'The Barriers from Al-Mohaimen are four' (qasida 5:16)

This is the motto of this section, which is for talking about the barriers that cuts off the Moslems' relations with Allah [Al-Mohaimen which is a name of Allah that means the Dominant who controls everything]. We need to know these barriers in order for us to be able to avoid or rectify them in our path to Allah.

This section started with a question from one of our viewers, which he sent to the Discussion page. We then found out that it is a big issue that needs more extensive discussion. We found a book made out of a research conducted by a group of brothers which took them 2 years to complete. This book discusses this subject extensively from the point of view of sayyidi Fakhraddin because it was made with the help of some of his older companions. The book's title is "al-Morshid al-Wagis" which means [the summarized guide].

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This is a continuation, from a previous issue, to the subject of the barriers from al-Mohaimen. we were talking about the first barrier which is the inner-self. We found that the the inner-self has seven selves, The first and lowest one of them is the "Evil-Inclined Self". The second one was the "Reproaching Self". This is the Third one:

Inspired Self

This self has many good attributes, such as generosity, modesty, contentment, patience, enduring harm, forgiving people, and accepting their excuses. It is called "inspired", because Allah inspires to it what is right and what is wrong.  Allah says [And by the soul and its perfection. And He inspired it what is wrong for it and what is right for it. He indeed truly prospers who purifies it. And he who corrupts it is ruined] (al-Shams 91: 7-10). In this rank, self starts hearing both divine and devilish whispers, after it was deaf like animals. This rank is also dangerous, because both what is right and what is wrong are revealed. One still can not distinguish between what is divine and what is devilish, because he has not gotten rid of his human nature completely. If the seeker is distracted from remembrance [Dhikr], he may -Allah forbids- deteriorates and gets back to evil-inclined self. His belief may also be corrupted, and accordingly, he will leave acts of worship and commit sins. Moreover, the fire of nature ignites in his heart and burns the divine light he used to have. At this time, he becomes a human devil who interprets devilish whispers as divine ones. This all happens after his human nature was elevated and his spirituality was strengthened. He just had few steps to get into the divine presence. Therefore, you have to follow your sheikh and never disobey him, even if you think you are better than others. You also have to be polite and never be arrogant, in order to reach the reassuring self.  Before this reassuring self, you will pass through a phase of confusion. Reassurance means that you are in control of all bad attributes, so you are never distracted from the Oneness Site [Hadrat al-Ahadiya] by any glimmering rays of other high sites, because this will get you back to where you have started.

You have to know that this third rank has both goodness and evil. If goodness wins, you will be elevated to higher ranks. If evil wins, you will move to Sijjin [a rank in hell]. If goodness wins, you will find your heart full of faith and your belief strong, you will have no doubt in anything related to al-tariqa, abide by sharia in your actions, entertain good habits, serve brothers in al-taqria and never miss your awrad. These all prove that you are safe from trials. You will always be sure that whatever happens in al-tariqa agrees with the divine will. Sheikh Fakhraddin says: 

[I will not be apart from my seeker even for a second

My seeker is the one who submits to my will](qasida 1:266)

It is also said:

[Whatever Allah wants will be done                          Whether you accept or not]

[Therefore be carefree                                                Every trouble will be ended]

[Allah says to the seeker                           Leave what you want for what I want]

[For, if your desire agrees with mine                                         You will get yours]

[And if it does not,                                                           your desire will be elusive]

[You will be a hypocrite lover                     if you want something I do not want]

Sheikh Fakhraddin also says:

[Be carefree, as Allah is attentive      And don't miss your prayers](qasida 1:392)

He also says:

[I will rule only what Allah decided for you 

I have written and it was sealed](qasida 1:206)

If the evil wins, you will have strong faith in your heart and a strong belief, but you will not abide by Shari'a. You will leave acts of worships, commit sins and argue too much. This is because when the seeker sees divine lights, he thinks that all his actions agree with the will of Allah, and therefore, his faith covers him from the secrets of sharia.  He gives himself reassurance, and forgets that his sheikh has a scale. Being straight with sheikh demands great caution and fear. Never be secure whether you are close to him or far from him. Leave all your matters to him, because he is the only one who knows the secret of those selves. Put in front of your eyes Mawlana's saying:

[The goal is to mean well without going astray

Unity is the pillar of religion](qasida 37:4)

Never leave the basics; prayers, fasting, alms, and awrad. If you leave them and rely only on your faith, it will fade after a while. Moreover, if you can not keep the beginnings, the basics, you will not be able to keep the ends, your faith. The ends are much harder to keep. You have to know that you are still at the beginning of your elevation towards your goal. This means that evil is still more powerful than goodness. It may beat it, and you lose both the world and the hereafter. It is important to know that, in this stage, the seeker experiences what is known as "first loss of self". It means that the seeker becomes unconscious of all visuals due to amazement, not due to fainting. Every sense loses its sensation; the eye, for instance, sees but, at the same time, doesn't see. However, this stage is better than the stage before it. You will be like someone who passes by a friend of his and did not greet him. His friend blames him for this, but he swears that he hasn't seen him.

This is all due to the greatness of this stage. The ear also hears but at the same time doesn't hear. Those who are in this stage are the only ones who understand it. It is like knowledge contradicted with ignorance. That is why they said: 'He stopped me and told me to know him with a knowledge that is not contradicted with ignorance', as this kind of knowledge is still ignorance. If you pass this stage, your feelings are back to you. You will start understanding everything bestowed in you. Whatever you say will be wise. Prophet Mohammad [PPBUH] says (Whoever becomes faithful to Allah for forty days, wisdom will come out of his heart to show up on his tongue).

Sheikh Fakhraddin says:

[I blow in the seeker's heart, and he chooses

The jewels of wisdom of the ancients' knowledge thanks to my blow](qasida 1:36)

We have mentioned before that in such a stage the seeker can't differentiate between divine whispers and devilish ones. Imam Al-Jindy was once asked: why do you still use Sebaha (beads), after you have reached Allah? He replied: 'if it has helped me reach my goal, how can I leave it?!' 

Leaving basics is dangerous, so don't leave things you are sure that they are useful, such as muraqaba (meditation). Your self is your bitter enemy in whom you should never trust. It is also claimed that this stage is a stage of deep love. Deep love itself is a veil from the beloved, although it is acceptable by lovers. Deep love is considered to be bad compared to higher states, because the lover is absent-minded with himself, in the case of expansion [delight]. In the case of contraction [depression], his chest becomes strained and his heart almost out of his chest. He will be humiliated and submissive with real submission, until he is elevated to the fourth stage. In the fourth stage, his love starts to become calmer. Depression and delight turn into reverence and intimacy. The difference between depression and reverence is that the heart is contracted in the former, not in the later. The difference between delight and intimacy is that delight overwhelms the seeker so that he may not be polite with his sheikh. This is not the case with intimacy. In other words, in the first stage, the seeker's state is fear and hope. It turns into depression and delight in the second stage and into reverence and intimacy in the third one. In the fourth stage, it becomes lordliness and beauty.

Depression is a state in which the soul tries to break the prison of the body to connect to its world, but it fails. Therefore, you should be patient. You have to know that this breakthrough may not happen in this stage. If it is revealed to the soul at this early stage before the right time, it may be contaminated.  Only the sheikh, the expert with the selves, knows these delicate matters. Prophet Mohammad said (die before you die). He also said (Whoever wants to see a dead person walking on earth, should look to Abu Baker). He means the chosen death which is the loss of self as we explained for the third stage. The dead sees the world of Barzakh [the world between this world and the world-after]. The seeker, at this stage, experiences al-Mithal world [the similitude world], which is a branch of the angelic world.

To be continued…..

Written by al-Morshid al-Wagis group

Translated by Nahed