannot help us to tread the Path.
None ought to despair under any circumstance whatsoever. Here work is
without a motive, and requires no payment. Many are instantly raised
from the level of image-worship to a stage higher than the angels and
heaven. The Lord does whatever He wishes. "How" and "why" find no room
here. May God make thee a seer of His, and remove thee from thyself!
Do thou aspire high, though thou art low at present. O brother, human
aspiration should stoop to nothing, either on earth or in heaven! "Such
men are so constituted as to care for neither hell nor heaven. They
seek God and God only, and spurn what is not He."
Theosophy (=Tasavvuf=) is ceaseless motion, since standing water
becomes stagnant. A man may corporeally be in his closet, yet his
spirit may run to the =Malakût=[4] and the =Jabrût=.[5] Rapid motion,
like the morning breeze, can neither be seen nor grasped.--_Letters
2-4._
[4] The astral and lower mental planes.
[5] The higher mental plane.
ON SEEKING THE TEACHER.
The Saints on the Path--blessed be they--unanimously declare that it
is incumbent upon a neophyte, after the maturity of his conversion
(=Taubâh=), to seek a Teacher, perfect, experienced in the elevations
and depressions of the Path, its joys and sorrows, possessed of
balance, and versed in the internal ailments of a disciple and their
remedies....
Though in the beginning one does not need a Teacher, and the seed can
be sown merely with the help of Divine Grace, the seed, when sown in
the soil of the heart, does need a Teacher for its further growth, for
the following reasons given in the books of the saints:
1. Since one cannot go to the =Kâbâ=[6] without a guide, albeit the way
is visible and sensuous, and the pilgrim possesses eyes and feet, it is
impossible without a guide to tread the occult Path trodden by 120,000
prophets, which has no visible track and is supersensuous.
[6] The Sacred Shrine at =Meccâ=.
2. As there are many thieves and robbers on a sensuous way, and
one cannot travel without a guide, so on the occult Path there are
many robbers in the guise of the world, the desire-nature and the
elementals, and one cannot travel without the guidance of a Master.
3. There are many precipices and dangers on the Path, leading to one
or other of the many heretic schools formed by those who, having
entered the Path without a Perfect Guide, on the strength of their own
intellectual resources, fell and perished in the forest and deserted
the Law. Others, more fortunate, have safely crossed those dangers
under the protection of Masters, and have seen the victims, and known
where and why they fell. All pilgrims are liable to these dangers. If
one secures the help of a mighty Teacher, one can be saved and progress
with the help of His secret hints and instructions, else one may fall
into some heresy and lose the fruit of one's labour.
4. The pilgrim may pass, on the way, through certain spiritual
conditions, and the soul may put off the physical garment, catch the
reflection of the Divine Light, display superhuman powers as a Divine
agent during the continuance of the experiences, taste the relish of "I
am God, the Holy One," and become proud of having reached the goal. The
pilgrim cannot understand this intellectually: but if the soul, during
the continuance of these experiences, is not helped by a mighty Master,
he may, it is feared, lose faith, and fall a victim to a false notion
of unity.
5. The pilgrim on the way unfolds supersensuous powers, and sees
supersensuous phenomena--devilish, passional, and divine. But he cannot
understand them, as they are spoken in a supersensuous language (_i.
e._ revealed through an unfamiliar medium).... If, at this stage, he is
not aided by a Teacher, helping him on behalf of God, and versed in the
interpretation of supersensuous words and symbols, he cannot progress
further....
When God opens the eyes of a man, so that he distinguishes good from
evil, and resolves to follow the one and avoid the other, but does not
know how to do it, he must betake himself to a Divine Man and make a
firm determination to change his condition. Then the Divine Man will
take him up, help him to subdue the desire-nature, gently induce him
to abstain from his defects and blemishes, and keep him away from bad
companions. A disciple can, with the help of a Teacher, do in an hour
what he would do unaided in a year....
It is said: a disciple may reach the goal with the help of a single
Teacher, or of more than one Teacher. (In the latter case) each Teacher
may be the means of the revelation of one stage only; yet it is more
consistent with decency and politeness for the disciple to refrain from
looking upon such a stage as the limit of development attained by his
Teacher, ... inasmuch as the Perfect Ones are not at all concerned with
the business of stages and conditions. But one cannot leave one Teacher
for another without the permission of the former. Who does so deserts
the Path.
It is the practice of the Masters--blessed be They!--to impose a
threefold discipline on a student. If he observes it, he receives
the Robe (the real one, not the conventional)--else he is rejected.
The threefold discipline consists of: 1. Service of the world for
a year. 2. Service of God for a year. 3. Watching the heart for a
year.--_Letter 5._
ON THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A TEACHER.
Broadly speaking there are five qualifications:
(1) Devotion to God. One cannot be thus devoted, unless one is free
from servility to all save Him.
(2) Capacity to receive truths direct from God without any
intermediary. One cannot unfold this capacity without completely
getting rid of the lower human nature.
(3) Nearness to God. One cannot approach God unless one is equipped
with the Divine character, and one's Spirit reflects the light of the
Divine attributes.
(4) Acquisition of knowledge from God without any intermediary. For
this the heart should be cleansed of all impressions, sensual and
intellectual.
(5) Being an Elect of the Heart Doctrine, which relates to the
knowledge of the Divine Essence, the Divine Qualities, and the Divine
Works. One cannot attain to this stage without a second birth. "One
born of the mother's womb sees this world; one born of the Self (_i.
e._, quitting the lower human nature) sees the supersensuous world."
Nevertheless it is said that the qualifications of a Teacher are
indescribable and innumerable. A Teacher is not the body, the head, or
the beard, visible to man. He is in reality the inner being by the side
of God, in the region of Truth, clothed in Divine mercy and glory....
Here is a query: How can a beginner find out such a Teacher and Guide,
know and follow Him? It is not meet for a beginner to weigh Divine Men
with the balance of his little intellect and to look at Them with his
limited vision. Nor is it meet to follow another on his mere assertion.
Then how to know if such a one is a genuine Teacher or a mere pretender?
Answer: Each seeker is furnished with materials appropriate to his lot.
He cannot transcend them, ... nor can anything hinder him from using
them.
Query: Is there any sign whereby to distinguish a pretender from a true
Teacher, the worthy from the unworthy?
Answer: There are many signs, but it is impossible to describe and fix
them. For all that, there is no sign or mood, the presence or absence
of which _alone_ would mark a Teacher or a pretender. In short, one
blessed with the Divine Grace should set his feet on the Path, turn
away from sensual pleasures and passional gratifications, and fix
his attention on God. Then the glance of some Perfect Teacher will
shine in the mirror of the heart.... When a true disciple catches
such a glance, he instantly contracts a love for the Beauty of His
Godly Strength, becomes restless and uneasy, and comes to the Path.
This uneasiness forbodes fortune and success. Perfect discipleship
consists in perfect love for the Beauty of the Teacher's Godly
Strength. A disciple should follow the wishes of his Teacher, and not
his own wishes.... In each locality there is a Teacher who protects
men living in that area. The King of the time is only one, but there
is an ordinary teacher in each town. According to tradition there are
always 365 Friends of God, who are the props of the world and the
channels of the transmission of blessing and mercy from heaven to
earth.... O brother, know for certain that this work has been before
thee and me (_i. e._, in bygone ages), and that each man has already
reached a certain stage. No one has begun this work for the first time.
Everything is according to Divine dispensation. Do you suppose 100,024
prophets to have ushered any new work into the world? By no means.
They stirred up what lay already in the bosom, and led man to what was
ordained for him by God....--_Letter 6._
ON DISCIPLESHIP.
Desire is a craving in the heart for a certain object. The craving
produces a stir in the heart, the stir arouses a tendency to seek for
the object. The nobler the object, the purer the desire....
Desire is threefold:--
(1) Desire for the world. It consists in the absorption of a man in the
seeking of worldly objects. Such a desire is a downright danger. When
it clouds the heart of a neophyte, it keeps him back from all virtues,
and lures him to failure. A life spent in the gratification of such a
desire deprives one of eternal happiness after resurrection.
(2) Desire for heaven. The soul transcends the previous stage,
longs for the heavenly state and permanent happiness, and practises
lifelong asceticism, so that he may attain his object on the day of
resurrection. The desire for heaven is nobler than the desire for the
world....
(3) Desire for God. A man (at this stage) unfolds the inner sight,
aspires to transcend the created universe, and considers it disgraceful
to seize anything contained in that area--so that he develops a longing
for the Creator Himself and is respected in heaven as well as on
earth. When a disciple ceases to hanker after the world and heaven,
and regards everything save his Object as a hindrance to his (onward)
march, he should heartily endeavour to seek God, come manfully to
the Path, and resort to a compassionate Teacher, so that the latter
may help him in treading the Path, and tell him of its dangers, thus
securing him a safe journey without any break or failure.
The Teacher cannot turn an unruly candidate into an earnest
disciple.... If the spirit of the Path lies latent in a candidate, it
will unfold by His company and service. The Divine Law works in this
way.
ON DISCIPLESHIP. (_Continued._)
When a man calls himself a disciple, he ought to justify the title
to the fullest extent and firmly tread the straight Path. He should
constantly use the collyrium of turning back (=Taubâh=), put on the
robe of detachment from connexions and from self, drink the wine of
Seeking out of the cup of Purity, draw the sword of Magnanimity from
the sheath of Religion, dismiss the cravings of the infidel Desire,
practise absorption, and not care for the higher or the lower worlds.
When he has become proficient in the truths of discipleship and the
subtleties of Seeking, has gathered the fruits of purification and
asceticism, begun to tread the Path and passed through several stages
of the journey--then, if asked whether he is a disciple, he can say:
"I may be one, God helping." Thus is discipleship justified, and
pretension avoided.
This is the way of those endowed with insight and divine Wisdom. Not to
look to personality at any stage, nor to depend upon its possessions.
Many saints with a lifelong devotion have slipped down from dizzy
heights.... A disciple who concentrates in himself the purity of all
the angels and the piety of all men is self-conceited and sure to fall,
if he knows himself to be better than a dog.... The beginner has a
tongue, the proficient scholar is silent.--_Letter 54._
A disciple is a worshipper of his Teacher. If his rest and movements
are in accordance with His commands, he is a disciple; if he follows
his own desires, he is a follower of his desires, not of his Teacher.
A disciple is he who loses himself in the Teacher. He shakes off his
desires, as a serpent casts its slough. If he has even the least
remnant of desire left in him, and doubts and protests find room in
his heart, he is a worshipper of himself, not of the Teacher....
A disciple should be a worshipper of the Teacher, [so that he may
become a worshipper of God]. One who obeys the Messenger verily obeys
God.--_Fawâed-i-Ruknî._
God has concealed precious gifts under the difficulties He has imposed
upon these men (_i. e._ the disciples). A disciple should manfully
discharge his duties without fail, in spite of the hardships and
trials of the Path. God does not work in one way only, and it is
difficult to know which way will lead the disciple to Him--joy or
sorrow, gifts or privation. There is a divine secret underneath all
sufferings and enjoyments in the world.--_The Series of 28 Letters,
Letter 1._
"A long journey is needed to ripen the raw." As a fruit requires
both sunshine and shadow for its maturity, so a pilgrim requires the
dual experience--joy and sorrow, union and separation, presence and
absence,--for his perfection.--_Ibid, Letter 5._
There is no bar to the reception of the Divine Light. If there is any,
it is due to lack of capacity. How can an unpolished mirror reflect
an image?... The pilgrim needs patience and endurance, not hurry and
unrest. God knows each man as he is, and sheds the Light when he
deserves it.--_Ibid, Letter 4._
Contentment is a _sine quâ non_; one without it should abandon
occultism and go to the market.
The performance of duties to the best of one's abilities cannot be
dispensed with, as it is necessary for the safe passage of the pilgrim.
While sane, he should follow Truth. Truth in words and conduct is ever
beneficial, never harmful.--_Ibid, Letter 15._
THE FRIEND OF GOD--(THE =WALÎ=).
The =Walî= (or the Friend of God) is one who constantly receives the
favours of the Deity, which consist in his being guarded against all
troubles, the hardest of which is the commission of sins. As a Prophet
must be sinless, so must a Friend be protected. The distinction between
the two is this: The one is beyond the commission of a sin; the other
is liable to commit a sin on rare occasions, but does not persist
therein.... The Friend is endowed with all possible virtues.... Again,
it is said, the Friend is he who does not fail in his duties to God
and the universe. He does not serve through hope and fear of agreeable
and disagreeable consequences. He does not set any value on his
individuality....
A Friend may be either known or unknown to the people. If unknown, he
is not affected by the evils of fame....
A Friend is he who does not long for the world or for Heaven, who
forsakes himself for the Divine Friendship and turns his heart to the
True One.... The Friends are the special objects of the Love of God.
Owing to their devotion, they have been chosen as the Governors of
His Kingdom, the channels of His Activities, receive special powers,
and are liberated from the bondage of the desire-nature. They do not
desire anything save Him, nor feel attachment to anything save Him.
They have been before us, are in these days, and will be till the end
of the world....
They are to-day the appointed Agents of God to serve as channels for
the propagation of the messages of the ancient Prophets, and to govern
the world--so that the rain may pour from heaven by Their blessings,
that plants may grow from the earth by Their purity, and that the
faithful may prevail over the faithless by Their strength.
Superhuman powers are a kind of idols in this world. If a saint is
content with their possession, he stops his onward progress. If he
turns away from them he advances the cause of his union with God.
Here is a subtile mystery, and it is this: True Friendship consists
in the rejection of all save the Beloved. But attention to superhuman
powers and reliance upon them means the rejection of the Beloved, and
satisfaction with something other than Himself.--_Letter 8._
THE BROTHERHOOD OF FRIENDS.
[There is a passage on the hierarchy of Divine Friends in
=Fawâed-i-Ruknî=, another work of the author, which is translated below
as a supplement to the present subject.--_Trs._]
There are 4,000 =Walîs= who are not known to the world. They do not
know one another, nor are they conscious of their exalted position.
They ever remain veiled from the world, as well as from themselves.
There are 300 =Akhyâr= (the Charitable or the Benevolent) who solve the
difficulties of the world and keep the gate of the Divine Sanctuary.
There are forty =Abdâl= (the Substitutes); 17 =Abrâr= (the Liberated);
5 =Nujabâ= (the Pure); 4 =Autâd= (the Pegs); 3 =Nuqabâ= (the
Watchers); 1 =Qutub= (the Pole), also called =Gaus=, the 'Redresser of
Grievances'. All these know one another and are interdependent for the
discharge of their respective duties. (Total, 370--_Trs._)
According to another authority (=Majma-us-Sâerîn=) there are 356
=Walîs= ever working in the world. When one of them retires, another
takes his place, so that there is never any diminution in the number
356. They are made up of 300 + 40 + 7 + 5 + 3 + 1. The =One= is the
=Qutub= of the world, the preservation of which is due to His holy
existence. If He retired without another to take His place, the world
would fall to pieces. When the =Qutub= retires, one of the _Three_
takes His place; one of the _Five_ fills up the gap in the _Three_,
one of the _Seven_ fills up the gap in the _Five_, one of the _Forty_
fills up the gap in the _Seven_, one of the _Three Hundred_ fills
up the gap in the _Forty_, and a man is posted to the vacancy in the
rank of the _Three Hundred_--so that 356 ever continue working in the
world, and every spot is blessed by Their auspicious Feet. Their outer
life is similar to that of ordinary people, so the latter cannot know
Them. Inwardly, They are united with God. Love, Friendship, and the
Mysteries have to do with the _within_, not with the _without_. They
(the =Walîs=) are too strong to be hindered by earth, water, fire, air,
plains and hills. Being in the East, They can see and hear men in the
West. They can instantly go from the East to the West, come from the
West to the East, go to and come back from =Arsh= (the Divine Throne).
Theirs are many superhuman powers of like nature.
POLYTHEISM, AND THE FRIENDSHIP OF GOD.
Polytheism is twofold:--
(1) The outer, which consists in worshipping a god other than the One
Highest God....
(2) The inner, which consists in thinking of a being, other than God,
as a helper at the time of need.
Some say that to see anything save Him, is polytheism for an Occultist.
Some say that to refer to any separated self in any way, to be inclined
to do anything with one's own will, and to resort to one's own schemes
and plans in any emergency, are all forms of polytheism....
The chosen Friend is he who is of God alone, both without and within.
He neither acts nor thinks against [the Divine Will]. He does not
mix with the desire-nature, forgets his services in the presence of
the Master, and cannot do without Him.... He is so filled with Him
in all respects--both without and within--that it is impossible for
anything else to enter into him.... He loses his desire, will, and all
individual qualities, and exists merely through God's Desire and Will.
He gets what he wills--not because he wills anything other than what is
God's will, but because his will is one with God's. Nay God unfolds His
Will in him.--_Letter 9._
LIGHTS.
When the mirror of the Heart is cleansed of impurities, it becomes
capable of reflecting the supersensuous lights. They appear in the
beginning as flashes, but gain in power and volume as the heart becomes
purer--manifesting [gradually] as the lamp, the flame, the stars,
the moon, and the sun. The forms of flashes arise from ablutions
and prayers ...; those of the lamp, the flame and the stars, from
the _partial_ purity of the heart; that of the full moon, from its
_perfect_ purity; that of the sun, from the Soul reflecting its glory
in the perfectly purified heart. A time comes when [the inner light] is
a thousand times more luminous than the [external] sun. If [the visions
of] the sun and moon are simultaneous, the latter signifies the heart
reflecting the light of the Soul, the former the Soul itself. The light
of the Soul is _formless_, but is seen behind a _veil_ distorting the
_idea_ into the form of the sun.
Sometimes the Light of the Divine Attributes may cast its reflection
in the mirror of the heart according to the purity of the latter....
This Light distinguishes itself by a feeling of bliss in the
heart, which shows that it comes from God and not from others. It
is hard to describe this bliss. It is said that the Light of the
Constructive Attributes is illuminative, but not scorching; that of
the Disintegrating Attributes scorching, but not illuminative. This
is beyond the comprehension of intellect. Sometimes, when the purity
of the heart is complete, the Seer sees the True One _within_ him,
if he looks _within_, the True One _without_ him, if he looks to the
universe. When the Divine Light is reflected in the light of the
soul, the vision gives bliss. When the Divine Light shines _without_
the media of the soul and the heart, the vision manifests formlessness
and infinity, uniqueness and harmony, the basis and support of _all_
existence. Here there is neither rising nor setting, neither right
nor left, neither up nor down, neither space nor time, neither far
nor near, neither night nor day, neither heaven nor earth. Here the
pen breaks, the tongue falters, intellect sinks into nothingness,
intelligence and knowledge miss the way in the wilderness of
amazement.--_Letter 12_.
THE UNVEILING OF THE SUPERSENSUOUS.
The essence of the Unveiling lies in coming _out_ of the veils. The
seer perceives things not perceived by him before. The "veils" mean
hindrances keeping one back from the perfect vision of the Divine
Beauty, and consist of the various worlds--according to some, 18,000 in
number, according to others, 80,600--all present in the constitution of
man. Man has an eye correlated to each world, with which he observes
that world during the unveiling. These worlds are included under a
twofold division: Light and Darkness, Heaven and Earth, Invisible
and Visible, Spiritual and Physical,--each pair expressing the same
sense in different words.... When a sincere pilgrim, impelled by his
aspiration, turns from the lower nature to follow the Law, and begins
to tread the Path under the protection of a Teacher, he unfolds an
eye for each of the veils uplifted by him, to observe the conditions
of the world before him. First, he unfolds the eye of intellect and
comprehends the intellectual mysteries to the extent of the uplifting
of the veil. This is called the _Intellectual unveiling_, and should
not be depended on. Most of the philosophers are at this stage and
take it as the final goal. This stage transcended, the sincere pilgrim
comes to unveil the heart, and perceives various lights. This is called
the _Perceptual unveiling_. Next, he unveils the Secrets; this is the
_Inspirational unveiling_, and the Mysteries of creation and existence
are revealed to him. Next, he unveils the Soul; this is the _Spiritual
unveiling_, and he can now view Heaven and Hell, and communicate with
the Angels. When the soul is completely cleansed of earthly impurities,
and is thoroughly pure, he unveils Infinity and is privileged to
gaze at the circle of Eternity, to comprehend instantly both Past
and Future, getting rid of the limitations of Space and Time, ... to
see both fore and aft ... to read hearts, know events, and tread on
water, fire, and air. Such miracles are not to be relied on.... Next
comes the _Innermost unveiling_, enabling the pilgrim to enter the
plane of the Divine Attributes.... The Innermost is the bridge between
the Divine Attributes and the plane of the Soul, enabling the Soul to
experience the Divine vision, and reflect the Divine character. This is
called the _Unveiling of the Divine Attributes_. During this stage, the
disciple unfolds esoteric knowledge, revelation from God, His vision,
His bliss, real absorption, real existence, or Unity,--according as
he unveils the Divine Attributes of intelligence, audition, sight,
construction, disintegration, stability, or oneness. Similarly one may
think of other qualities.--_Letter 13._
* * * * *
[The last two extracts tacitly refer to the following =Sûfî=
classification of the human constitution:--
1. The Body (=Tan=), the brain-consciousness, or intellect, correlated
to the physical plane (=Nâsût=).
2. The Heart (=Dil=), the desires and the lower mind, correlated to the
astral and lower mental planes (=Malakût=).
3. The Soul (=Rûh=), the higher mind, the Ego, correlated to the higher
mental plane (=Jabarût=).
4. The Spirit (=Sirr=, or the _Mystery_), correlated to the spiritual
planes (=Lâhût=)--_Trs._]
ON THE SAME.
[The following supplementary notes from _The Series of 28 Letters_ may
prove both instructive and interesting.--_Trs._]
You say you hear certain words, but not from the organ of speech, or
through the organ of sound. Speech and Sound belong to this world: what
you hear belongs to =Malakût=.--_Loc. cit., Letter 10._
A pilgrim may hear the _sound_ in his body, nay, in the minerals,
plants, and animals. But if he hears from them the same =Zikr= (_i.
e._, the sacred formula) as practised by him, it is but an echo of his
practice--an imaginary phenomenon, not a real one: whereas, if he hears
from them the =Zikr= peculiar to them, the phenomenon is real.... The
universe being endless, the phenomena are endless.--_Ibid, Letter 15._
Powers and phenomena are trials for a pilgrim. Regard them as
obstacles, and never care for them.... It is a rare boon to pass from
the Name to the Named.... The Vision of the Prophet Khezar foretells
your success on the Path.... The odours, sacred and unearthly,
experienced by you, pertain to the =Malakût=: how can you find their
likeness on earth?--_Ibid, Letter 16._
ILLUMINATION.
There is a difference between Divine illumination and
Soul-illumination. When the mirror of the heart is cleansed of all
impurities, and has become thoroughly clear, it may serve to focus
the rays of the Divine Sun and so reflect the Divinity and all His
Attributes. But this boon is not enjoyed by every clean heart. Every
runner does not catch the game (lit., the antelope), but only he who
runs _can_ catch it....
A clean heart reflects some of the qualities of the Soul. If thoroughly
clean, it may at times reflect all the qualities. Sometimes the Essence
of the Soul--the Divine Viceroy--may display its nature, and assert
"I am the True One" by virtue of its viceroyalty. Sometimes the whole
universe may be seen making obeisance at the viceregal throne, and
the soul may mistake the Divine Viceroy for God.... Such mistakes are
common, and cannot be avoided without the Divine Grace and the help of
the Teacher. Now to come to the difference:
(1) Soul-illumination conquers the lower nature temporarily, _i. e._,
so long as the illumination continues;--Divine illumination conquers it
permanently.
(2) Soul-illumination is not inconsistent with the foulness of the
heart, does not solve all doubts, nor does it impart the bliss of
Divine Knowledge;--Divine illumination is the reverse of this.
(3)--Soul-illumination may induce pride, self-conceit, and egoism....
Divine illumination does away with all these, and increases the fervour
of Seeking.
'Illumination' and 'obscuration' are two words generally used among
the =Sûfîs=. The former means the unfolding of God, the latter means
the infolding of God. These expressions do not apply to His Essence,
since It is changeless. As when one finds the solution of a problem,
and says, "the problem is solved"--the problem is not solved, but
one's mind unfolds so as to grasp the problem; knowledge being
called the solution of the problem, ignorance its obscuration--so,
when one sees all from God, and not from self, when Self does away
with the lower nature and sees the Unknowable,--this is designated
Illumination.--_Letter 14._
DREAMS.
_First_, a pilgrim passing through the _earthly_ qualities sees in his
dreams heights and depths, streets and wells, gloomy and deserted
sites, waters and mountains. _Secondly_, passing through the _watery_
qualities, he sees greens and pastures, trees and sown fields, rivers
and springs. _Thirdly_, passing through the _airy_ qualities, he sees
himself walking or flying in the air, going up the heights. _Fourthly_,
passing through the _fiery_ qualities, he sees lamps and flames.
_Fifthly_, passing through the _etheric_, he finds himself walking or
flying over the heavens, going from one heaven to another, sees the
circling of the sky, and the angels. _Sixthly_, passing through the
_starry_ region, he sees the stars, the sun and the moon. _Seventhly_,
passing through the _animal_ qualities, he sees the corresponding
animals. If he finds himself prevailing over an animal, it indicates
his conquest over the corresponding quality. If he finds himself
overcome by an animal, it denotes the predominance of the corresponding
quality, and he should guard himself against it.
The pilgrim has to pass through thousands of worlds, and in each world
he perceives visions and experiences difficulties peculiar to it.
O brother, the soul is for the Goal. It should boldly cry out: "Let me
either cease to live, or reach the Goal."--_Letter 16._
ON MISCONCEPTIONS.
Many men fall from doubt and suspicion. A class of people say, "God
does not need our worship and services, and has no concern with our
virtues and vices: why should we restrain ourselves?" Such a doubt
arises from sheer ignorance, and supposes that the Law enjoins duties
for the sake of God. No. Duties are for the sake of man alone.... An
ignorant man of this sort fitly compares with a patient who, being
prescribed a certain treatment by his physician, does not follow it,
and says that his abstinence does no harm to the physician. He speaks
truly enough, but works his own destruction. The physician did not
prescribe to please himself, but to cure him.
A second class of men transgress the Law and depend on the Divine
Mercy. God is both merciful and a chastiser. We find that there are
many distressed and poor men in this world in spite of His Mercy and
His mountains of Treasure, that not a single grain of wheat grows
without laborious cultivation, and that no man can be healthy without
food, water and medicine. As He has ordained means for health and
wealth without which they cannot be had, such is the case in the moral
sphere also. Denial and ignorance are poisons to the soul, and idleness
its disease. The antidotes for the poisons are knowledge and wisdom
alone. The remedies for the disease are prayers and worship alone. He
who takes poison while depending on the Divine Mercy, kills himself.
The disease of the heart consists in desires. He who does not restrain
his desires risks his life if he knows them as sinful. But if he does
not regard them as harmful he has no life to risk, since he is already
dead. For such disregard is denial, and denial poisons faith.
A third set would understand by self-discipline, as imposed by the Law,
complete freedom from lust, anger and other evils. When they fail after
practising self-discipline for a length of time, they regard the task
as impossible. "Man, as he is constituted, cannot be pure, just as a
black blanket cannot turn into a white one. Why should we undertake
an impossible feat?" (So they think).--It is ignorance and vanity to
suppose that the Law enjoins complete freedom from lust and other
impulses inherent in human nature. The Prophet has said, "I am a man,
and may be angry," and signs of anger were at times visible in him. God
praises one who controls anger, not one who is devoid of anger. Again,
the prophet had nine wives, and a man destitute of the sexual desire
should be medically treated. The Prophet has countenanced the begetting
of progeny and the perpetuation of the race. But he has instructed
that the two (lust and anger) should be subdued so as to be under the
control of the Law, as a horse under the control of the rider, or a
dog under the control of the hunter. The animals should be trained,
else they will set upon and overthrow the man. Lust and anger are like
the dog and the horse, and it is impossible to catch the heavenly Game
without them. But they should be under control, else they will destroy
_us_. In short, the object of self-discipline is to break and subdue
these impulses, and this is possible.
A _fourth_ set proudly declare that everything is according to the
Divine Will. What is the use of exertion?--When the Prophet spoke of
the Divine Will, his companions said, "We shall depend upon it and
refrain from exertion." The Prophet replied, "_Ye shall exert_, and
[then] what has been ordained will be given." Thus, man should not
refrain from exertion. If he has in the beginning been ordained to
a noble destiny, he will attain to it [by exertion]. Good and evil
destinies hinge upon virtue and vice, in the same way as health and
death upon food and starvation.--_Letter 18._
THE OUTER AND INNER AILMENTS.