Tasawwuf and Character Building
SECTION 1
CHAPTER 3
THE SECOND LATIFA RUH
When the heart functions properly in the human body, fresh blood starts to circulate through veins and arteries, positively affecting the other vital parts of the body. The proper function of the heart is, therefore, very important for a healthy body. Similarly, when the first latifa, that is the Qalb, is illuminated the other lataif are also affected. The Holy Prophet
is reported to have said: “There is a lump in the body, if that is healthy, the whole body will be healthy. But if that is sick, the whole body will fall sick. Hearken, that is the Qalb!” The meaning of the term, ‘The Qalb has been illuminated,’ can be easily understood by the following example: Think of a spring where the water is forcing its way down in a stream and continues to flow until it makes its way into the sea which is its last destination where it merges. Similarly, when the Qalb is illuminated by the Divine Light after practising ALLAH’s Zikr this light starts to circulate and enters the other lataif illuminating them also and the spirit of the devotee becomes stronger in its flight towards the nearness of ALLAH. When the first latifa is illuminated, the second latifa is very strongly affected and, therefore, under the guidance of the Shaikh the initiation of the second latifa starts.
During the training of the second latifa, the spiritual teachers leading the Zikr call out, “under the feet of Hadhrat Nuh
and Hadhrat Ibrahim.” When ALLAH’s Zikr is continuously practised on this latifa, it is revived and it starts shining. The blessings of the Holy Prophet reach the devotee through these two Exalted Messengers. These Prophets, besides being very pious and virtuous in nature, possessed some prominent traits which shall be explained now.
ALLAH Almighty describes the continuous efforts of Hadhrat Nuh, saying that he continued to invite his people towards ALLAH for nine hundred and fifty years, he was never weary, tired or disgusted and never did he give up his effort. One may of course think that in such a long period he must have had many followers who accepted his preaching, but no. It was just the opposite. Over a period of nine hundred and fifty years only a few accepted his message, maybe a hundred or a little more, which means that only nine people accepted his teachings per hundred years. Just imagine, ALLAH’s beloved Prophet makes endless efforts to invite people towards ALLAH. He said:
O my Rabb! I have called to my people night and day. (71:5)
What was the result?
But my call only increases their flight (from the Truth). (71:6)
In spite of this sad fact, Hadhrat Nuh
did not stop preaching. In the end, when he knew by his Prophetic vision that this part of the earth was of no use and the people living there will never accept his teachings nor will their children ever turn towards ALLAH, he finally raised his hands in prayer.
O my Rabb! Leave not of the unbeliever a single one on earth. For if You leave them, they will but mislead Your slaves and they will breed none but wicked ones. (71:26-27)
The devotee learns two lessons from these facts. First, he should be grateful for the gift he has received from ALLAH, and therefore should spread it as much as possible among other fellow humans. He should not stop inviting people towards ALLAH, no matter what the situation is. A person usually gets disappointed quickly because he expects quick success. But when the result is not according to his expectations, then he is very disappointed and loses hope. As a result he stops making any more efforts in that direction. This is a very dangerous turn because the reason for his disappointment is, ALLAH forbid, he wants to become a God himself as he wants events to occur according to his desires. This can be only true for ALLAH, as He is the Greatest and can do whatever He desires. The duty of a servant of ALLAH is to obey ALLAH’s orders and leave the result to ALLAH, Who is the Manager of the entire system of this universe. When humans try to trespass into ALLAH’s domain, the result is disappointment and difficulties. Therefore, a devotee, regardless of the results, should keep on inviting people towards ALLAH. He should never let disappointment and weariness hinder his way, no matter what the circumstances are. ALLAH Almighty consoles the Holy Prophet by saying, “Why are you so worried about the people, that they do not listen to you?” ALLAH further explains, “To guide them is not your job, this is up to Me, your duty is to keep inviting towards ALLAH.” These instructions are for all followers of the Holy Prophet.
The second lesson which the devotee learns, from the incident of Hadhrat Nuh, is that he is not a Prophet himself. The Prophets are granted greater vision by ALLAH to foresee future events. Whatever a Prophet says or does is according to ALLAH’s Will. Similarly, ALLAH Almighty had informed his Prophet, the Holy Prophet that those people would not acquire faith even after his utmost efforts. The scholars write, that after the revelation of this verse, the Holy Prophet did not preach to Abu Jahal any more. In the past he used to feel that his preaching did not have any affect on him at all, but even then he kept inviting him towards ALLAH. Hence a devotee should understand that he is only a servant of ALLAH and a follower of the Holy Prophet and his duty is to just continue preaching ALLAH’s Zikr and invite people towards ALLAH.
It is usually seen that while preaching ALLAH’s Zikr, if a person comes across arguments and obstinacy, the best thing to do is to remember the important Do’s and Don’ts of preaching. The person who does not keep in mind the important points of preaching, does not only face disappointment himself, but is also responsible for the rude attitude of the person being addressed. Therefore a devotee should be aware of such expected mishaps. It is wise on the part of the devotee to think of the person whom he is addressing as a patient. Next he should think of himself as a doctor who is only concerned about his patient’s welfare. This is the best way to deal with the other person. Fights, debates and discussions are certainly not the way recommended to preach Islam.
Let me put forward an example. Suppose you are asked to explain the superiority of Zikr in a certain gathering, and later you have to lead the Zikr. There is one person there who is against you and vehemently opposes the method of Zikr. It is quite obvious that the reason for his opposition is just stubbornness. The best and wise way to act in such a situation would be to explain your point very clearly and briefly, then invite others by saying, “I have found Zikr to be very beneficial to me. I request you to think it over at home. If you also agree with me, then you can start at once with ALLAH’s blessing. But if on the other hand you feel that whatever I have said is not important at all, then you are free to forget it and continue with whatever you think is right.” Our friends have had a similar experience in the past. They said that the person whom they had assumed to be against them, sat through and listened to the whole speech. During the speech they noticed tears in his eyes. Afterwards when the Zikr started, they found him doing Zikr. ALLAH Almighty is Great, He can turn the hearts in a moment.
Therefore, while preaching, the preacher should always pray to ALLAH for His help because his efforts will bear no fruit against the Divine Will.
The next name after Hadhrat Nuh is of Hadhrat Ibrahim. His character is like a beacon light for the whole mankind, but there are a few traits which are very prominent. ALLAH himself has pointed out one such trait:
There is an excellent example for you to follow in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people, “We are clear of you and of whatever you worship besides ALLAH. We have rejected you and there has arisen between us and you enmity and hatred forever, unless you believe in ALLAH and Him Alone. (60:4)
When Hadhrat Ibrahim started inviting people towards ALLAH, the members of his family turned against him. His father opposed him, his relatives started to harass him, the whole town turned against him, but his determination did not waver for a moment and he continued his duty of preaching. He announced to all those who opposed ALLAH’s commands that he was disgusted with their ways and beliefs. Ties of friendship were severed and relationships terminated. Yet in spite of all this, Hadhrat Ibrahim, desired the welfare of his people, deep in his heart. He said, that he shall pray to ALLAH, and ask Him to bestow faith and belief in the heart of his father, and remit him of all his sins. This shows that while working for Islam, one may come across such situations where one’s near and dear ones seem like strangers. But one does not sacrifice one’s duties for the sake of relations and friends, but leaves those who come in his way or who become obstacles and hinder one’s progress on the path to ALLAH’s closeness. We must remember that the feeling of disgust and anger is not for the people themselves, but it is for their way of thinking and their beliefs. If they change themselves and acquire faith and belief in ALLAH and follow the ways of the Holy Prophet then all the feelings of enmity will subside. If on the other hand they do not change themselves, the devotee should at least pray to ALLAH for them.
There are many other examples which we have come across. There are a few youngsters sitting in front of me, who have been threatened by their relatives to be disowned. They have been accused of defaming the family’s name and honour, and also for disfiguring their faces because they have kept a beard according to the Sunnah. These kinds of accusations are usually heard nowadays which prove that the epidemic of alienation from religion and Sunnah is spreading very fast. Disillusion and misguidance are so common these days that our elders are also a victim to this incurable disease. We have seen those times when parents and other relatives would worry if the child went astray. Nowadays the situation is just the opposite. If a youngster inclines towards religion and wants to acquire the closeness of ALLAH, the elders start to worry about him or her and try their utmost to stop them from following this path. Therefore, in such circumstances, even more effort, courage and strength is needed. If we do not worry about ourselves, ALLAH will have nothing to lose, in our place, he will appoint some other nation to accomplish His mission. The religion of Islam shall always be there, whether we are there or not.
Obstacles and hindrances are not something unusual in this path. They are very natural, they rather act as stimulants for the heart to strengthen the desire to work. However, it is not surprising to see a common man being disappointed by hindrances and obstacles, because every person does not have as strong a determination as Hadhrat Ibrahim. But to stop one’s efforts completely is an insult to the claim of love. It is observed that the total voltage generated by a power house does not reach the consumers. The voltage received by the consumers depends upon the resistance of the electrical cable. It has also been established that although high resistance may drop the voltage, it can never completely block the flow of current. Then isn’t it pitiable if a well equipped seeker gives in completely to the hindrances he faces? The overall view of the sacrifices of Hadhrat Ibrahim astonishes the human mind. He left his father, relatives, house, and yet there was more to come. He was bestowed with a beautiful son in his old age, and was commanded by ALLAH to leave his son and dear wife in an arid desert, where there was no water or food. As he was returning after leaving his wife and son in the desert, his wife asked him, “Who are you leaving us with?” He replied, “With ALLAH”, and moved on. His wife was also a strong lady with firm faith and she said, “If you are leaving us with ALLAH, then there is nothing to worry about, ALLAH shall not destroy us.” Physicists claim that iron can be magnetised through a process known as induction. It is a simple process in which a non-magnetic piece of iron is kept in close contact with a magnet, for some time. As a result the non-magnetic piece of iron also becomes a magnet. Truly, the lady after living with Hadhrat Ibrahim, too, had developed the same level of trust in ALLAH.
By going through these details, our main motive is to explain to the devotee, that, when the latifa Ruh is strengthened and illuminated, his practical life should be affected. His conduct should prove that he is following the footsteps of these two Exalted Messengers of ALLAH. The desire to preach Islam and ALLAH’s Zikr should always be there. His trust and faith in ALLAH should strengthen. He should work hard for all his needs but his utmost trust should be in ALLAH and not in his efforts. His responsibilities are twofold. First he should be careful not to lose this great blessing of ALLAH, the preservation of which is quite difficult in today’s environment. The age and period we are living in is of false pretences and display in every walk of life. People are trying to show off as much as possible. In such circumstances it is very difficult to ignore the alluring attractions, for example, for a working person, he has to fight attractive offers made to him as bribe. If he is a labourer, then the desire to work less and earn more lures him. A businessman may be enticed to employ unfair means to earn more profit, thus derailing him from the right path. If the devotee has complete faith and trust in ALLAH then this weapon should be enough to fight all the evils of the society. The second responsibility is not just to worry about saving one’s self, but to worry about all those who are near him and who are in need of guidance. Whatever hindrances and obstacles come in the way, he should face them bravely. The ways of Hadhrat Nuh and Hadhrat Ibrahim should act as the beacon of light, and in every situation one should always trust in ALLAH Almighty.
May ALLAH guide all of us on the right path, and may He protect Islam and all Muslims. Ameen.