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Book of Healing - Qur'anic Healing - Spiritual Science - Part One

Spiritual Science - Part One

Tags: Spiritual Science, `ilm-i haqa'iq-i ashya', Subtle foods, Soul

1. Science is the knowledge in which the universe is observed and studied and new inventions are made through experiments. Radio, telephone, telegram, photography, cinema, space rocket, aeroplane, torpedo, rail, motor etc., all these inventions have come into existence due to this science. Through medical science, the causes of countless diseases and their cure have been discovered. This knowledge is as extensive as it is important. And among all the sciences of the world, it is the one which has brought a great revolution in the life of mankind and thereby we can observe new progress everyday. (Firuz Sons, Urdu Encyclopaedia). This is the definition of material science, which you can take as an example of spiritual science.

2. There is no doubt that, as the external observation and study of the material universe is material science, similarly, the internal observation of it is spiritual science. Since spiritual science is eternally linked with the light of God and His vicegerency, therefore, first of all, it was taught to Hazrat Adam, the father of mankind, may peace be on him, through the Supreme Names. All know that God had taught him all the names without any omission. Among these names, as a principle, first come His Supreme Names, under whose sovereignty come the names of all other things. In this Divine teaching, which was given to the vicegerent of God on the earth, we have to think and ask: Was he taught only the verbal pronunciation of every name or the spiritual reality also? The answer certainly is that in the school of supreme vicegerency, names and the named ones, all were in the form of realities and recognitions. That is, Hazrat Adam, may peace be on him, knew the origin and reality of everything. Such a knowledge is called the "science of the realities of things" (`ilm-i haqa'iq-i ashya'). This is the old name of spiritual science.

3. Just as physical cure is founded on the basis of medical science, Qur'anic healing is founded on the basis of spiritual science. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss this subject, so that everything is clear in the light of true knowledge. So it should be known that spiritual science, under the title of spirituality, is attainable by every pious Muslim in the light of the teachings of the wise Qur'an and the sound Ahadith. Particularly, in the present time, its attainment is extremely necessary. The time has come when the nations of the world may yearn for it and may realise its paramount importance and benefit. Anyhow, spiritual science has always been there, but its complete manifestation is going to take place now.

4. Although according to you and us, material science and spiritual science are separate, but in the sight of God and the Prophet, together they are one chain. The only difference is that the initial part of it is material science and the last part of it is spiritual science. In other words, external science is related to the external world (afaq) and the internal science to the spiritual world (anfus). Both of them are among the miracles of God (41:53) and in both of them lies betterment and success of this world and the Hereafter.

5. When Hazrat Adam, according to the command of God, taught the angels the science of names, what language was he using? Did he use the physical tongue or the spiritual tongue? Were all the angels gathered in front of him? If not, how was his voice reaching them (2:33)? Regarding this key reality, we have to accept that Hazrat Adam used to give this knowledge in the voice of the heart, which the angels of the entire universe heard in their respective places. This we can call spiritual science. Further, he also had a world of particles (alam-i dharr, personal world), which in sufism is called microcosm.

6. God, the Exalted, through His perfect power, has created for men an automatic world, whose heavens, earth, sun, moon, stars, etc. work automatically. Scientists have made automatic machines in the light of this law of nature. From this example, it becomes easy to believe the wonders and marvels of spiritual science, that not only is the dhikr of the angels automatic, but also at special times the successful sufis and true mu'mins, experience the miracle of automatic dhikr. And this kind of automatic dhikr adheres at the stage of `Izra'il (manzil-i `Izra'ili) (48:26). Although this dhikr belongs to Hazrat `Izra'il, which is used for the experiment of dying before (physical) death of a pure-hearted sufi, yet this same automatic dhikr also belongs to that fortunate person in whose ear Hazrat `Izra'il recites it.

7. When someone obeys God and His Messenger completely and does abundant dhikr, as a result his inner senses wake up and he starts to experience extraordinary things. For instance, he sees the army of souls and hears its voice. The astonishing thing is that everything has a soul. Take for example vegetation, even if it is autumn, the soul of every flower appears enriched with the wealth of its fragrance; its fragrance never ceases, nor does its colour fade. The amazing thing is that in the spiritual state are made to smell, in turns, the specimens (of fragrance) of some trees and herbs of the jungle and the urban areas. Not only that, but also the souls of many things come in the state of fragrance and provide energy to the body. From this exercise of spirituality, it appears that this poor man who was lying sick for a long time, is now being treated. During this, various kinds of medicines are made to smell and also to eat. However, the specimen of feeding is very limited.

8. As during the treatment of some physical diseases, prevention is a compulsory and necessary condition, similarly, in the days of spiritual treatment, one has to eat very little normal food, particularly in those days in which the spiritual patient is given subtle foods in the form of manifold fragrances. Moreover, it is not appropriate to give importance to the usual eating and drinking of physical things, while in front of him, there is the practical example of manna and quails and the Table of Jesus (ma'idah-yi Isa). But it can be said with mixed feelings of regret and happiness, that this is one of the stations of the spiritual journey and leaving it behind, the traveller has to advance more and more towards the final destination.

9. It is said by the sages of religion that, without the help (ta'yid) of the Holy Spirit, there is no spirituality. The Holy Spirit abides in the Prophets and their special representatives, just as the sun is permanently in the heaven. And it is obvious that where the luminous sun is always shining, the darkness of night cannot spread, nor can the shadows of clouds be cast there. But it is true that the earth passes through different states of light and darkness. Earth stands for the people of faith, who in comparison to the Holy Spirit, pass through different states, like day and night, sunshine and shade. But the wealth of experiences which is called knowledge and recognition is everlasting. An allusion is made to this in the verse (58:22), which you should study again and again. In it by "bi-ruhin minhu (a special spirit from Him)" is meant the Holy Spirit. As Khwajah Hafiz has said:

10. Soul in itself is believed to be an immaterial reality, but at five places, it has a link with the body. These five places are:

1. Universal body, which is the astral or subtle body of the universe, which is also the Dais (kursi) (2:255), as well as the Universal Paradise (3:133; 57:21).
2. Luminous shirt which is to protect from every kind of heat (16:81).
3. Spiritual shirt which protects from every kind of war (16:81).
4. Spiritual particle or spiritual particles, or particles of subtle body, which are to represent you in others and others in you. Also potentially, they are the spiritual army which can conquer the universe (27:17). For, there is a Sulaymanian Kingdom dormant within everyone.
5. External body which is in front of all. This body has great importance, for religion, faith, knowledge and action, all depend on it.

11. Man, in reality, on the whole is sick at present and suffers from manifold external and internal diseases. Otherwise, following the true guides (Prophets and awliya'), he would have observed all the wonders and marvels of spirituality and recognised his own self (soul) and his Lord according to "Man `arafa nafsahu fa-qad `arafa rabbahu (He who recognises himself (his soul), recognises his Lord)" (Ahadith-i Mathnawi, p. 167). And in addition to this, he would have been able to recognise the Prophets, for without their recognition, nobody can reach the recognition of God. Since the advent of Islam, the recognition of the holy Prophet is extremely necessary, as all other recognitions are gathered in it, such as the recognition of angels and heavenly books, etc.

12. In the cycles of Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Isa, may peace be on them, certain darwish-like mu'mins had also succeeded in attaining the place of spirituality, due to which they were able to see and recognise the heavenly book with their inner eye. Therefore, the wise Qur'an gave them this name: "Those unto whom We gave the Book" (2:146; 6:20), for both externally and internally, the act of giving of the Book by God had become complete for them. Thus such pure sufis were able to recognise the light of Prophethood like their kith and kin, that it was going to manifest in the pure and sacred personality of the holy Prophet (2:146; 6:20).

13. Here arises a highly important question, if the successful sufis of the cycles of Hazrat Musa and Hazrat `Isa, have recognised the light of Prophethood and the heavenly Book with their inner eye, then cannot we believe that awliya', great sufis and true mu'mins of the religion of Islam, have also observed the light of the seal of the Prophets and the spirit and spirituality of the holy Qur'an with their inner eye, in the light of ma`rifat? Cannot the special proximity of God be attained as a result of additional prayers (nawafil)? If it can be attained and the Lord of the world becomes the ear and eye of such close friends, then what cannot they hear with the ear in which the Divine light works? And what cannot they see with the eye in which there is the Divine light? It is obvious that such close friends of God, whose inner senses have become illumined with the Divine light, will hear and see everything. And this is the sign of the health of intellect and soul.

Naw-ruz 9 Rajab, 1406/21st March, 1986.