Tasawwuf and Character Building
SECTION 2
CHAPTER 11
M´AIYYAT - MEDITATION OF DIVINE COMPANY
This is the second lesson in meditation. Duringthe meditation of the Divine company, the following words and their meanings are absorbed in the mind and the devotee waits for the Divine splendour and bounty to saturate his soul.
The first phrase is, ‘ALLAHoHaziri’ which means ALLAH is present in front of me. The devotee is to contemplate that when such a Great Being is present in front of me, Who is All-Powerful, Who is the Sole Owner of this universe, then how can I turn my attention elsewhere? The second sentence is, ‘ALLAHo Naziri’ (ALLAH is watching me). The devotee now observes that when ALLAH is present in front of me, and is watching every move of mine, I should be careful not to annoy Him as He knows what is inside me as well as what appearance I put on in public. Therefore, my outer appearance should be one of respect for Almighty ALLAH ,and my heart should be one of concentration and love and no other thought should enter my heart except the feelings of love and closeness to the Creator as He knows everything and nothing can be hidden from Him. That is, He knows me inside and out. The third sentence is, ‘ALLAHo M‘aee’ (ALLAH is always with me). That person who has gained the closeness of Almighty ALLAH, is indeed very fortunate. There is a possibility of error at this point that the devotee might think that ALLAH is only with him and with no one else, therefore, to avoid this misconception, the fourth sentence is, ‘Wa Howa M‘akum Ayna Ma Kuntum.’ (ALLAH is always with you, wherever you might be).
A person usually feels the need for someone on two occasions. Firstly, in a state of fear, when a person senses danger of any kind for his own self or for his loved ones. He needs someone to help him and to be by his side in time of need. When the meditation of Divine nearness becomes strong a person starts experiencing Divine pleasure, and feels a strong sense of love and protection. Naturally, the fear diminishes, and no one is as powerful as ALLAH, and when ALLAH is with him, there is no one who can harm him. ALLAH has mentioned many such examples in the Holy Qur-an. When Hadhrat Musa
was commanded by ALLAH to take along his brother and approach Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, and invite him towards ALLAH ,he felt that he would be killed right away as they were his enemies and were looking for him. Therefore, how could he invite them towards ALLAH? Almighty ALLAH comforted them by saying, “Do not be afraid, I shall protect you and I am always with you. I shall be watching you and listening to everything you say.” This closeness was a source of such strength for Hadhrat Musa that he not only invited the Pharaoh towards ALLAH, but very courageously questioned him and simultaneously, answered all his questions. This proves that the sense of Divine closeness makes a man strong and courageous.
The second occasion was when the Holy Prophet
migrated from Makkah to Madinah and according to ALLAH’scommand, Abu Bakr As Siddiq
had accompanied him. They took refuge in the Cave of Thaur. Meanwhile, the Quraish also reached the Cave in pursuit. Hadhrat Abu Bakr As Siddiq not onlyheard their footsteps, but also heard their voices and also saw them searching. Naturally, he was worried that the enemies might harm the Holy Prophet. But ALLAH was with them and the Divine words alighted through the Holy Prophet’s lips: La tahzan Inn ALLAHa Ma‘na. (Do not be afraid, ALLAH is with us). When Hadhrat Abu Bakr As Siddiq heard this he was reassured and felt no danger at all.
This meditation fills the devotee with such spirit and courage, that in times of danger, he does not panic but knows that ALLAH is with him and shall protect him no matter what happens. Today, a lot of effort is done to boost the morale of soldiers so that they can fight with courage in the battlefield. If only we thought, what was the formula which boosted the morale of 313 empty handed soldiers, that they confronted a well equipped army of one thousand men? The reason for their high morale was their unwavering trust in Wa Howa M‘akum Aiyna Ma Kuntum!
When a devotee achieves the closeness of ALLAH ,his conscience stops him from doing anything wrong. To err is human, if he gets tempted toward sins like adultery, bribery, theft etc. his innerself will at once warn him that ALLAH is watching you He knows what you are about to do. Therefore, it is not possible for a salik to commit a big sin. This meditation can change the whole character of a person, as a result the environment is also affected. It is known weakness of man that he is apt to commit a sin when he knows that no one is watching him. But when this belief becomes strong, that ALLAH is watching him as He is with him all the time, then only person without a conscience can commit a sin, or maybe an insane person who has lost his senses.
The details mentioned above should make it clear about the changes which should take place in a person’s character after constantly practising this meditation. He does not have to ask others about his progress, but can easily find out for himself by taking in view of the amount of Zikr he practices, the Shaikh’s attention towards him, whether his practical life has improved or not if it has, he should thank ALLAH and continue the progress. But if these facts are limited to just knowledge of the mind, then he should work hard to make it a practical fact, so that every act and every deed should prove that he has achieved the company of ALLAH Almighty.