Tasawwuf and Character Building
SECTION 1
CHAPTER 6
THE FIFTH LATIFA AKHFA
Now has come to you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that you should suffer, ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers he is most kind and merciful. (9:128)
We have explained the facts in the last chapters and, it has been made clear that when a latifa is illuminated by the Divine Light, the Ruh of the salik acquires strength, and with the help of this Divine Light, a salik starts to analyse his practical life, and see if there are any positive changes, because the illumination of the lataif should affect his behaviour and conduct. There are two ways in which a latifa can affect a salik. Firstly it affects his personal character, and secondly, it prepares him to go out in the field and help others according to his capability, in order to build an environment where ALLAH’s Commands would be obeyed.
Today we shall explain the fifth latifa. It is called Akhfa and the blessings reach the salik’s Ruh directly from the Holy Prophet
. In the words of Tasawwuf it is said, “under the feet of Muhammad Rasool ALLAH.” When this latifa is strengthened, it means that the salik is now capable of obeying the rules of the Sunnah and he feels a desire and urge to follow every action of the Holy Prophet. The personality and attributes of the Holy Prophet cannot be encompassed but a few of his qualities are so outstanding that ALLAH has announced them very clearly. One of his attributes has been described in the following way.
We have sent you not except as a Mercy for all creatures. (21:107)
Among ALLAH’s creations, there are jamadaat (whatever is incapable of growth e.g. stone, fossils, mineral etc.), nabataat (vegetation, grass. etc.), haiwanaat (animals of all kinds), humans, jinns, angels etc. and it may be very much possible that there may be more creation of ALLAH which we are not aware of. To explain clearly the fact that the Holy Prophet was sent as blessing for ALLAH’s creations is not possible for me, as I do not have such a vast knowledge. However, it can be said briefly, that way the Holy Prophet proved a blessing for different kinds creations, can be seen through numerous incidents and examples in the holy life. The preaching of the Holy Prophet also proves that this was a blessing for mankind and other creations as he not only defined the rights of human beings but also outlined the rights of other creations like nabataat, haiwanaat, Jinn, Angels and also non living objects like jamadaat, and instructed each and everyone to keep in consideration the rights of others. If you want a view of the human rights the time when the Holy Prophet was bestowed with Prophethood by ALLAH, then go through the history of various nations of the world. Everywhere, humans were no more than beasts. In the subcontinent, the Hindu culture had confined human beings to categories like Brahmins, Wesho, and Shooders and had targeted them with continuous hatred and discrimination which had touched the extremes. Sometimes language sparked a feeling of hatred among people, whereas sometimes the geographical limits lead to confrontation between people. Yet at some places, colour and race were the source of enmity, and people with white skins looked down upon other humans of the world. In short the world was in a state of chaos and confusion before the advent of the Holy Prophet.
The Holy Prophet, eliminated all such discriminations between humans and revoked all the restrictions and traditions which people had imposed upon themselves, and announced to the world: “All of you are children of Hadhrat Adam
, and Hadhrat Adam was created from clay.” Then why this arrogance? How can a person feel so proud of himself that he looks down upon his brothers in disgust and hatred? The Holy Prophet not only preached these facts verbally, but also trained and instructed his followers to the right path and practically established such a society, where the proud Quraish, who had never considered anyone as high as themselves, started to feel pleasure in calling the black skinned Bilal
as Syedena (our master) Bilal. After eliminating all the artificial discrimination, the Holy Prophet laid down a universal principle and standard of honour and nobility:
The most honoured of you is the most righteous of you. (49:13)
This means that nobility and honour are directly in proportion to one’s relationship with ALLAH, and there can be no discrimination between humans on the basis of colour, caste or creed. The people who had previously led a life of enmity and hatred, and had made life miserable for others, had with the advent of the Holy Prophet, changed so dramatically, both in mind and heart that they were listed among one of the best people of the world. Previously, they found pleasure in hurting and plundering others, but now the same people became custodians and protectors and saved the honour of others and felt happiness in doing so, and all this was because of the blessings and mercy of the Holy Prophet.
Human history cannot produce any parallel to the perfection of the mercy and grace found in the person of the Holy Prophet. His beloved uncle Hadhrat Hamzah was martyred by Wahshi, a slave, who later wanted to embrace Islam and approached the Holy Prophet. The entire scene of the brutal killing is flashed on the inward eye, how mercilessly he had killed Hadhrat Hamzah and how mercilessly his liver was pulled out and chewed it. The brutal murderer now stands helplessly in front of the Holy Prophet, and begs his pardon. The Prophet of Mercy has full power to take revenge, but forgives him and accepts him as a Muslim. At that the Holy Prophet says is: “Do not come in front of me, because when I look at you I am reminded of my uncle’s brutal murder.”
For thirteen years the people of Makkah tortured the Holy Prophet as much as they could, in ways which we cannot even bear to think of. At the conquest of Makkah, all these criminals with ferocious and beastly natures were brought in front of the Holy Prophet. By law they should have been executed and their bodies should have been thrown away so that they would rot and become a feast for animals. Then how would the display of mercy destined for everything and everyone be possible? The Holy Prophet declared general amnesty and forgave everyone who had inflicted pain and torture on him by announcing: “There is no burden on you today. You may go as you are free.” Who else can display such magnanimity except the Prophet of Mercy?
The illumination of this latifa demands that the same traits of the mercy characteristic of the Holy Prophet must reflect in the salik’s character. He should comfort the broken hearted, pacify those who are angry, be a pillar of strength for those who are weak, guide those who have lost their way, save those who are destroying themselves, cure the ones who are sick. He should put aside the enmity of enemies and, keep himself away from undue praises of friends. His love should be for the pleasure of ALLAH and his hatred should also be for the sake of ALLAH to the extent that his every action proves that the purpose of his life is to uphold the Name of ALLAH in the whole world.
Secondly the qualities of the Holy Prophet have been declared by ALLAH in the following words:
The life of the Holy Prophet (
This does not mean that we should follow only some aspects of his life, but every aspect of his character must be obeyed and followed. Whether it is a ruler or the public, rich or poor, a prosecutor or an accused, a judge or the jury, a soldier or a general, a businessman or a customer, the guidelines to lead a perfect and peaceful life are found in the life and character of Prophet, the Holy Prophet. That is, in every sphere of life the secret to a peaceful existence can be achieved by obeying and following the examples the Holy Prophet has set for us. The second point to remember is that this is not restricted to a certain period or a certain nation, but the Holy Prophet’s life is a complete example, for all times to come, for every human being to follow.
When this latifa is illuminated and strengthened, it means that the salik is now capable of following every Sunnah. He should now take into account his daily life and with a lot of care, sincerity and love, and should ensure he doesn’t step outside the Sunnah. In succession of these facts we should also understand and keep in mind that there is a difference between abandoning the Sunnah and acting against the Sunnah. Actions against the Sunnah, will definitely lead the salik towards destruction. If a person’s activities are not according to the Sunnah, then naturally they are according to his own wishes or to some traditions which he has imposed upon himself. Whatever the circumstances are, the fact is, the way of the Sunnah has obviously been rejected.
Acting against the Sunnah, may be due to several reasons. Firstly, it could be due to lack of knowledge and although this may be a reasonable excuse, it has its disadvantages. For example, if a person takes poison by mistake, he cannot be accused of suicide, but his ignorance will not save him from death. On the other hand, if a person deliberately abandons the Sunnah, this would be an extremely criminal action. Because when a person takes a vow that I shall accept the Holy Prophet as a guide in every matter of his life, and then deliberately acts against his vow, he is actually breaking his promise, and this is an act of extreme arrogance. May ALLAH save us from such folly and stupidity. Ameen.
The mercy and blessings of the Holy Prophet are for everyone and every creation is receiving its share of mercy, but to follow the holy ways of the Prophet one must have two qualities, as indicated by ALLAH:
For him who hopes in ALLAH and the Akhirah and who remembers ALLAH much. (33:21)
The thoughts and reflections of a person should be towards ALLAH and he should sincerely believe in his heart that one day he will he standing in the court of ALLAH and will be answerable for every act and deed he had performed in the world. The pattern of all the actions should be such that the heart should be absorbed in ALLAH’s remembrance every moment of life and the actions and deeds performed should prove this fact. Thus, if the heart is not absorbed in ALLAH’s Zikr all the time, it is not possible to follow the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. Continuous Zikr ALLAH is a stimulant for obeying the Sunnah, and when a salik illuminates his latifah through Zikr submission to the Sunnah becomes easy.
It is seen that a person usually submits to someone whom he concerned about him and loves him. Therefore, ALLAH has highlighted this attribute of the Holy Prophet that he felt our pain in his heart, and is always concerned about our welfare. Would be more concerned about us than the person who has these qualities? Despite this knowledge, if someone does not adopt the way of the Holy Prophet in every matter of his life, then extremely unfortunate.
The Holy Prophet had explained this aspect of his reality in one of his Hadith which can be comprehended studying the following example: on a dark night, in the wilderness the jungle, a man lights up a fire. Moths fly over from all sides the fire. The man is trying to keep the moths from falling into the fire but the moths do not keep away and in spite of his efforts they are falling into the fire. The Holy Prophet said, “I am like this man who is trying to keep the moths away from the fire, and you are like the moths, as you are driving yourselves towards hell and I am continuously trying to save you from falling into the darkness of hell.” It is obvious that if the moths are saved from the fire, the person who was trying to save them does not gain anything, and if they do fall into the fire, he does not lose anything either. But as he is continuously trying to save them, it proves that he is, from the depth of his heart very sincerely concerned for their well-being, and the motive behind this struggle of saving them is genuine love and sympathy.
There is a big difference between obeying the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet and following his Sunnah. Obeying means obeying a command, but to follow means not to just wait for instruction and commands, but to observe the likes and dislikes of the beloved and formulate the pattern of life according to it. Every expression and action of the beloved must be loved and every gesture and motion should be anxiously imitated. This can only be possible when the person who is to be obeyed and followed is also a beloved. Otherwise obedience would be just a procedure and routine and not from the depth of the heart, as the feelings of love and sincerity would be missing.
The example of the Holy Prophet is not just of a person who is to be obeyed, but a beloved guide who must be followed. Therefore, the Holy Prophet has himself declared: “A person cannot be a perfect Momin until his love for me is the strongest compared to his other relationships of love.” Love is a passion, a desire of the heart. There can be many misunderstood faces of love as there is a difference between an outward display of love and the real love felt in the heart. Sometimes the superficial love can be misunderstood for real love. The outward face of love is limited to display and glamour and all the efforts are used for artificiality and advertisements. Since some people do not feel satisfied by following the Sunnah, they add a little more of their traditions and customs, and hence, change the real face of the Sunnah. There is no doubt that by doing this an alluring view and appreciation, from the public is achieved, but it is certainly an insult of the Sunnah, for example if you dilute pure petrol with some other oil, the quantity will of course increase but it will result in the destruction of the engine, as a result the car will be useless. When some other oil is mixed with petrol, the quality and effectiveness is reduced. Therefore, one should remember never to go for face value, as the results may turn out to be disastrous and one may discover many hidden facts. For example:
- When the face of the Sunnah is changed by adding new ideas, it shows that ALLAH forbid, the Holy Prophet left the religion of Islam incomplete and now this person is making it complete with his new ideas.
- ALLAH forbid, The Holy Prophet made a mistake in preaching Islam and what has been further added was also related to Islam but was forgotten by the Holy Prophet.
- The improper action of altering the Sunnah shows denial of the finality of Prophethood of the Holy Prophet. The person who thinks in such a way actually thinks himself to be suited for the job of a Prophet, though he may not say so verbally but to fix a certain way for worship and other deeds is the job of a Prophet and nobody else.
A love which is pure in its desire, shows in its own way. There is no artificiality or display in it, nor is it required for anyone to cry or shout and prove one’s love to others. Our beloved Prophet indicated a standard which would prove our love for him. He says, “Those who love my Sunnah are true in their claim loving me”, otherwise displaying ones feelings in a hundred ways nothing but pretence.
In short, when the fifth latifa is illuminated, it proves that the ability of following the Sunnah, has become strong, and the starts guiding others towards the right path and stops people adopting the wrong ways, and, he feels concerned about ALLAH’s creations. These qualities should progress as the journey progresses. The salik should exist for preaching ALLAH’s Name, His religion Islam, and all his actions must be endorsed by the teachings of the Holy Prophet.
Just imagine, how many people entered the circle of Islam during the thirteen years of the Holy Prophet’s life in Makkah? Then there were the six years of freedom spent in Madinah when they were completely cut off from the people of Makkah. In the 6th year of Hijra, at the time of the Truce of Hudaibiyah there were about fourteen hundred men with the Holy Prophet. When the Truce was to be signed there was a condition placed, that the people of Makkah and the Muslims shall freely communicate with each other, and as a result we see that after two years, when Makkah was conquered, the number of Muslims had increased so much that their entrance into Makkah seemed like the waves of a vast ocean. Whatever the reason the scholars write about this fact, one cannot deny, that when the Non-Muslims met the Muslims of Madinah and had a chance to come close to them, they felt in their hearts, that, although these people were from their country and tribes, there was a big difference between them, and, the difference seemed like that of a human and an animal. They had to admit that the teachings of the Holy Prophet were so praiseworthy and creditable that they decided to join the circle of Islam. The very existence of the companions was for the preaching of Islam, their thoughts, their reflections, their deeds and actions, their way of life, their environment, their language, said all that, for which a preacher needs a stage and a microphone to say. But the result is not effective because the words come out of the tongue and are lost in air. Therefore the duty of a salik is to adopt the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet in every aspect of his life.