Author – Labib Mahfuj Chisty
The divine laws teach us how we can live in this mortal world but remain in the immortal world. There is no alternative to following the laws and regulations given by God to live a harmonious life, that is, a heavenly life. God has placed infinite potential within man. Man can become a great man through the full awakening of his own identity, he can awaken the dormant divine nature within him. Only when the divine nature within man is awakened will man regain his lost nature, the natures with which man was created. Man has lost that nature and is living a low life due to worldly delusion, illusion, and illusion. Only when the lost nature is recovered will man’s nature be eternally beautiful and eternally beneficial. Then man will be the guardian of Allah, the Word of Allah. That man will live in the eternal paradise or human paradise. That man will become the representative of God, the bearer and bearer of religion.
Throughout the ages, the Lord has chosen guides from among the people. It is the pure people who have given the education of real liberation to the fallen people. In the light of that education, all the darkness of ignorance has been dispelled, peace has been blazing, and religion has been elevated. We call the process of bringing people from the illusory, impermanent bondage of the world to the world of eternal liberation Sufism or Tariqat. The path given by a Sufi or pure person is called Sufism. Following the path introduced by the world teacher Muhammad (peace be upon him), great men, i.e. the saints, have formulated the path of liberation for us throughout the ages. By following which we will be able to attain eternal life. According to Chishtia Sufis, on the path of love for God, a lover has to cross eleven steps. Only by crossing the steps in the light of Guru’s knowledge will a person become Lord-filled. The fountain of infinite light of love for God will awaken in the hearts of those who seek knowledge. The eleven steps have been explained in detail.
1.
Marifat (knowledge of the identity of God)
Knowledge of the identity of God is called Marifat. God is mixed with human existence. It is never possible to find God outside of humans and gain Him. One has to know God only through knowing oneself, which is called the teaching of Man Arafat. This teaching has to be gained through the utmost devotion and devotion to the Guru’s path. The seeker or disciple becomes worthy of awakening the Lord in himself by abandoning all the impurities in his heart. The light of the Lord is revealed in the heart of the seeker who hopes for the Lord. The closed door of his heart is opened. All the secrets of the world and life are revealed to him. The traveler on the path of the Lord then knows the Lord by knowing Him and understands the world in the light given by the Lord.
“Sheikh Ali Huzairi (the giver of Ganje Bakhsh) (RA) said, Marifat is not achieved through knowledge or intellect. Marifat is achieved only by those who are hopeful of the Lord and they are the ones who receive the special grace of the Lord.”
“Abdullah Ibn Mubarak (RA) said, a Sufi has complete control over everything in the world and is as certain about the Lord as daylight.”
“Hazrat Junnun Mishri (RA) said, the reality of Marifat is that the Lord reveals His secrets to his lovers in the constant radiance of His Divine Light.”
“Hazrat Shibli (RA) said, Marifat is the name of eternal wonder. A Sufi’s faith is finally confirmed by the wonder of the existence of Allah.”
“Hazrat Bayazid Bustami (RA) said, “Marifat is the source of firm faith.”
2.
Tawheed (Oneness of Existence)
When a person attains divine knowledge, that is, is enlightened by the divine light and is elevated to the great time, then he can feel that there is no duality within existence. He then feels an eternal, infinite essence and finds himself immersed in the ocean of the infinite light of the Lord.
When the qualities of the Lord are bestowed upon a person, then the person himself becomes a means of expressing the power of God. Then the only glorious existence prevails around him. He then directs his conscious activity only by the power of the Lord. He can clearly feel that the only existence in the world is the existence of the Lord and everything in the world exists within that existence. That person who knows the truth can then clearly realize that the Lord sees, hears, says and does everything. We are only the exponents of His qualities.
3.
Iman (Faith)
The main pillar of religion is called faith. Basically, human loyalty is established from faith. And faith originates from the knowledge of Allah. When the seeker sees the knowledge of the Lord or the various actions of the Lord in the world and the miraculous manifestation of the Lord in man, then man becomes firmly convinced of the existence of the Lord and the process of manifestation.
In religion, faith is called the spring. Complete loyalty with complete faith is the main foundation of religion. Faith is called the source of love or love. The stronger one’s faith, the easier it is to travel the spiritual path. The mature embodiment of faith is a pure devotee, whose heart is formed by constant devotion and as a result, his life becomes illuminated by divine light.
4.
Taharat (Purity)
The life of a Sufi is basically a life free from all forms of non-Allah. Sufis are engaged in the only Lord and they abandon everything except the Lord, that is, they remain pure. Taharat is of two types. Namely, Taharat-e-Jahir and Taharat-e-Batin. Taharat-e-Jahir is external or physical cleanliness and Taharat-e-Batin is internal or spiritual cleanliness. Just as religious work is not permissible without physical cleanliness, so it is not possible to attain Marifaat without spiritual cleanliness.
5.
Taubah (Ask for forgiveness due to repentance)
The mistakes in the behavior or actions of a Sufi are forgivable through tawbah. Basically, tawbah brings a person under the ambit of forgiveness. After a mistake is committed, the real tawbah is not to commit that mistake again, where a salik corrects himself in a good way. When a person feels remorse for a past wrongdoing, he corrects himself through repentance. Therefore, repentance is an important aspect of a pious person’s life.
6.
Prayer (the beauty of seeing God)
Shaykh Ali Huzairi (Data Ganj Bakhsh R.A.) said, “Prayer not only guides the devotee to the path of Allah, but also reveals all the secrets of this path to the devoted devotee.” After purification through the ablution process, single-minded meditation on the Lord by determining the Qibla is prayer. The devotee’s inherent faith-devotion and Marifat, or knowledge of the Lord’s identity, are the prerequisites for prayer. Prayer is performed in the four Aksams in the meditation of the Ahmadiyya face, which has its own significance. Prayer is a spiritual state of meditation of the soul and dhikr, or constant remembrance of the Lord and tasting the form of the Lord. Prayer is not performed unless the vision of the Supreme Being in the world of the Real or the World of the Spirit or the world of the Spirit is achieved from the world of the Real or the World of the Spirit and the love born of the vision.
7.
Zakat (freedom of discrimination of instincts)
In order to free oneself from discrimination, some wealth has to be separated from the being, which is known as Zakat in the religious world. Zakat is an inevitable provision for living a life based on trust, through which a devotee Becomes a pure devotee. In the process of birth, we naturally become subject to some worldly instincts. Those instincts gradually separate us from the Lord. If it is possible to identify and separate those harmful instincts from ourselves with conscious mind, then only will the heart be pure and pure. One of the most beautiful processes for purifying the inner self is Zakat.
8.
Siam (Fasting)
The desire of man is like a mad horse that is unbridled and always restless. Therefore, it is very difficult for man to restrain his own self, that is, his desire or worldly thirst, which until it is controlled, man remains bound to his animal instinct. If it is possible to rein in that ever-restless mind, then only the divine light burns in the heart and the man becomes Lord-possessed. The act of reining in the self is basically Fasting is what helps the righteous on the difficult path to attaining God. That is why we see great saints and saints adopting the path of severe austerity to control their souls.
9.
Hajj (pilgrimage)
The Lord, by His will, has created the entire creation to reveal Himself from the hidden treasure house, calling Himself His nature. Among the entire creation, man is the only creation in whom all the natures of the Creator have been revealed in a more complete form and the Creator Himself has taken up residence within this human being. Therefore, man is called the revealer of the Creator. The Creator is not confined to any worldly place. He basically resides in the heart of man. Therefore, a man is the real pilgrimage-Kaaba, where if sought, it is possible to see or see the Lord. As long as man fails to find the Lord in his being, the truth will remain elusive to him and all his religious works and pilgrimages will be mere formalities. He is the permanent residence of glory in the temple of human pilgrimage. Therefore, the Lord must be sought among men, with a pure heart.
10.
Musahada (Becoming Face to Face with Divine Light)
Mushahadah is basically a state for a devotee, when in a spiritual journey a devotee reaches the face of the Lord and there is nothing between him and the Lord except immense devotion-faith-love, when the devotee looks around, he sees nothing but pure love. Musahada is to immerse himself in a divine love that is the beginning of the ocean of the Lord’s light. Meditation on the Lord’s light takes the devotee into an infinite bliss.
Sheikh Shibli (RA) said, “In everything I have seen, I have seen the Lord’s light in countless colors and forms.”
11.
Adab-e-Salik (Etiquette of the Seeker)
The most important thing for a seeker of God in the world of religion is Adab or religious etiquette. Adab is the adornment of a lover of God that sets him apart from other common people. The excellent life style of a Salik is determined by manners. Eleven manners of a Salik or a follower of the true path are mentioned.
1 – One must strictly follow the orders of the Lord and the rules of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
2 – A Salik must maintain cordial and loving relations with everyone.
3 – A Salik must always be eager to have the company of Sufis.
4 – Everyone who comes must be welcomed with equal sincerity and respect.
5 – One must travel for the pleasure of the Lord in Jihad and in search of knowledge.
6 – One must seek honest livelihood and refrain from pomp in food.
7 – One must avoid the rich, royal people, and the powerful.
8 – One must control one’s behavior with humility, abandoning arrogance.
9 – Sleep should be controlled and time should be spent in devotional meditation.
10 – Silence should be adopted. One should silently engage in the effort of spiritual progress.
11 – Dispassion from the world is the greatest ornament of a Satyarthi.
Challenging the nature of the self, i.e. the careless illusion of materialism, and arranging the special palace of the Lord in one’s inner kingdom is called religion. We have to do that work with the infinite power of the pursuit of love, i.e. the love of the Lord. In daily practice, the black shadow of our ever-familiar materialism gradually begins to fade, the veil of our eyes is removed, and then we are drenched in the fountain of the special light of the Lord. The door of our closed heart is opened. Then we can feel, “We are not separate from the Lord.”
Religion is the name of achieving the Lord. May the Lord accept us. Amen.
Date of writing – 10/10/2020
Author – Labib Mahfuj Chisty
Editor – Apon Khobor Magazine
Information support – Chishti Aadesh.