The Exalted Being

Question: The purpose and objective of Sufism is for a person to recognize Allah Almighty. How is it possible for a being formed from decayed clay to perceive an Exalted Entity like Allah, the Lord of Majesty? Because recognition cannot occur without direct experience. Please clarify.

Answer: From the perspective of Sufi masters, the creation of the universe can be described in the following manner: In the beginning, when nothing existed, only Allah was. Allah Almighty, in His infinite wisdom, desired to create a being capable of knowing and recognizing Him. The exact process through which creation was formulated in the Divine Mind remains known only to Allah. However, it was Allah’s Will that the universe should come into being. As a result, the universe—along with all its forms, actions, and movements, which had existed in the Divine Intellect—was brought into existence through the Divine command of "Kun" (Be).

At this point, Allah made humans, jinn, angels, and the entire creation aware of their essence, granting them knowledge of their own existence. He then posed the fundamental question, "Alastu bi rabbikum?" (Am I not your Lord?). This moment led to two key realizations: first, the creation became aware of its own existence, and second, it understood that the One who created it is a being other than itself. Upon hearing the voice of Allah, understanding and perception arose within the creation. Emerging from the ocean of wonder, the creation turned its attention towards the source of the sound, and upon gaining vision, it focused on Allah as the center of its perception. The creation then responded, "Qalu bala!" ("Yes, indeed!"). They acknowledged and affirmed that Allah is their Lord.

Through contemplation, it becomes clear that the ultimate Divine purpose behind creation is for Allah to be known and recognized. To fulfill this purpose, Allah has provided countless avenues for recognition, granting various creatures unique capacities to know Him. The angels who bear the Throne, celestial beings, and elemental angels all possess some understanding of Allah’s essence. The jinn, too, have been granted a degree of recognition. Yet, among all of creation, Allah has endowed humanity with the greatest potential for recognizing Him. In other words, humans have been given a unique and profound ability to perceive Allah more intimately than any other being in the universe. Allah chose a special role for humanity in creation, embodied in Adam, and granted him direct knowledge of His divine attributes. This knowledge was imparted to Adam and has been uniquely reserved for humanity. As Allah states in the Qur’an:

"And We taught Adam the names (attributes), then presented them to the angels and said, 'If you are truthful in your claim, then inform Me of these names.'" (Quran 2:31)

The angels responded, "We declare Your perfection; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us." (Quran 2:32)

It is evident that Adam, alongside the universe, represents Allah's thought, and Adam was granted special knowledge to recognize Allah apart from the rest of creation. Furthermore, Allah asserts:

"You hear through our hearing, see through our sight, and think through our intellect."

"Where you are one, there is another Allah; where you are two, there is a third Allah. Allah is the One who encompasses you all."

The tragedy of Adam lies in the fact that his every moment is intrinsically tied to Allah, yet through his own volition, he distances himself from Him. Within Adam lies the unique knowledge of Allah’s recognition, and he is endowed with a multitude of faculties. However, he remains deprived of full cognition of Allah. To convey this essential message, Allah sent one hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets, all of whom conveyed the same fundamental truth: the bond between humanity and Allah is the closest. Tragically, despite the guidance of these prophets, humanity chose to heed the call of a single Satan instead. The heirs of the prophets, the saints of Allah, continued the mission, but humankind, in its misfortune, gave more weight to Satan’s influence than to divine guidance.

The phenomenon we call consciousness operates according to a pattern where a person tends to forget one step before taking another. This indicates that human consciousness is inherently tied to forgetfulness and oversight. In contrast, when an experience enters the realm of the unconscious, we deliberately bring it into conscious awareness. The life of consciousness confines human experience within the perceived senses, whereas the unconscious, or soul, moves the individual beyond these limitations and towards truth. The unconscious, in this context, is synonymous with the soul.

When Allah created the universe, He initiated the acknowledgment, "Alastu bi rabbikum?" (Am I not your Lord?), thereby prompting creation to recognize its status as created and Allah as the Creator. However, when humans, in their ignorance, allowed their conscious faculties to dominate, they forgot this covenant and confined their existence solely to conscious experience. The collective response of creation, including humanity, affirming "Yes, You are our Lord," serves as testimony that humanity, through divine insight, perceived and comprehended Allah's presence, thus acknowledging His lordship.

If an individual speaks of Allah's lordship without direct perception or understanding of Him, such a declaration remains merely a product of consciousness. True affirmation, however, arises only through the experience of seeing and comprehending Allah, which forms the foundation for declaring, "You are our Lord."

When a person embarks on the spiritual path under the guidance of a spiritual master, the teacher reminds the disciple of the primordial covenant they made with Allah, a covenant they have long since forgotten. The spiritual master then imparts specific practices designed to free the disciple from the entanglements of conscious forgetfulness, guiding them toward the realm of the unconscious. Through consistent effort to fulfill this primordial pledge, the disciple seeks to restore the commitment made in eternity. As the disciple progresses on this spiritual journey, they begin to hear the voice of Allah and experience His divine illuminations, which are manifestations of His presence.