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Towards the Inner Vision of the Truth

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"On the day when thou (Muhammad) wilt see the believers, men and women, their light shining forth before them and on their right hands." — Holy Qur'an 57:12

 

Candle Posts :: Motivational Gems for Higher Spiritual Enlightenment

:: Candle Post #38 :: What are the Links between the Daily Prayer, Faith and Knowledge? ::

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Ya Ali Madad. In this post, I would like to present the thoughts of Rumi on the spirit of compulsory prayers and the comparison of ritual prayer with faith (iman). Then I would like to show how faith gets actualized to light through knowledge. Let us first discover the spirit behind the daily prayers:

'For instance, you are playing the rebeck (medieval stringed instrument) and know that I (God) am behind the wall. For certain you will keep on playing. You will not stop, for you are a rebeck-player. After all, the purpose of this ritual prayer is not that you should stand and bow and prostrate yourself all day long. Its purpose is that you should possess continuously that spiritual state which appears to you in prayer: Whether asleep or awake, writing or reading, in all states you should never be empty of the remembrance of God; rather, you should be one of those who is constantly at their prayers (LXX 23).'
(Fihi Mâ fihi (Discourses of Rumi) 174/182-183)

Now let us read Rumi's perspectives on faith and ritual prayer:

'Someone asked what is more excellent than ritual prayer.
 
The master replied that one answer is the spirit of the ritual prayer ... (as explained above). A second answer is that faith is better than the ritual prayer. For the prayer has to be performed five times a day, while faith is continual. The prayer may be omitted for a valid excuse, and in certain circumstances it may be postponed. This is another superiority of faith: It cannot be omitted for any excuse, and under no circumstances may it be postponed. Faith without prayer is beneficial, but there is no benefit in the prayer without faith, as for example in the case of hypocrites. Moreover, in every religion the ritual prayer is different, but faith does not change in any of them—its inward states, its kiblah, and so forth are all the same.'
(Fihi Mâ fihi (Discourses of Rumi) 32/43)

[Source: William C. Chittick. The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi. 1983. State University of New York Press, Albany. Pp. 152-153]

Now let us study how faith becomes light:

'Firm belief, in fact, is another name of the initial and basic faith (iman), which gradually progresses and becomes the light of faith, at the level of perfection (Q. 49:7, 57:12). On the other hand, it should also be remembered that faith is called certainty when it reaches the level of knowledge, such as knowledge of certainty ('ilmu'l-yaqin), the eye of certainty ('ayun'l-yaqin), and the truth of certainty (haqqu'l-yaqin). Further certainty becomes recognition (marifat), when the eye of the (real) heart opens. Thus, on the highest level, light of faith, light of certainty and the light of recognition are one and the same reality.'
(Quranic Healing, page 125)

Please note how the above paragraph supports the statement by Rumi:

'Muslim consciousness, faith is connected primarily with knowledge and only secondarily with the will and emotions. As we have already seen, Rumi describes the "believer"—mu'min, "he who has faith"—as dominated by the intellect and irradiated by the Light of God. So "faith" and "belief" have none of the overtones of irrationality connected with the word "belief" in English.'

[Source: William C. Chittick. The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi. 1983. State University of New York Press, Albany. P. 151]

Applications of the Above Knowledge

  1. Now let us re-read the following statement which was made in Candle post 36:
     

    NOOR Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah (a.s.) has taught us that faith is light (Iman chhe te Noor chhe). Note Rumi's definition of faith is based on intellect that is irradiated by the Light of God. Please link these concepts to NOOR Mowlana Hazar Imam's Dua to the global Jamat in his Holy Talika dated December 13, 2008: "I convey to all my beloved spiritual children individually ... blessings ... for spiritual enlightenment to guide you in your lives ...". From this, I conclude that we all have to practise our faith in such a way that we understand our faith at the highest form of intellect, which is light in the forehead!

  2. Let us do our best and fully participate in the Jamati Evening Mushkil Aasaan satado for a period of seven days, and get the barakat of the 'Ya Ali tu Rahem Kar, Ya Mowla tu Fazal Kar' tasbi;
     
  3. Let us pray for the blessings of the protection through the Light of NOOR Mowlana Hazar Imam in our foreheads; and
     
  4. Let us remember Mowla's firman that "It (bandagi) will give you strength to face any worldly difficulty. It will give you humility to face success." Ameen.

May Mowla's Light be with all of us, always, in everything that we do!

Related Links:
The Mi'raj of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.)
Actualizing Higher Spiritual Enlightenment

Ardent Supplications:

Ya Ali, Ya NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam, create Sunshine in our hearts, light in our foreheads, and bless us all with the inner vision of the Truth!

Ya Ali, Ya NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam, grant the global Jamat luminous (noorani) and spiritual (ruhani) tayid (help) to advance materially, spiritually and intellectually. Ameen.

Haizinda — Qayampaya
(Our Present Imam is Living and His NOOR is Eternal)

Rakh Mowla je Noor te Yaqeen (Certainly, we trust in Mowla's Light only),
Noorallah Juma
SalmanSpiritual.com
Monday, April 20, 2009

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