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There are two types of knowledge in the
universe and millions of worlds of this universe. First is acquired or attained
knowledge (Ilm e husoolee) and the other is spiritual and presented knowledge
(ilm huzooree).
Presented (Spiritual) Knowledge (/Im e Huzoori)
Presented or spiritual knowledge is one that takes us to the unseen world
(ghaib ki dunya) and introduces us with it. Unconscious movements are activated
in the person who learns the presented knowledge. Activating these movements
means that an image (naqsh) of those things that are being mentioned, appears. For
instance, when a teacher of presented knowledge (Ilm e huzoori) says, 'pigeon',
an image of the pigeon is created on the slate of mind; and when this word is
looked in depth, image of the pigeon with all its features comes to the mind.
Likewise, when a spiritual teacher mentions atom. one can perceive the nature,
power and elements of atom and the molecules made as a result of mutual
combination of the atoms. Presented knowledge (Ilm e huzoori) has three
chapters and seventeen sections/ classes
Chapter 1 Abstract (ijmal)
Chapter 2 Detail (tafseel)
Chapter 3 Secrets I mysteries (israr)
Acquired knowledge (Ihn e husooli) is explained
here with an example. A teacher, while teaching his studen t the way of drawing
a picture, shows him a picture on a graph. The more the student exercises it with
zeal and zest, the better he becomes a painter. On the contrary, presented
knowledge (Ilm-e-Hazoori) tells us that every human possesses ability to draw
the pictures; the teacher's job is only to activate ability of being a painter.
We elaborate this point with more detail.
Knowledge of Information/Communication Whatever
is existent in the world or is about to come into being or has passed away,
everything is based on our thoughts. Same is the case with the information that
we get about something. It is also based on our thoughts. And if we do not have
any information within us or there comes no idea in us, that thing seems absent
to us. When some person wants to become a painter or photographer, an idea of
drawing a picture comes to his mind at first. A person invents a machine only
when he has the idea of inventing a machine. If there were no ideas, no one
would become an engineer, a doctor or a teacher.
Same is the case with every branch of knowledge
of the world.
First of all an idea of that knowledge comes to
us, we concentrate and ponder over that idea and knowledge activates particular
working capability in us according to our taste and enthusiasm. The teacher's
job is only to awaken the existent capability in the student. If the capability
of learning all the branches of knowledge and skills is present in human being,
capability (and competence) of learning mysticism (tasawwuj) or spiritual
knowledge (rohani uloom) is also present in him. When a person learns to draw a
picture, he is called a painter, and when a person becomes competent in
furniture making, he is named as a carpenter. If a person invents something
scientifically, he is called a scientist. When a student (of mysticism), with
the help of his teacher (murshid), awakens the spiritual capabilities in him,
he is named as spiritual man (rohani insan).
A human skull was exhibited in the British Museum
of England in 1912. It was written under this (skull) 'PITT DOWN MAN'. It was
also written on the plate (of this skill), 'It is a skull of a creature that
resembles human being that lived half a million years ago, was ancestor of man.
A discussion on this skull continued for full fifty years, conferences on this
issue were held and many books were written on it.
But, when radio-carbon method was invented, it
was disclosed that this was a human skull actually, while the jaw was of a
monkey. The human skull was one and a half century old while the jaw of the
monkey was only forty years old. In fact, it was a scientific scandal of a
higher level. So, this skull was removed from the show case at once.
But it is very strange that the diplomas
awarded on the basis of skull were not cancelled and the books written were not
declared wrong. The researchers opine that history dates billions of years
back, on the basis of scientific result established on suppositions (and
analogy) and the reality is that they don't have an authentic source to prove
it.
The judgment and evaluation of creation of this
world is also based on hypothesis and supposition. It is said that this world
is five billion years old. Some scientists see the development of the earth in
four periods.
The first period is extended to nearly five
hundred million years. The second period covers seventeen million years, the
third period consists of six and a half million years and the fourth period
consists of two and a half million years.
Some scientists, without any proof or
convincing reason, claim that man came to the earth one million years ago. While
some other scientists say, 'man appeared on the earth from one to five million
years ago.' It means that scientists are not united on one point regarding the
creation of man and the earth. Some scientists just guess and hypothesize; the
other scientists refute their views as the time progresses.
It is also said that about ten billion humans
have been living since Hazrat (worthy) Adam (A.S.) arrived in this universe. It
is told that six billion humans are living on the earth in our age. It is also
very astonishing that only five years population is counted on the earth in
five billion years. We are not concerned with the motives behind whatever
scientists say. Whatever some scientists say, the other ones refute them, But
one point is decided that the earth has been existent since long and the places
have been colonized and towns continued to be inhabited and ruined. When we
study the life after Hazrat Adam had come down to the earth, there come
different periods of time to see and all these periods, after completing their
developmental stages, reach the point where the evolution started.
¾th of the earth is water (ocean) and only 1/4th
of it, is land. The earth is made of geological strata in the form of layers.
As onion has numberless layers, likewise the earth consists of stratum and
layers. If the earth is ripped open and peeled off, every layer of it seems a
different creation. We name some layer as iron, some as coal, the other ones as
bronze or copper or brass. We know some layers with the name of uranium or
other metal.
A geologist knows that the particles of the
earth are, actually, formulas of new creation. Same is the case with clay
(soil). The clay on the earth has different colours; it is red, black, or gray.
At some places, the soil is hard like a hill and at the other place it is a
marsh and a swam p. Another self-explanatory quality of the soil is that, like
a mother, it nourishes any seed in its womb. A mother, from very first day,
nourishes and begets a child according to the natural (genesis) process.
Likewise, the earth also gives birth to babies with a difference of species.
When we ponder over the creations of the earth, we are assured that the earth,
in fact, provides the basic ingredients, condiments and materials for making
any creation a phenomenon. It is like plaster which is put in the dye to make a
toy.
Allah Almighty has bestowed the earth with the
quality that it completes the process of creation according to each and every
dye. When we think of the seed, we can understand that every seed is a
different dye. It is the quality of the earth that it expands and shrinks the
dye as it likes. It expands the smallest seed, smaller than a mustard seed, in
a way that it becomes a great tree. The salient feature of the earth is that it
supplies the three shares of water to the dye in as much as that it (water)
dissolves itself in the dye according to its nature. The quality of the water
is flowing. If the flow is stopped, the water is decomposed and stench and bad
smell is created in it.
The ¾th in the body of human being is water. It
means that human nature is like the nature of water. So, man passes his time
according to his nature i.e. continuous movement (and flow). He is near to his
nature, and when some person deviates from his nature i.e. movement, he becomes
inactive and that inactiveness and suspension shapes the form of stink. The
layers in the earth and on the earth e.g. trees, plants and nature of minerals
etc., are nothing but movement and action.
There is misconception about Tasawwuf
(mysticism) that this is the field of those people who are fed up with the
world, make themselves aloof from the society so as to avoid the bitter
realities of this world. It is totally a false conception. The Sufis (mystics)
are well known of the fact that this universe is continuously in movement and
action. That's why the responsibility of the propagation of the message of Allah
Almighty is imposed on those Sufis who deflect from inactiveness and passivity.
The propaganda of passivity and inactivity and
averseness from desires is a great conspiracy of casting aspiration on
sufi'ism. The Sufi is not averse to the world. He is so active that none can
compete with him. He wakes all the night in worship of Allah; he earns his
livelihood to bring his children up. He runs his business abiding by the trade
rules. He follows the accepted norms and traditions of the society. He lives a
pure and chaste life. He serves and loves all the creatures of Allah Almighty.
While the swindlers and cunnings exploit Allah's creatures as a means of their
income. He says his prayers five times a day; he prepares himself before going
to worship and he has regards for the norms of the prayer in bowing (rakko'o)
and prostration (sujood); he works from dawn to dusk for earning livelihood for
his children; he brings his children up and teaches them. He also performs his
duties regarding the rights of the relatives. He attends society's functions
and ceremonies- from birth to death. He adopts piety and restraint (taqwa) with
purified mind. How can all this be called escape and averseness from the world?
As there is no priesthood in Islam, a Muslim cannot be called an escapist. A Sufi
does whatever the masses do. But there is a huge difference in their work. A
Sufi.does each and every thing for the sake of Allah Almighty while others do
for their own sake. A Sufi really practices the teachings of Allah as mentioned
in the first section of the Sura (Part)Al-Baqarah from the Holy Quran. If
otherwise, he is worthy to be included in the group of Sufis.
At this time, the population on the earth is
six billons. This is one third of the whole population of the earth. If we look
at the inhabited cities and populated areas on the earth, all of them, infact,
seem to be valleys. Somewhere, these valleys are narrow and small and at the
other places, they are big and wide. In the north of the earth, there are
mountains and hills and in the south there are valleys and plain areas. These
valleys and plains have been pressed down by the mountains. There are oceans on
the sides of the earth, and inside the oceans there are islands and these small
or big islands are turned into cities. This is called a known world. Besides
this, there is another population of the world also (which is unknown to us).
Science had made a great progress. The present
scientific development is the display of only 5% to 10% of the human
capabilities. When we claim that man uses only 10% of his capability, the
question is where other 90% of capabilities are. Man has been able to use 10%
of capabilities in billion years. How much time will he take to use the rest
90% of}.is hidden capabilities?
According to science, man has been able to use
only five to ten % of his capabilities in five billion years. How can we name
the present time the age of a
culmination and climax of the scientific development?
The scientists also claim that there have been
some inventions in the past, of which today's science is ignorant still. The
deep study of the holy books, the Holy Quran, the Bible, the Psalms of David
and the Torah (the Psalms of Moses) reflects that man is combination or
compound of two bodies (two dimensions), one is material and the other one is
spiritual. The material body comes into existence in mother's womb. It is
called consciousness. And spiritual body exists before going to mother's womb.
It is compared to unconsciousness.
If man, living in the domain of consciousness,
does research, he is able to know 5 to 10 % of his abilities in billions of
years. If he researches, after having familiarized himself with his spirit, the
rest 90% of his capabilities can possibly be disclosed on him. The
manifestation of space and time becomes easier to him. The Holy Quran declares,
"Nor is there anything less than that, or
greater; but is in the record perspicuous."
(Surah Al Saba: Verse 3)
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
Many a scholar has written a lot about
spiritualism and pantheism. One school of thought is of the view that as saints
often used to wear wooly dresses therefore people would call them sufis. Wool
is called sauf in Arabic. They used to wear such a dress, for it had been the
habit of many a prophet, saints and pious people. According to some people, as
they have been associated with the Ashaab-e-suffa that is why they are called sufis;
whereas according to yet another school of thought the word sufi is linked with
suf a.... but all these explanations are not satisfactory.
In fact, the terminological meaning of Sufi'ism
(tasawaf) is self cleansing. It is the name of a true spirit that is related
to conscience and the light of conscience is always inherent. A sufi always
thinks in the context of Allah. His talk moves around Allah. He lives with
Allah and dies in the name of Allah. He recites His words and always praises
Him and remains enmeshed in His love. He sacrifices everything in order to see
and meet Allah.
