The Reservoir of Capacities

Question: What is Detachment? Generally, Detachment is understood as renunciation of desires. Explain its essence in the light of spirituality.

Answer: The advancements of modern science, when examined from their utilitarian aspects, reveal that beneath the veil of human welfare lies an underlying worldly greed. While humanity has benefitted significantly from these innovations, the inventors primarily pursued material and financial gain. We have previously clarified that everything in existence is intrinsically linked to tarz-e-fikr (pattern of thought). One tarz-e-fikr is directly connected to Allah the Almighty, while the other is severed from Him. The pattern of thought that is oriented towards Allah the Almighty manifests in every moment and at all times, as indicated in the Quran itself.

"Contemplate Our signs, for those with wisdom and understanding reflect upon them." Among Allah the Almighty's signs are air, water, sunlight, and colors—essential elements that sustain life and reveal His boundless generosity. The earth, with its capacity to nurture and create, supports the existence of all creatures. Air is a universal blessing, vital to every living being. Water nourishes life; without it, existence would vanish. Sunlight, moonlight, flourishing trees, and vibrant flowers all testify to Allah's providence, offering their benefits freely. These creations demonstrate divine intent to benefit humanity without expectation. Even those who reject Allah’s authority share in these blessings. Beyond humanity, countless creatures—whether feared or unnoticed—partake in this mercy, underscoring His unmatched grace and compassion.

It becomes clear that Allah the Almighty’s tarz-e-fikr (pattern of thought) is rooted in boundless generosity, extending indiscriminately to all creation. His blessings serve without expectation of gratitude or recompense. It is through His infinite grace that He created life and provided resources so abundant that they defy enumeration. In contrast, scientific progress often reflects a tarz-e-fikr driven by personal gain and material greed—an approach that stands in opposition to Allah’s divine attributes and is therefore not beloved to Him.

As a devotee draws nearer to Allah, their tarz-e-fikr aligns with His. Their actions become selfless, benefiting all creation without personal motive. The Aulia (Friends of Allah) exemplify this; their every service to humanity was purely altruistic. In contrast, those motivated by self-interest cannot be considered among the Aulia. While one may cultivate extraordinary abilities through effort, true spiritual elevation is only achieved when one’s pattern of thought (tarz-e-fikr) is not in harmony with Allah the Almighty's pattern of thought, then it is not Sufism. It is a science, a science that even non-religious individuals can adopt, as is happening in this era. In Europe, much of the research into spirituality appears to focus on how such advancements might be used to dominate humanity. The goal of these developments often seems to be how to assert power, defeat others, and advance personal interests, rather than serving the greater good. This mindset, driven by self-interest, is contrary to the divine tarz-e-fikr.

True progress, when aligned with Allah the Almighty’s will, benefits all of creation. While human beings may discover or utilize natural phenomena—like electricity—it is important to acknowledge that these discoveries are made possible by Allah’s design. Electricity, for instance, is a divine gift; humanity may harness it, but its origin lies in Allah’s creation. If Allah were to withhold His blessings—drying up rivers, halting rainfall, or turning seas to desert—life as we know it would cease. This highlights that all progress is grounded in Allah’s will. The teachings of the Prophets, when understood through spiritual insight, guide us to recognize that life is meant to be directed towards Allah. We are not alive by our own will, but because Allah desires it. If Allah grants us abilities, it is for the service of His creation. True detachment (istighna) does not mean renouncing desires, but rather understanding that our abilities are for His purpose, to benefit others and fulfill His divine plan. This reflects a lack of understanding, for life is fundamentally driven by desires. Without desires, life would dissolve into divine lights. Drinking water, feeling hunger, the need to sleep and wake, the desire for children, and the responsibility to raise them—are these not desires? The key is to fulfill these desires with the consciousness that they are acts aligned with Allah the Almighty’s will. Detachment (istighnaa) does not imply lifelong fasting or rejecting the resources Allah provides. Rather, it means acting solely for Allah's sake. If Allah grants fine clothes, they are worn in gratitude to Him. If coarse cloth is given, one remains equally content. If one is provided chicken, they eat it. If only bread with chutney is given, one should remain just as content. This mindset emerges when one realizes that every action, every word, is a gift from Allah. Allah has granted the ability to speak, so we speak; the ability to hear, so we listen; the ability to think and reflect, so we do. All is done because Allah the Almighty desires it.

The Divine instruction for such people is as follows: "And those who are firmly rooted in knowledge." These individuals, firmly established in knowledge, affirm that it is certain and observable that everything, in its essence, originates from Allah the Almighty. Reflecting on this verse, we can identify several directions for contemplation. Without delving into extensive details, we will highlight two aspects. Allah the Almighty states: "Those who possess firm, unshakable minds, free from doubt and from the whispers of Shayṭān."

Such minds are pure and untainted by the impurities of worldly knowledge that bring harm to others. This impure knowledge, often described as destructive, stands in contrast to the sound knowledge that benefits others. Those who occupy positions of knowledge that are free from doubt and corruption, affirm with certainty that everything in this world, whether small or large, whether a source of comfort or hardship, is from Allah the Almighty. This verse briefly mentions two perspectives: those who are firmly rooted in knowledge perceive, through their direct observation, that everything in the universe, past, present, or future, is intrinsically linked to the will of Allah. Whatever manifests in this world is in alignment with Allah’s divine plan.

It has become clearly evident that every action in life holds its own significance, and ascribing meanings to it is, in essence, a transformation of thought patterns. Our belief is that everything in existence, whether present in this world or yet to come, is already written on the Preserved Tablet (Loh e Mahfuz). In other words, nothing can exist in this world unless it has already been recorded on the Preserved Tablet. A person is born because they were already present on the Preserved Tablet before their birth. They undergo the ups and downs of life because these events, including the days, months, and years, are already written in the Preserved Tablet. The only difference lies in the concept of time in these intervals. When a person reaches maturity and understanding, they realize that they need resources to live, and money holds a fundamental place in acquiring those resources. It is like the case where Allah has decreed a certain amount of money, say one hundred thousand rupees, for a person, which is already written on the Preserved Tablet. Just like how money is deposited in a bank, similarly, the amount is already assigned in the Preserved Tablet. A person strives and works to acquire these resources, and as they go through their efforts, they receive the money needed to meet their necessities. However, the unalterable truth remains: unless the prescribed share of wealth is written on the Preserved Tablet, a person cannot receive it in this world. There are two perspectives here: One person, despite the guilt of conscience, obtains their livelihood through unlawful means, while another makes efforts to earn through lawful means. Both may end up receiving food from either lawful or unlawful sources, but the truth remains that whatever they receive in this world is already preordained on the Preserved Tablet. A person earns money through honest labor, while another disregards their conscience, but in both cases, the amount they receive is what has already been allotted to them on the Preserved Tablet. This is because nothing manifests in this world unless it has first been inscribed on the Preserved Tablet. It is indeed a strange and foolish act for someone to declare something they already own as unlawful and another as lawful. The law is that once something is written on the Preserved Tablet, its manifestation in this world becomes inevitable. Those who are firmly rooted in knowledge (rasikhun fi'l-'ilm) observe that every manifestation, every action, and every movement is linked to the Preserved Tablet.

Therefore, they openly declare that everything is from Allah, and alongside this declaration, they believe that whatever Allah has decreed for them will certainly be received. With this belief, they also understand that the resources and wealth allocated to them on the Preserved Tablet are as certain as if they were informed of a one crore rupee deposit in their bank account. Because they are assured, in the same way, that they are allocated a certain amount, they remain at peace. Those who are firmly rooted in knowledge (rasikhun fi’l-‘ilm) observe the inscriptions on the Preserved Tablet and, as a result, regard both hardship and comfort as temporary, believing that whatever blessings Allah has specifically ordained for them will reach them under all circumstances. This belief instills in them the power of detachment (istighna). My blessed murshid, Hazrat Qalandar Baba Aulia (R.A.), told me that detachment cannot arise without certainty, and certainty cannot be completed without observation. A person who lacks detachment has a weaker connection with Allah and a stronger attachment to materialism. Sufism and spirituality, in essence, are the documented lessons that explicitly state that peace requires detachment. For detachment, trust in Allah is essential. To strengthen trust, faith is required, and for faith, one must possess the vision that perceives the unseen. Without this, true peace can never be attained. In today's world, there is a strange situation where everyone is chasing the world, collecting wealth around them, and complaining that they do not have peace. However, peace is never a temporary state. Peace is an eternal condition that never dies. One cannot attain peace from transient, mortal things, over which death continually manifests itself.

Muraqaba, in this context, is an effort where the aim is to shift the mind from the temporary, material world to contemplation of the eternal, imperishable realities. As one proceeds step by step, this contemplation takes them into the unseen realm. As soon as certainty arises in the mind, the vision begins to function and perceives the unseen. After observing the unseen, when a person realizes that the entire universe is in the hands of a single entity, their entire mental focus shifts towards that Being. Following this focus, the tree of detachment branches out within the person.