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In today's sitting,
come let us ponder life and the nature of its demands. It is a daily
observation that life proceeds along a chain of demands. Needs arise within us
and we fulfil them. When we feel hungry, we seek food to eliminate the hunger.
When we feel thirsty, we look for water. We eat food, and we drink water. In
other words, we fulfil the demands that arise within us. This gives us
satisfaction and we become content.
If we ignore a
demand, our mind remains perplexed by it, and it keeps reminding us that the
need has not yet been met. This causes unrest within us. Worry and anxiety take
hold of us. We are not able to do anything with focus and concentration. Our
attention becomes more and more distracted.
This is true of all
needs and demands. To eat and drink, to be happy, to love, to earn a living, to
raise and educate one's children to exhibit selflessness and love, to help
others, in short, every action of life, is the result of one need or the other.
These needs arise within every individual of this world, and each individual,
somehow or the other, at some point or the other, sooner or later, fulfils
these needs and gains contentment.
Just like demands of
the body, human spirit also has its demands. The demands of the spirit prod
human consciousness in a similar fashion: to awaken the realization that these
needs should also be met. Spiritual demands and their fulfilment are much more
important and tar more consequential than the fulfilment of physical demands.
Their consequences are far more momentous than physical demands, and their
fulfilment brings about much greater peace and contentment, such that one
reaches a point where one forgets all worries. A feeling of blissfulness and
pleasant intoxication permeates one's mind. One is surrounded by happiness and
the elements of happiness, which drive away all worry and grief.
Of these spiritual
demands, the most important and the most basic demand that arises within man is
one that brings about the realization within man that he must contact his
Allah, and that he must attain that joy and happiness which is certain to
result from this nearness. Human spirit pines to achieve this happiness and
joy. Alas, man has thrown into the recesses of his soul that [frame of] mind
which informs him of these demands and the importance of their fulfillment. Man
considers his all, the temporary demands of this material life which is but of
a few days. The body is mortal and the joys and sorrows related to the body are
also temporary. Everything connected with the material body will die when the
body dies. But spirit is everlasting. Thus, all that is related to the spirit
contains within it the aspect of eternal life. The happiness that arises by the
fulfilment of spiritual demand assures everlasting comfort and joy.
But the tragedy is,
as we have said, man has forgotten the importance of all this and has moved
away from his spirit and has become oblivious towards the fulfilment of
spiritual needs. His spirit, however, still attempts to bring his attention
towards the fulfilment of these needs. Man may give it whatever meaning he
wishes, he may accept it with whatever interpretation he may, but its existence
cannot be denied. When, even upon the continual warning of the spirit, we fail
to fulfil [its demands], the reaction of the demand becomes apparent. This is
the same reaction which also arises when physical demands are not met.
The condition of
this reaction is much more severe than that of the prior reaction that has just
been mentioned. At times one feels this reaction as mental chaos, and at times
one processes it as dissatisfaction and lack of peace. At other times, one
perceives it as a feeling of insecurity. But all of these are the side effects
of an unfulfilled spiritual need. And that need consists of the human desire to
draw near to Allah the Exalted and so attain his true status which he had
rejected in the past, and thus be protected from all worry and grief.
Thus, it is
necessary for all of us to carry out the practical step, which is of meditation
[‘Muraqabah’] in order to fulfill our spiritual needs. May Allah the Exalted
guide us! Ameen
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
Science has made immense progress, yet many believe that, even with all of the modern tools at our disposal, human beings function at no more than 10% of their mental capacity. This leads to the question of what exactly it is that comprises the remaining 90%. Yet another question that arises is this: If it has taken man four and a half billion years to be able to apply only 10% of his ability, how long will it take for him to make use of the remaining 90%?
