ALLAH MOST HIGH HIMSELF SHOWS THE WAY TO THOSE WHO SEEK TO REMEMBER HIM. " REMEMBER ALLAH AS HE HAS GUIDED YOU..." (SURA BAQARAH, 198) THIS MEANS TO REMEMBER THAT YOUR CREATOR HAS BROUGHT YOU TO A CERTAIN LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND FAITH AND THAT YOU CAN ONLY REMEMBER HIM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS ABILITY. OUR MASTER THE PROPHET S.A.W SAYS, 'THE BEST DECLARATION OF REMEMBRANCE IS THE ONE WHICH I AND ALL THE PROPHETS BEFORE ME RECITE. IT IS IN THE DIVINE PHRASE LA ILAHA ILLA LLAH - THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH '.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF REMEMBRANCE AND EACH HAS DIFFERENT WAYS. SOME ARE EXPRESSED OUTWARDLY WITH AUDIBLE VOICE, SOME FELT INWARDLY, SILENTLY, FROM THE CENTRE OF THE HEART. AT THE BEGINNING ONE SHOULD DECLARE IN WORDS WHAT ONE REMEMBERS. THEN STAGE BY STAGE THE REMEMBRANCE SPREADS THROUGHOUT ONE'S BEING - DESCENDING TO THE HEART, THEN RISING TO THE SOUL; THEN STILL FURTHER IT REACHES THE REALM OF THE SECRETS; FURTHER TO THE HIDDEN; TO THE MOST HIDDEN OF THE HIDDEN. HOW FAR THE REMEMBRANCE PENETRATES , THE LEVEL IT REACHES, DEPENDS SOLELY ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH ALLAH IN HIS BOUNTY HAS GUIDED ONE.
REMEMBRANCE PRONOUNCED IN WORDS IS BUT A DECLARATION THAT THE HEART HAS NOT FORGOTTEN ALLAH. THE INWARD SILENT REMEMBRANCE IS A MOVEMENT OF THE EMOTIONS. THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE HEART IS THROUGH FEELING IN ONESELF THE MANIFESTATION OF ALLAH'S MIGHT AND BEAUTY, WHILE THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE SOUL IS THROUGH THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE DIVINE LIGHT GENERATED BY ALLAH'S MIGHT AND BEAUTY. THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE LEVEL OF THE SECRET REALM IS THROUGH THE ECSTASY RECEIVED FROM BEHOLDING THE DIVINE SECRETS. THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE HIDDEN REALM BRINGS ONE TO : " THE PLACE OF TRUTH IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOVEREIGN OMNIPOTENT." (SURA QAMAR,55) THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE FINAL LEVEL THAT IS CALLED "KHAFI AL-AKHFA" - THE MOST HIDDEN OF THE HIDDEN - BRINGS ONE TO A STATE OF ANNIHILATION OF THE SELF AND UNIFICATION WITH THE TRUTH. IN REALITY NONE OTHER THAN ALLAH KNOWS THE STATE OF THE ONE WHO HAS PENETRATED INTO THAT REALM CONTAINING ALL KNOWLEDGE, WHICH IS THE END OF ALL AND EVERYTHING. " SURELY HE KNOWS THE SECRET AND WHAT IS YET MORE HIDDEN." (SURA TA HA, 7)
WHEN ONE HAS PASSED THROUGH THESE STAGES OF REMEMBRANCE, A DIFFERENT STATE OF SPIRIT, AS IF A DIFFERENT SOUL, IS BORN IN ONE. THAT SOUL IS PURER AND FINER THAN ALL OTHER SOULS. IT IS THE CHILD OF THE HEART, THE CHILD OF TRUTH. WHEN IN THE FORM OF SEED, THIS CHILD INVITES AND ATTRACTS MAN TO SEEK AND THE ESSENCE OF ALLAH MOST HIGH. NEITHER THIS NEW SOUL CALLED THE CHILD OF THE HEART, NOR ITS SEED AND POTENTIAL, IS IN EVERY MAN. IT IS FOUND ONLY IN THE PURE BELIEVER: "HE PLACES THE SOUL WITH HIS DECREE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHOM HE CHOOSES". (SURA MU'MIN, 15)
THIS SOUL IS SENT FROM THE REALM OF THE ALL-POWERFUL AND IS PLACED IN THE UNIVERSE OF THE VISIBLE WORLDS WHERE THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE CREATOR ARE MANIFEST IN THE CREATION, BUT IT BELONGS TO THE REALM OF TRUTH. IT DOES NOT FAVOUR NOR PAY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING BUT THE ESSENCE OF ALLAH. OUR MASTER THE PROPHET S.A.W EXPLAINS:" THIS WORLD IS UNDESIRABLE AND UNLAWFUL FOR THOSE WHO WISH FOR THE HEREAFTER. THE HEREAFTER IS UNDESIRABLE FOR THOSE WHO WISH FOR THIS WORLD, AND IT WILL NOT BE GIVEN TO THEM. BUT FOR THE SOULS WHO SEEK ALLAH'S ESSENCE, NEITHER THIS WORLD NOR THE HEREAFTER HAS ANY ATTRACTION." THIS SOUL IS THE CHILD OF TRUTH. IT IS THAT WITHIN ONE WHICH WILL SEEK, FIND AND BE WITH ITS LORD.
OVER AND ABOVE ANYTHING YOU DO, THE MATERIAL BEING IN YOU MUST FOLLOW THE STRAIGHT PATH. THAT IS ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH PRESERVING AND FOLLOWING THE PRECEPTS OF RELIGION. TO DO THIS ONE HAS TO BE CONSCIOUS, TO REMEMBER - TO REMEMBER ALLAH, NIGHT AND DAY, INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY, CONTINUOUSLY. AS ALLAH ORDERS:
" REMEMBER ALLAH STANDING AND SITTING AND LYING DOWN." (SURA NISA', 103)
"...THOSE WHO REMEMBER ALLAH STANDING AND SITTING AND LYING ON THEIR SIDES, AND WHO REFLECT ON THE CREATION OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. OUR LORD, THOU HAST NOT CREATED THIS IN VAIN! GLORY BE TO THEE..." (SURA AL 'IMRAN, 190)
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THE NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR REMEMBRANCE
ONE OF THE CONDITIONS THAT PREPARES ONE TO REMEMBER IS TO BE IN A STATE OF ABLUTION; WASHED AND CLEANSED BODILY AND PURIFIED INWARDLY. AT THE BEGINNING, A CONDITION FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REMEMBRANCE IS TO PRONOUNCE ALOUD THE WORDS AND PHRASES OF WHAT IS TO BE REMEMBERED - THE CONFESSION OF UNITY, THE ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH. WHEN THESE WORDS ARE RECITED, ONE SHOULD USE ALL ONE'S EFFORT TO BE IN A CONSCIOUS STATE. IN THIS WAY THE HEART HEARS THE WORD AND IS ENLIGHTENED WITH THE LIGHT OF THAT WHICH IS REMEMBERED. IT RECEIVES ENERGY AND BECOMES ALIVE - NOT ONLY ALIVE IN THIS WORLD, BUT ALIVE FOREVER IN THE HEREAFTER. ALLAH MOST HIGH DESCRIBES THIS ETERNAL LIFE: " THEY TASTE NOT THEREIN DEATH, EXCEPT THE FIRST DEATH..."(SURA DUKHAN,56)
OUR MASTER THE PROPHET S.A.W DESCRIBING THE STATE OF THE BELIEVER WHO ACHIEVES TRUTH THROUGH REMEMBRANCE, SAYS, "BELIEVERS DO NOT DIE. THEY ONLY PASS FROM THIS TEMPORAL LIFE TO THE EVERLASTING LIFE". AND THEY DO THERE WHAT THEY DID HERE. AS HE SAYS, " THE PROPHETS AND THE ONES CLOSE TO ALLAH CONTINUE THEIR WORSHIP IN THEIR GRAVES AS THEY DID IN THEIR HOUSES." THE WORSHIP HE MENTIONS IS INWARD SUPPLICATION OF ALLAH, NOT THE PRAYER OBLIGATORY FIVE TIMES A DAY IN THIS WORLD, WITH ITS STANDING, BOWING AND PROSTRATION. INWARD SILENT SUPPLICATION IS ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL QUALITIES IDENTIFYING THE TRUE BELIEVER.
WISDOM IS NOT OBTAINED BY MAN, BUT IS GIVEN TO HIM BY ALLAH. AFTER HAVING BEEN ELEVATED TO THAT STATE, THE WISE BECOME INTIMATE WITH THE SECRETS OF ALLAH. ALLAH BRINGS ONE TO HIS SECRETS ONLY IF ONE'S HEART IS ALIVE AND CONSCIOUS WITH THE REMEMBRANCE OF HIM, AND IF THAT CONSCIOUS HEART HAS THE WISH TO RECEIVE THE TRUTH. AS OUR MASTER THE PROPHET S.A.W SAYS. "MY EYES SLEEP, BUT MY HEART IS EVER AWAKE ".
THE IMPORTANCE OF WISHING IN OBTAINING WISDOM AND TRUTH IS EXPLAINED IN THE WORDS OF OUR PROPHET S.A.W, " IF A PERSON WISHES TO LEARN AND ACTS UPON HIS WISH AND STUDIES, BUT DIES BEFORE ATTAINING HIS GOAL, ALLAH ASSIGNS HIM TWO ANGELS AS TEACHERS WHO TEACH HIM DIVINE WISDOM UNTIL THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT. THAT PERSON IS RAISED FROM HIS GRAVE AS A WISE MAN WHO HAS OBTAINED THE TRUTH. " THE TWO ANGELS HERE REPRESENT THE SPIRIT OF OUR PROPHET AND THE LIGHT OF LOVE AND SANCTITY WHICH CONNECTS MAN WITH ALLAH. THE IMPORTANCE OF WISH AND INTENTION IS FURTHER MENTIONED BY THE PROPHET S.A.W: "MANY WHO WISH TO KNOW DIE IGNORANT, BUT THEY ARE RAISED FROM THEIR GRAVES ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT AS WISE; AND MANY A MAN OF KNOWLEDGE IS RAISED ON THAT DAY DEPRAVED, HAVING LOST EVERYTHING, AND TOTALLY IGNORANT." THOSE MEN WHO ARE PROUD OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE, WHO SEEK KNOWLEDGE IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE GOODS OF THE WORLD AND TO SIN, ARE WARNED:
"YOU RECEIVED YOUR GOOD THINGS IN THE LIFE OF THE WORLD AND YOU TOOK YOUR PLEASURE FROM THEM, BUT TODAY SHALL YOU BE RECOMPENSED WITH A PENALTY OF HUMILIATION, FOR THAT YOU WERE ARROGANT ON EARTH WITHOUT JUST CAUSE AND THAT YOU (EVEN) TRANSGRESSED." (SURA AHQAF,20)
THE PROPHET S.A.W SAYS, "ACTIONS ARE CONDITIONED BY AND TIED TO INTENTIONS. THE WISH AND INTENTION OF THE FAITHFUL ARE BETTER AND MORE WORTHY IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH THAN ARE HIS ACTIONS. THE INTENTION OF THE UNFAITHFUL IS WORSE THAN WHAT APPEARS IN HIS ACTIONS. FOR ALLAH, THE GOOD INTENTION OF THE BELIEVER IS MORE WORTHY THAN THE BEST DEED OF THE UNFAITHFUL" INTENTION IS THE FOUNDATION OF ACTION. OUR MASTER THE PROPHET S.A.W SAYS, "IT IS GOOD TO BUILD A GOOD DEED UPON A GOOD FOUNDATION, AND A SIN IS A DEED BUILT UPON BAD INTENTIONS."
"WHOSO DESIRES THE CULTIVATION OF THE HEREAFTER WE GIVE HIM INCREASE IN HIS CULTIVATION, AND WHOSO DESIRES THE CULTIVATION OF THIS WORLD WE GIVE HIM THEREOF AND HE HAS NO PORTION IN THE HEREAFTER." (SURA SHURA,20)
THE BEST COURSE IS TO FIND A TRUE SPIRITUAL TEACHER WHO WILL BRING YOUR HEART TO LIFE. THIS WILL SECURE YOU THE ETERNAL LIFE OF THE HEREAFTER. THIS IS URGENT; IT HAS TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY IN THIS LIFE BEFORE THE TIME IS SPENT. THIS WORLD IS THE FIELD OF THE HEREAFTER. HE WHO DOES NOT PLANT HERE WILL NOT REAP THERE. SO PLANT YOUR FIELD UPON THIS EARTH WITH BOTH THE SUBJECTIVE SEEDS OF A GOOD LIFE HERE AND THE OBJECTIVE SEEDS THAT YOU WILL YIELD A GOOD HARVEST IN THE HEREAFTER.
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