Tasawwuf and Character Building
SECTION 1
CHAPTER 2
THE FIRST LATIFA QALB
To understand the basics of lataif we must consider ourselves as patients. When a patient seeks medical help, the doctor prescribes medicine and also the dosage and directions for taking it. Have you ever seen a patient arguingwith the doctor about the prescriptions or dosage or selection of the medicine or why should he not suggest a cure for himself? On the contrary, when a person goes to a doctor he puts his complete confidence in the knowledge and experience of the doctor. In spite of the fact that he may have read many medical books he still has faith in the experience of the doctor. This is the correct attitude. To make this point more clear let us understand that certain parts of the body are called the vital organs. If these organs are functioning properly then the entire system of the body runs smoothly. This is the reason why the doctors take special care to check these vital organs first. In the same manner, the spiritual system also comprises some vital parts, which are called lataif, and the spiritual doctors take special care to cure them. Just as the great scholars of medicine follow Bu Ali Sina, renowned for his authentic research in the Greek system of medicine, the spiritual teachers also follow the techniques and ways of the skilled masters of the art of Tasawwuf, and it is observed by the experience of the past centuries that usually patients are cured by such methods of treatment.
Among the various lataif, the first latifa is the Qalb (the subtle heart) where the treatment begins. Let us consider this example:
If a person is dirty and has not washed himself for days, or if the food he is eating is exposed to germs and is unhygienic, then he will definitely be ill very soon as he will he inciting harmful diseases because of the filth and dirt his body is exposed to. Similarly, the latifah Qalb also falls sick because of its continuous disobedience to ALLAH,which results in the accumulation of layers of rust on it. ALLAH has pointed out this fact in the Holy Quran as:
Their hearts have rusted because of their conduct. (83:14)
Bad company, illiteracy, wrong upbringing can also make the heart rusty and this sometimes may happen unconsciously as in the caseof a person who hashad a bath, put onclean clothes, and enters a factory where there is a lot of dirt and pollution. His clothes will certainly be affected by the polluted environment, no matter how much he tries to be careful. The same rule applies to the fact that if somebody lives in an environment where ALLAH’s orders and commands are always violated then the latifa Qalb is badly affected. Therefore, the Q alb has to he cleansed of all its impurities. But what is the method used to clean the heart? Let us see this Hadith first:
‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umar
has stated that the Holy Prophet
had said that every dirty object can be cleaned and polished and the polish to clean the heart is ALLAH’s Zikr. It the method applied to clean and purify the heart, by practising ALLAH’sZikr and striking the Divine Name on the latifa Qalb to an extent that the darkness of evil is replaced by the splendour of the Divine Light. ALLAH declares in the following verse:
Is the one whose heart ALLAH has opened to Islam, so that he has received light from ALLAH.(39:22)
When the Holy Prophet recited this verse, the Companions requested an explanation. The Holy Prophet explained ‘To feel inclined towards the life of the Hereafter, to feel disgusted with this world and its luxuries and to display the desire for death before death.’ That is, to prepare for death before hand. When such feelings develop in the subtle heart, we can say that the Qalb is following the right path which now shows that the very first lesson of the sublime Path revolutionises the life of a person. His whole attitude towards life changes, he now realises the importance of the eternal life and the permanence of the Hereafter and develops a colder attitude towards the temporary luxuries and comforts of this world. His worldly life spent according to the Will of ALLAH shall earn him a successful life of the Hereafter. Tasawwuf does not teach forsaking the world, infact it teaches to forsake the love of this world. Since love demands total devotion to the beloved, therefore if the heart is full of desire for the world, how can it develop a love for ALLAH?The love for ALLAH requires that ALLAH should always remain in your heart. And when the heart lights up with the Divine Name, then the seeker must analyse himself. Every action performed by him must be for the pleasure of the Creator and for a happy life in the Hereafter, and not for worldly pleasure. If a person who practices Zikr finds no change in himself, if he still indulges in the material desires of the world, does not care for what is legal and the illegal, then surely the Sublime Name of ALLAH has not reached his heart. A flash of lightening may have been sensed followed by total darkness.
To understand this better think of an engine which has been filled with steam inorder to function properly? But in spite of the steam the engine does not work, nor does it move forward then what is the use of that steam? Similarly, the result of practising Zikr should be that a person feels an enthusiasm, a strong inclination to move forward inthe direction of ALLAH’s pleasure. The motive behind every deed and action should be that ALLAH will be happy with me. To achieve ALLAH’snearness, it is mandatory that all his actions should be subservient to the Divine Will. For a Ruh to achieve the heights of nearness a person should perform virtuous deeds. So, when we say that the first latifa has started working means that a person feels inclined towards all goodness and starts disliking all those sins which he once cherished. A person reaches this point when his attention is directed towards ALLAH all the time.
There are people who usually object that it is not possible to practice ALLAH’sZikr all the time. As one is always busy talking, meeting and socialising with other people so where is the time to practice ALLAH’sZikr all the time? Apparently this is right, but our experience proves it to be otherwise. Practising Zikr verbally all the time is something else, but to be attentive to ALLAH all the time from the very depth of your heart is something else, which is not impossible. A person is busy in his day to day business and he remembers to act according to Divine Will. He reminds himself not to go near anything which is forbidden because the strength, the capability and knowledge of doing his work has all been given by ALLAH and if he uses these blessings of ALLAH in the wrong way, it would make him a terrible sinner. He is practising ALLAH’s Zikr here, and this in no way shall be a hindrance to his work but would help him in treading the right path.
Thisexample ofconcentration can be found easily in our daily lives. Many people usually experience it. A person who is driving a vehicle has his concentration fixed upon the road but he is also operating the gears, controlling the steering and above all, talking to his companions if any, or maybe listening to the radio, but not for a moment does his attention leave the road or the car that he is driving. When a driver can perform a simple task of concentrating on the road as well as on the vehicle why can’t a person divert his attention and concentration towards ALLAH all the time?
Now you must have understood the meaning of a strengthened subtle heart. Those fortunate people who have benefitted from this blessing must critically analyze their practical lives, beliefs, ethics and dealings, and must keep a vigilant eye on them, since they have set out on the path to get closer to ALLAH and to win His Pleasure. Closeness to ALLAH depends entirely on noble deeds. The stations of the Sufi path act as the steam which moves the engine of practical life. Hadhrat Rampuri writes:
When we say that the lataif are working, we do not mean that they are moving or the Divine Lights must be observed. It indicates the fact that a person always feels inclined towards ALLAH and the love for the world and its luxuries starts to diminish. If a person has started to feel this, then by ALLAH’s blessing, he is progressing.
May ALLAH bless us with His Divine guidance. We believe, and have faith in Him and to Him we submit for all our needs.
And do not disgrace me on the Day when they are raised up. The Day when neither wealth nor sons will avail. But only he who brings to ALLAH a pure heart. (26:87-89)
The verse which I have quoted shows that in order to achieve salvation a person must return with a pure heart to ALLAH. Pure heart means a heart which is not sick, should be cured of all ailments as the biggest ailment of the heart is disbelief and polytheism, that is faith in many gods. If the heart is surrounded by such ailments then salvation is impossible. ALLAH has declared for the disbelievers:
Their hearts are ailing. But there are numerous minor ailments which a heart becomes prone to, as a result impurities start to accumulate and the heart starts losing its capability to do good. In the presence of such ailments, the heart can still achieve salvation but after going through a vigorous cleaning up. We are grateful to ALLAH Almighty that he has saved us from the disease of disbelief in His Unity, but we are very much entangled in the minor ailments and these ailments darken our hearts and we lose the capability to perceive ALLAH’s Greatness. The method to purify the heart as prescribed by the Holy Prophet is Zikr ALLAH. By practising the Zikr of ALLAH all these small ailments start to disappear and the heart becomes healthy and is strengthened by the Divine Light. If now, after acquiring health and strength, it still clings to the bed and does not work, then it is handicapped. But the heart which is healthy and does not do anything, it is trying to run away from its responsibilities, and is just lazy.
Similarly, if the first latifa Qalb has started to strengthen and there is no change in his practical life, then one can say that he is strong no doubt, but just plain lazy. If a person who is unarmed gets beaten up by an enemy, we may sympathise with him as he does not have the strength to fight back, but when a person is strong and supplied with weapons and still does not fight back, what would you call him? A coward, therefore, when the first latifa has lit up a person is required to defend himself from his eternal enemy Satan. He has now been blessed by ALLAH with all the weapons he needs. But if he still stays a coward then he will definitely be attacked by the enemy, and above all will earn for himself the annoyance of his Creator. He will have to answer for not using the strength he had been blessed with. He will not be able to escape the wrath of ALLAH because he did not appreciate the great favour bestowed by Him.
Another point about lataif is that, when the Zikr is being practised on the latifa Qalb, it is usually said that it is under the feet of Hadhrat Adam
. What is meant by this? The masters of the art of Tasawwuf explain that the blessings of the Holy Prophet reach us through Hadhrat Adam. To understand this better, take the example of the sun. The rays of the sun, when they reach us directly, there is no colour, but if the rays have to pass through coloured glass then the rays will acquire the colour of the glass. If the glass is green then the rays will also be green.
The Holy Prophet is the real source of all blessings. He is like the shining sun, the bright lamp for this universe. All the blessings acquired by the followers of the past Prophets, were actually originating from our beloved Prophet, transmitted through the Prophet of that particular period. The Prophets acted as intermediaries to convey the blessings of the Holy Prophet to mankind. All Prophets of ALLAH were perfect humans in every respect, but one particular attribute always distinguished them from others. So when we say under the feet of Hadhrat Adam, we refer to that particular quality of Hadhrat Adam which has been enhanced by the blessings of the Holy Prophet. A salik practising Zikr feels the same quality in him or we may say he tries to follow in the footsteps of Hadhrat Adam which bestowed him with such strength. But we must remember that possessing strength and then using it practically, are two different phenomenon. If a person who is following this path does not bring into use this God given strength, then he is answerable for not appreciating what had been given to him and he also proves himself unfaithful to the Holy Prophet.
The special quality which comes to the forefront in the nature of Hadhrat Adam is that when he had committed a mistake by the mischief of Satan, he felt very repentant and ashamed, and very humbly asked forgiveness from ALLAH by the following words which had been taught to him by ALLAHHimself:
O our Rabb! We have wronged our own souls. If You do not forgive us and do not bestow upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be lost. ( 7:23)
Thus it is the quality of a human being, that when he commits a mistake he should feel ashamed and ask for forgiveness. On the other hand, when Satan was asked the reason for his disobedience, he replied:
I am better than him. ( 7:12)
That is he insisted on what was wrong because he was obstinate. This means that to insist on something wrong and forbidden, and then to be obstinate about it is the trait of the Satan. After latifa Qalb gets illuminated, a person who is but human, commits amistake,he feels repentant and ashamed immediately, and asks for forgiveness from his Creator from the very core of his heart. The sublimity of the Divine Light warns a person when he starts to go astray from his straight path and shows him the right path again. But if he still indulges in the wrong deeds, this light of ALLAH creates a feeling of repentance and he seeks the pardon of his Creator. On the other hand, if a person keeps ignoring these warnings inside him, he is very unfortunate and has put off the light of guidance within him. That is why a salik should always scrutinize his actions in life.