Islam - Happiness - Sufism
İmam İskender Ali MİHR
PREFACE
In the name of Allâh, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate
Our dear readers, nowadays people act with the five conditions of Islâm in the four corners of the earth. And they are sure that their worships are sufficient. But Islâm necessitates much more than they have been doing.
Is the situation really so?
The answer to this question exists in the Noble Qur’ân. The life lived by our Master the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions (sahâbe) was Islâm. The life that they had lived was to observe the entirety of the Noble Qur’ân (3/Âl-‘Imrân - 119). The whole of the Noble Qur’ân contains the four Trusts in us:
The Spirit
The Physical Body
The Soul
The Free Will
Allâh has given orders not only to our physical body, but also to our soul and our spirit.
And what is important is to surrender these trusts to Allah in accordance with these orders, these obligations placed upon us, with the Invitation of Allâh, and that the person may reach “irshad” by surrendering his soul that is the body and the free will he will surrender lastly to Allâh (2/Al-Baqarah - 186). And this is a prescription (farz). It is possible to find it today in all the Holy Scriptures. The verses concerning the surrender (teslim) have been exactly preserved in all the Holy Scriptures (42/Ash-Shûra - 47).
Our Master the Prophet (PBUH) and all sahâbe had surrendered firstly their spirits and then their physical bodies to Allâh (3/Âl-‘Imrân - 20). And afterwards they had reached irshad (perfection). They had also surrendered their souls and their free wills to Allâh (49/Al-Hujurât - 7).
They had thus surrendered the four trusts to Allâh.
…They had become Islâm (muslims) in the real sense of the word.
The first meaning of the word of Islâm is the surrender (teslim, submission) Only the person who has been able to surrender his four trusts to Allâh attains the honor of being Islâm. As for this surrender: it does not come into being by saying merely: “I have also surrendered to Allâh. It has its conditions.
The second meaning of the word of Islâm is peace and tranquility, happiness. Our Exalted Lord names this infinite happiness (Hazzu’l ‘azîm = Supreme Delight) (41/Fussilat - 35).
We had already said: Surrendering to Allâh (being Islâm) has its conditions. These are the conditions of the first (bottom level) and second (top level) order.
The conditions of the first (bottom level) order are these:
1. The purification of the soul.
2. The spirit’s reaching Allâh (Hidâyet = Guidance)
3. The physical body’s becoming a servant to Allâh.
The condition of the second (top level) order are these:
1. The spirit’s surrendering to Allâh.
2. The physical body’s surrendering to Allâh.
3. The soul’s surrendering to Allâh.
4. The free will’s surrendering to Allâh.
First of all, the oaths belonging to our three bodies that we had given to Allâh in the Pre-eternity should be fulfilled.
1. Our spirit has sworn to reach Allâh in the life of this present world (before dying) [13/Ar-Ra’d - 20, 21] [the Covenant - Mîsâk].
2. Our physical body has sworn to be a servant to Allâh and not to be a servant of Satan. [36/Yâ-Sîn - 60, 61] (the Oath - Ahd).
3. Our soul has sworn to be purified (91/Ash-Shams - 9, and 74/Müddessir - 38, 39, 40) (The Vow - Yemîn).
Our Exalted Lord has given us orders that constitute the prescriptions concerning the fulfillment of these four oaths.
1. Our Exalted Lord has made obligatory upon us twelve times our spirit’s reaching Allah while we are living the life of this world:
1. 39/Az-Zumar - 54 7. 42/Ash-Shûra - 47
2. 89/Al-Fajr - 28 8. 73/Al-Muzzammil - 8
3. 30/Ar-Rûm - 31 9. 13/Ar-Ra’d - 21
4. 51/Adh-Dhâriyât - 50 10. 10/Yûnus - 25
5. 31/Luqmân - 15 11. 5/Al-Mâ’idah - 7
6. 6/Al-An’âm - 152 12. 4/An-Nisâ’ - 58
2. Our Lord has made obligatory upon us our physical body’s being a servant to Allâh through three verses (2/Al-Baqarah - 21; 6/Al-An’âm - 152; 5/Al-Mâ’idah - 105)
3. He has made obligatory upon us the purification of our soul again through three verses (5/Al-Mâ’idah - 105; 89/Al-Fajr - 27, 28; 6/Al-An’âm - 152)
The fulfillment of these oaths is realized at the 21th stage.
1. We experience some events.
2. We evaluate these events.
3. We wish to reach Allâh in the life of this world.
4. Allâh manifests Himself with His All-Compassionate (Rahîm) name over us.
5. Allâh takes out the invisible veil between us and our murshid appointed for us in the Pre-eternity and the veil named “gışavet” on our sight.
6. Allâh takes out “vakrâ” (immaterial weight, deafness) from our ears and the seal on our hearing.
7. Allâh takes away the coverings (ekinnet) from our hearts and the seal on them. As a result, the person becomes “âmenû”.
It has been decreed in the Noble Qur’ân that whosoever becomes âmenû will reach the Straight Path (Sırât-ı Müstakîm) (22/Hacc - 54).
At the end of the above-mentioned 7 stages, a “holy alliance” is established in the inner world of the servant.
8. Allâh reaches the (soul’s) heart of the one who has completed these 7 stages successfully (64/Tegâbün - 11).
9. Allâh turns our soul’s heart created as turned to Satan up to this day to Himself. As for our heart’s turning to Allâh: it is the prerequisite of reaching Paradise (50/Qâf - 32) and Allâh (13/Ar-Ra’d - 28).
10. At this stage, Allahû Tealâ opens up the breast of our soul to surrenders by slitting it (6/Al-An’âm - 125). He opens up a way from our breast to our heart so that the mercy, virtue and benedictions (salavât) coming down from Allâh may attain our soul’s heart when we do zikir (when we recite the Name of Allâh).
11. The mercy, virtue and benedictions (Allâh’s Lights) begin to arrive at our (soul’s) heart through the way opened by Allâh by His slitting our breast (39/Az-Zumar - 22).
12. Thus, the mercy (light, nûr) reaching our soul’s heart as long as we do zikir brings forth hushu’ (reverence, awe) therein (57/Al-Hadîd - 16).
13. When we have become the owner of hushu’ (reverence, awe), upon the requirement prayer we have performed, Allâhu Zü’l Celâl (Allâh, the Owner of Majesty) absolutely shows us our murshid (2/Al-Baqarah - 45), because we have reached hushu’, that is, we have obtained the authority to receive the answer of the special help (istiane) we have sought from Allâh (1/Al-Fâtihah - 5).
14. We reach the murshid whom Allâh has shown us and repent before him (25/Al-Furqân - 70, 71).
Only beginning from this point, we take action in order to fulfil the oaths we had given to Allah regarding our soul’s purification, our spirit’s reaching Allâh and our physical body’s being a servant to Allâh. When we reach the murshid whom Allâh has shown us and repent in front of him by kneeling down before him (25/Al-Furqân - 70), the spirit of the Imâm of the Era takes place over our head (40/Ghâfir - 15; 58/Al-Mujadilah - 22). This spirit gives a low-reading desk as a gift to our spirit by taking him to his dervish convent together with himself. And our spirit sets out towards Allâh (78/An-Naba’ - 39). The word of Belief (Îmân, Faith) is written into the soul’s heart of this disciple (murîd) who has set out towards Allâh in order to reach Him and obtain His Good Pleasure on the day on which he has repented (58/Al-Mujadilah - 22). And the disciple becomes a believer (25/Al-Furqân- 70 and 49/Al-Hujurât - 14). When he has become a believer, (as Allâh’s mercy reaches this soul’s heart as long as he does zikir) the seal on his soul’s heart is pushed into the (soul’s) heart and prevents “fücûr”, darknesses coming from Satan from entering it (2/Al-Baqarah - 257). This seal was going on keeping closed the mercy door through which Allah’s mercy would reach our soul’s heart (45/Al-Jâthiyah -23). Now, because the word of Belief is written therein, as this seal leaves the door when we do zikir the mercy, virtue and benedictions rush through the mercy door during zikir and illuminate our soul’s heart. They purify the darknesses and the filthiness in our soul’s heart.
Thus, the improving deeds, deeds that improve our soul’s heart, our soul’s purification begins (25/Al-Furqân - 70). And our spirit sets out towards Allâh.
Parallely to the conveyance of Allâh’s commands by our murshid, the application of these commands ensures our purifying our soul (’s heart) through the seven stages. The stages of Emmâre (12/Yûsuf - 53), Levvâme (75/Al-Qiyâmah - 2), Mülhîme (91/Ash-Shams - 8), Mutmainne (89/Al-Fajr - 27, 13/Ar-Ra’d - 28), Râdıye (89/Al-Fajr - 28), Mardıyye (89/Al-Fajr - 28), Tezkiye (35/Fâtir - 18). Throughout these 7 stages, our soul (’s heart) is purified. At each stage of purification, our spirit ascends to one heavenly floor on the Straight Path and by surpassing the seven roads (tarîk) binding the seven heavenly floors (65/At-Talâq - 12), the Straight Path, turns back to Allâh, reaches him (6/Al-An’âm - 87, 88 and 35/Fâtir - 18). The spirit reaches Hidâyet (Guidance), arrives in Allâh (3/Âl-‘Imrân - 73, 6/Al-An’âm - 71, 2/Al-Baqarah - 120). Together with the purification of our soul (’s heart), our spirit also reaches Allâh and Allahû Tealâ accepts us to His servanthood. And we deserve to enter Paradise (89/Al-Fajr - 27, 28, 29, 30). So, the conditions of the first order have been completed.
1) Our soul (’s heart) has been purified (89/Al-Fajr - 27, 28; 35/Fâtir - 18).
2) Our spirit has reached Allâh (89/Al-Fajr - 28; 35/Fâtir - 18).
3) Hz. Allahu Zü’l Celâl (Allah, the Owner of Majesty) has accepted us to His servanthood (89/Al-Fajr - 29).
All sahâbe had fulfilled these conditions (39/Az-Zumar - 17, 18). Thus, we deserve to enter Paradise (89/Al-Fajr - 30). The fulfillment of the conditions of the first order (bottom level), the fulfillment of the orders related to the purification of the soul (’s heart), the spirit’s arriving in Allâh and the physical body’s being a servant to Allâh make us a Friend of Allâh (a Velî, a Saint) and ensures us Paradise. But this does not provide us the worldly happiness, the “Supreme Delight” (Hazzu’l ‘azîm). It does not guarantee our being Islâm (muslim). If we can carry out the conditions of the second order (top level), if we can surrender to Allâh, only then we reach “irshad” (we become “irshad”) we become Islâm and reach the infinite happiness.
Allâhu Zü’l Celâl Hz. has made an Invitation reaching up to “irshad” and ordered mankind to respond to (accept) this Invitation of His (2/Al-Baqarah - 186; 42/Ash-Shûra - 47).
To be “irshad” is possible only through our soul’s heart being embellished, its ugliness (its vices) being changed into beauties and thus being ornated [through the fact that the good qualities of our spirit can replace the vices of our soul (’s heart)] (49/Al-Hujurât - 7).
The darknesses in our soul’s heart represent the vices of our soul (’s heart), whereas the lights represent the good qualities (haslets) of our spirit. The fact that our (soul’s) heart consists only of mercy, light and luminousness through the mercy coming down from Allâh is the state of our (soul’s) heart being embellished, ornated. The saint who has attained to this state is named “the one who has become irshad” in the sense of one who has completely reached the luminousness, the Light.
In which case, all the darknesses (vices) that spoil the content have been annihilated and only the virtues have remained in a soul who possesses a heart completely illuminated where all the vices of the soul have vanished and all the good qualities of the spirit have settled down in place of them. Henceforth, that spirit has become pure and unmixed.
As for such a spirit: He has surrendered to Allâh and become muhlis (utterly pure) [98/Al-Bayyinah - 5]. This is why this stage is called the stage of Ihlâs (utter Purity). And this indicates that our soul, the third trust, has been also delivered to Allâh. We see that all sahâbe had passed through these stages, become irshad and thus completed their four surrenders. Allâh has ordered us to surrender our three bodies to Allâh and our free wills and thus to become Islâm [39/Az-Zumar - 54; 4/An-Nisâ’ - 58; 2/Al-Baqarah - 208]. And all sahâbe had surrendered their three bodies and their free wills to Allâh.
1. Their spirits [39/Az-Zumar - 18; 3/Âl-‘Imrân - 20]
2. Their physical bodies [3/Âl-‘Imrân - 20]
3. Their souls [2/Al-Baqarah - 136]
4. Their free wills [2/Al-Baqarah - 136, 9/At-Taubah - 100]
All the faithful of all the religions know that all the prophets of Allâh charged with the duty of expounding the Holy Scriptures of Allâh and those who had depended on them had obtained the greatest rewards of Allâh by surrendering to Him with their three bodies and their free wills.
In fact, it is not at all important whether the word of “Tasavvuf” stems from “the dwellers of the hall” (shed) [Ehl-i Sufa] according to the outer appearances or from the word of “sof” (wool) as they had put on woolen clothes in the Age of our Master the Prophet.
But there are certain things considered as very important:
1. “Tasavvuf” (Sufism) is to act with the whole of the Noble Qur’ân. It is to act not only with the verses concerning our physical body but also with the verses laying tasks on our soul and spirit, too.
2. “Tasavvuf” (Sufism) is to live that which our Master the Prophet and his Companions (sahabe) had lived. The life that all the prophets and their dependants had lived was also “Tasavvuf” (Sufism).
3. Tasavvuf (Sufism) is to surrender to Allâh our trusts (the spirit, the physical body, the soul and the free will) that He has confided to us. It is to reach “irshad”, which is to be Islâm.
The first content of the word of Islâm is to believe in One Allah, its second content is the surrender (teslim, submission), its third content is peace and quietness (tranquility, serenity). Whoever has attained to the honor of becoming Islâm has reached the infinite happiness in three respects.
1. As all the good qualities of the spirit are transferred to the soul in the inner world, man has reached peace and tranquility, because there is not any more state of conflict between the spirit and the soul.
2. Man has reached peace and tranquility in his relations with the outer world, that is, with other people, because there are not any more vices so that there may be conflicts with them.
3. The best relations have been established with Allahû Tealâ. Each order of our Exalted Lord has been fulfilled and each prohibition avoided. Henceforth, the virtues that the soul has possessed (that is, the good qualities of the spirit) feel a strong desire to execute the divine orders and never commit the prohibitions, because all the vices demanding to commit them have vanished.
It has been thus seen that Islâm is a phase to be reached in order that an infinite happiness, a supreme delight, (hazzu’l ‘azîm) should come into being.
Allâh loves mankind the most as He has created everything apart from mankind for man [45/Al-Jâthiyah - 13]. The fact that He wishes His creature He loves the most to be happy is perfectly put in its proper place. For this reason, Allâh orders man to reach irshad [2/Al-Baqarah - 186, 42/Ash-Shûra - 47]. Because only the person who has reached irshad has attained to Islâm, consequently to an infinite happiness. He has attained to the last rank of being a “perfect man” (Insân-ı Kâmil). He has been a perfect man from the point of view of happiness.
1. Extinction (the spirit’s surrendering to Allâh) [Fenâ]
2. Everlastingness [Bekâ]
3. Asceticism [Zuhd]
4. Surrender [Teslim] [the physical body’s surrendering to Allâh, being a muhsin (good-doer).
5. Ûlu’l Elbâb (the owners of continuous zikir, consequently of the treasures of the divine secrets).
6. Ihlâs (utter Purity). These stages of Sainthood have been completed.
The second and real content of being a perfect man is the ability “to be able to lead (men) to irshad.
This ability does not exist in man as he is merely of the opinion that he possesses it.
To be able to be a murshid is only realized through his being invited to the Irrevocable Repentance (Tövbe-i Nasûh) [66/At-Tahrîm-8] by Allahû Tealâ after his having reached Ihlâs (utter purity) and through the fact that our Exalted Lord communicates to him that he has reached Salâh (Improvement). And those whose eye of the inner heart is open see the Light of Improvement (halo) over his head [66/At-Tahrîm - 8].
It should not be forgotten that the continuous zikir (zikr-i dâim) is essential during the three stages beginning from the stage of Ûlü’l Elbâb (the owners of the treasures of the Divine Secrets) [3/Âl-‘Imrân - 190, 191]. But at the stage of Salâh (Improvement) “zikr-i kullî (the total zikir) (all the organs of the body’s repeating the name of Allâh ceaselessly) is essential.
7. Thus, the stage of Salâh (7. stage) is formed. At the first two of the three ranks of Salâh (Improvement) the connection of the free will to the Will of Allâh and then its removal are experienced. And at the last rank of Salâh, Allâh takes only one personage under His disposal in each Era.
It has been seen that not only the fulfillment of the duties related to our physical body but also to our soul and spirit has been made obligatory upon us. As for this: it is to depend on the whole of the Book (the Qur’ân) in respect of the relations between Allâh and the servant [3/Âl-‘Imrân - 119]. From this standpoint, to depend on the entirety of the Book is to depend on the whole of the Noble Qur’ân. As for being Islâm, as we have seen it, it can be realized only in depending on the whole of the Noble Qur’ân.
To depend on the whole of the Book is to surrender to Allâh the spirit, the physical body, the soul and the free will, these four trusts granted to us. As for the process of delivering these 4 trusts to Allâh: it is “Tasavvuf” (Sufism). It is the level reached by our Master the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions (sahabe), the life lived by them. It is to attain to the honor of being Islâm. “Tasavvuf” is to surrender to Allâh, to live Islâm, Islâm in the Qur’ân. “Tasavvuf” is to put Islâm into practise.
Therefore, Islâm = Tasavvuf (Sufism).
Allâh has made “irshad” obligatory upon us [2/Al-Baqarah - 186; 42/Ash-Shûra - 47]; Irshad is the surrender of the three bodies and the free will to Allâh, is to be Islâm, is Tasavvuf (Sufism).
The Surrender (Teslim) is a prescription (farz).
Islâm is a prescription.
Therefore, Tasavvuf also is a prescription.
In that case, Tasavvuf is not a superfluous activity requiring a lot of fantasies beyond the indispensable 5 conditions deemed sufficient in our time, it is Islâm itself.
The five conditions of Islâm do not suffice to save anyone.
The five conditions of Islâm are but a little part of that which are ordered to be done.
Furthermore, no one is authorized to consider some parts of the prescriptions as non-existent.
As for the fact that the human beings who are in a great confusion all over the world nowadays may reach happiness: it will be only possible through their living Islâm in the Qur’ân.
While we are presenting this book for your consideration with the wish for our reaching those days on which Allâh will complete His Light in the (souls’) hearts of all the human beings, we offer infinite thanks and praises to our Exalted Lord because of His allotting this service to us.
With our prayers
İMAM İskender Ali M İ H R