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The unveiling of the universe with the
sound of 'Kun' conveys that life is sustained on sound. When God wished to
display the programme of the universe, He commanded, "Kun," and with
the voice of God, the universe with all its details came into being. As life
begins from sound, it is therefore the basis of life.
Kun means 'to be'. That is, 'become',
for whatever is embedded in the command. Kun has two aspects. One of them is
sound itself, and the other are the features within it. Sound is a material
aspect of an object, and it acts as a cover for the features enclosed in it.
Whereas these features are non-physical facets of sound. This is how, with the
proclamation of Kun, both material and immaterial facets of life came into
form.
Life traverses on the direction of the
inner voice, and people interact with each other through it. However, if one
wishes to measure the time and space of sound between two people, two species
or two solar systems, it is impossible.
We hear sound in both material and
immaterial forms, that is, with words and without words. The material form of a
sound is synonymous to a casing that holds meanings and images within it. A
message in both material and immaterial form, is established upon waves, and
waves are light. Light encapsulates the features, and these features exist due
to the will of God.
So, the casing or the outer layer of a
sound is a covering on an object, and becomes a veil for the restricted senses.
Due to this, one restricts themselves to the sounds and does not contemplate on
how messages display on to their minds through the medium of sound.
The exterior of sound appears as words,
but its interior comprises of images and features. However, in both cases, the
sound is one. The distinction arises due to the casing over it.
Read this article attentively in
silence. Because, when one is engrossed in reading, the words begin to speak
for themselves and acquaint us with their meanings. For instance, those who
enjoy gardening take pleasure in talking to flowers and plants, and the plants
and flowers reciprocate with a sound that is beyond words. The arrival of
ideas while musing over any thing is in fact an interaction between an object
and an individual.
There is a mechanism within everyone
that communicates about good and evil. It talks to us at all times, directs us
to do or not do things, informs us about the state of peace and restlessness,
introduces us to fiction and reality, and draws our attention towards itself to
help us find God. It continues to function even when an individual is asleep. This
mechanism is the conscience of a person.
The following account ascertains that
during sleep or after one's passing, the hearing frequency of an individual
increases.
After the Battle of Badr, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
visited the burial ground of the tribal heads of Quraish, and called their
names. Having seen this, the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) asked him,
"Do they listen?" He replied, "You do not hear more than them.
They are indeed listening to what I am saying."
Our body drifts off into a peaceful
state when we sleep or dream. This is because, at this point in time, the inner
voice and the subject who is asleep are both in harmony with each other. During
this time, contrary to the state of wakefulness, the individual does not ignore
the voice of his conscience, rather he follows it. This elucidates that when
one is aligned with their inner voice, they step into the "mould of Insan
(Human)".
We all observe dreams. What we see in a
dream is a reflection of life that we spend in wakefulness. If the feelings of
fear, anger, thanklessness, greed, injustice, discontentment or disobedience
are prevalent in wakefulness, the same frame of mind is resounded in one's
dream. A person with a defective pattern of thinking sees complex dreams, and
at times, wakes up shivering with racing heartbeats as they experience
nightmares. On the contrary, when one follows the footsteps of prophets and
messengers of God, they meet revered personalities, and witness divine lights
during their sleep.
Adream is a realm where one is aligned
with the inner voice at all
times, whereas the life in wakefulness
is contrary to it. Therefore, when one wakes up, it means that they have
travelled back from the realm of obedience to disobedience. To simplify it
further, when one commits disobedience in the realm of obedience, they are
expelled instantly from that realm, and as a result, they wake up in this
world. Upon reading this, a question may surface, why do tranquil people who
are in harmony with their inner self wake up from sleep?
Life is lived with a particular set of
habits and strengths. When a person exhausts their energy, they drift off to
sleep. Similarly, in the state of sleep, when the anwaar (divine lights) go
beyond the capacity of a tranquil person, they wake up. Waking up in
Aalam-e-Nasoot (the material world) is the same as sleeping in the realm of
dreams; and this applies the other way around too. There is a third scenario
however, that relates to people who are spiritually illumined, such that their
subconscious mind takes the place of their consciousness. For these men and
women, the state of dream and wakefulness become alike.
What is a dream? It is wakefulness
during sleep. Despite this fact that one has the ability to wake up in both
realms, they cannot use this faculty as per their will, because the layer of
sleep becomes a veil for them due to their confined senses. However, there do
exist people, and they are present at all times, who in sleep and wakefulness,
are blessed with the sight of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). They meet other revered
souls as well because the layer of sleep does not become veil for them. This
brings us to a question; how can one enter the subconscious while in the state
of wakefulness?
The beloved of God, Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) says,
"Whosoever knows himself knows his
Lord."
Huzoor Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA) explains this Hadith
with the following:
"The Lord of the universe is connected to Insan'
s faculty of speech. It may arise in a reader's mind that God is the creator of
both good and evil. This is correct as Islam gives testimony to this fact.
However, despite being the Creator of good and evil, the responsibility of
one's actions does not fall upon God as God has entitled Aadmi (man) to adopt
good or evil. The first example of this was the restriction imposed by God on
Adam from going close to the forbidden tree. Before this restriction, Adam was
given the right to both visit or abstain from going to the tree. Therefore,
being the Creator of good and evil is an attribute of God, and to commit evil
or refrain from it is the prerogative of Insan."
What is Nafs (self)? Nafs in tasawwuf
(spirituality) is referred to as Ana which is free from 'I'. Since this Ana is
free from self-references, the spatiotemporal limits do not exist for it. The
accounts of prophets explain the phenomenon of the Ana in detail. When Prophet
Abraham (PBUH) became curious as to who and where his Lord is, his mind turned
attentive towards the heavenly bodies.
"When he saw the moon, the sun and the stars
vanishing from his sight, he said, 'I don't keep friends with those who hide.'
This refers to the fact that God cannot be negated; because He is the one who
cannot in any way be detached from the conscience of Insan. And whoever
detaches, can be anyone, but not God.These words of Prophet Abraham (PBUH) shed
light on the Ana. The same Ana has been attributed by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
as Nafs, and God has called it Hablil Wareed (Jugular vein). God cannot be
estranged from Ana (conscience) or Nafs, and this very Ana is the first step in
the cognition of God."
(Loh o Qalam)
Dear readers! the saying of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) that the cognition of God is through the cognition of self is
the code of life. Every action of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) negates trust in
mortal beings. He kept his expectations only from God and had firm belief in
Him. He went through extreme circumstances in his life, but nothing could
falter his conviction in God.
Ana is the voice of the conscience. One
of the levels of Ana is mentioned in the account of mairaj (the night of
ascension). The Lord of the universe states, "Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says
only what God ordains him to say."
"By the Star when it setteth, your comrade erreth
not, nor is deceived; Nor doth he speak of desire. It is naught save an
inspiration that is inspired, which one of mighty powers hath taught him, One
vigorous; and he grew clear to view. When he was on the uppermost horizon, then
he drew nigh and came down till he was two bows length or even nearer, And He
revealed unto His servant that which He revealed. The heart lied not (in
seeing) what it saw." (Quran, 53:1-11)
Being in harmony with the will of God,
obliging to the voice of the conscience, and dependency on the Lord are
attributes that dominated the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He endured
ordeals and hardships with patience, faced heart-wrenching incidents resolutely
and stood victorious against all odds by reposing trust in God.
When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would go
out of his home, children and other people on the streets would pelt stones at
him at the behest of Umm Jamil. When he would reach home drenched in blood,
Hazrat Khadija (RA) would ask him sadly, "Did you go through a lot of
torment today?"
His reply expounds the resoluteness and
centredness of his mind. He said,
"O Khadija, when an insan (human) realises for
whom and why they are undergoing pain, the feeling of pain and discomfort
ceases to exist."
It requires profound contemplation as to
why it is imperative to know oneself (Nafs) before one can know God. This is
because, Nafs or Zameer (conscience) are the Noor (a stage of divine light) of
the inner self, and Noor is the attribute of God upon which the earth and skies
are established.
Listening to the voice of the Noor or
one's conscience negates illusory senses. To negate means to fulfil one's
responsibilities, but leave the result of their efforts on God, and then be
content with what God decides for them. One should be grateful at all times,
and should spend life in service of people, while holding the thought in mind
that God is a witness to all their actions. When the thought of being witnessed
by God turns into observation, the grip of the illusory senses loses its
strength and one is then acquainted with the soul.
The lives of prophets convey that one
cannot step into the ocean of marifat (cognition) unless they follow the voice
of the conscience. A friend of God, Hazrat Zauqi Shah (RA) puts it as,
"Consider the life of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) as a magnifying glass that enlarges the details of Oneness. If
you strengthen your relation with him, the cognition of Oneness will reveal
itself to you." (Tarbiyat al-usshaq)
Dear readers, when one follows the
teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and is immersed in his thoughts, they are
guided to the secrets of God. The friends of God advise their disciples that in
order to attain the cognition of God, they should see Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with
the eyes of the heart.
God has given zenith to the zikr
(remembrance) of his beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and has advised believers
in the following manner:
"Lo! God and His angels shower
blessings on the Prophet. 0 ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him
with a worthy salutation." (Quran, 33:56)
May God protect you.
NOV 2019-QSM
