Book of Healing - Qur'anic Healing - Standard of Health
Standard of Health
Tags: Health, Perfect man, Universe, Spiritual path, Intellectual sickness
1. There is a standard to test everything, or in other words there is a fixed meter, measure or weight to weigh and measure things. In some modern machines, there are many meters to check their inner condition, whether there is any increase or decrease, or whether the machine is functioning as desired or not. Similarly in the world of Islam, the pure life, the sacred sunnat and the ideal character of the holy Prophet is made such an all-inclusive standard or the universal of universals, in whose light the people of insight can, not only diagnose inner sickness and health, but also attain the treasure of knowledge and recognition. A diagram of his perfect health in every respect is presented here as an example:
Diagram of the Excellent Model
2. In connection with the creation and completion of the human existence, the body is created first, then the vegetative soul, animal soul, human soul and ethics respectively. Then comes into being his ideology, by which is meant belief, school of thought (madhhab) and religion, then the soul of faith (ruhu'l-iman) and finally, intellect, by which is meant an intellect which recognises God.
3. The above-mentioned order of creation is absolutely correct with respect to physical creation. However, with respect to excellence, the rank of intellect comes first, then the soul of faith, then ideology, namely, belief, then ethics and the fifth is the body and accordingly is the intellectual health, spiritual health, ideological health, ethical health and physical health.
4. The path of the esteemed sufis is quite logical, that first, the successful salik (one who walks on the spiritual path) annihilates himself, in his shaykh (= murshid/imam), then in the holy Prophet and finally in God. When this is the case, we have to examine the diagram of the "Excellent Model" of the Prophet more carefully. For it is possible for a salik on the spiritual path (suluk) to pass through annihilation in the shaykh (fana' fi'r-rasul), annihilation in the Prophet (fana' fi'r-rasul) and annihilation in God (fana' fi'llah) then inevitably, the shaykh himself has already been annihilated in the Prophet and God, because without this, the concept of annihilation becomes meaningless. From this point, it becomes clear that in this diagram, after the Prophet is mentioned the shaykh or the Perfect Man and also the salik.
5. The pure body of the holy Prophet is referred to in the verse (33:33). This purity is both external and internal, in which the Perfect Men are with the Prophet. Further, the best manners (khuluqin azim = an exalted standard of character, 68:4) are also a model for the people. We must say without any hesitation, that these manners or habits are those of God, which the Prophet, the mercy of the world, had adopted. Therefore, it is said: "Takhallaqu bi-akhlaqi'illah (Adopt the manners of God!)". Perfect faith (iman-i kamil) implies that belief and ideology are common, but perfect faith is special. The satisfied soul is the developed form of the soul (89:28). The Qur'anic name of the sound intellect, is the sound heart (26:89; 37:84).
6. The wise Qur'an has called all inner diseases the diseases of the heart or intellectual diseases (2:10). For, if the intellect falls sick then the soul, ideology, ethics and body, all automatically fall sick. The reason for this is that intellectual sickness is nothing but ignorance, whose influence causes many physical and spiritual diseases. Contrary to this, if the intellect is sound and healthy, the health of other things is possible. It is not strange for the wise people that vegetables depend on the vegetative soul, animals on the animal soul and the edifice of the human existence is founded on the basis of intellect.
7. Those who have attained the extremely exalted rank of annihilation in the Prophet and annihilation in God, are called the Perfect Men. Such Divinely guided shaykhs or murshids, have become like the centre or the heart of the universe. Study the diagram below and its explanation carefully:
8. In my opinion, this diagram can prove extremely useful in the understanding and the teaching of realities and recognitions. In the light of Qur'anic allusions and spiritual knowledge, it has been explained in this diagram that the Perfect Man, in fact, is like the heart and mind of the external world. That is, he is the centre of the universe as well as the circumferential circle of it. In the upper part of these seven circles, you can see a small circle. What is this? This is the universal mind of the Perfect Man. It is also the mind of the universe or the cosmic mind. It is also called azal and abad, which in fact, is the same place. It is also the higher world and the world of particles. It is also the place of the ascent of certitude (miraj-i yaqin) and the fountainhead of spiritual science. It is the non-spatial and non-temporal world. Here is found the knowledge and recognition of the entire universe, for it is the mind of the universe. It has many more names, but a few only are mentioned as examples.
9. A - D is the symbol of ascent and descent and the link between the heart and mind. For mind is the heaven of the personal world and heart is its earth. And it is the natural link and order of heaven and earth that some things descend and some others ascend (34:2), so that the law of ascending of prayer from below and the descending of mercy from above may last and continue forever. This is the explanation of the perpetual ascent and descent. Note also the law of inclusion and exclusion, that the entire universe and all things in it enter the blessed personality of the Perfect Man and become confined in him and from here, they also spread throughout the universe (57:4). In point number seven, you can see the position of the personal world in the diagram of the universe. The universe, which revolves on the supreme circle of annihilation (fana') and survival (baqa'), in many ways continues to pass through the wisdom-filled personality of the Perfect Man (21:33).
10. With respect to spatial and bodily position, the Perfect Man is not the centre and heart and mind of the universe, rather he has this position due to his being the fountainhead of intellect and soul. For the honour and preference which God has given to the children of Adam (over other creatures) is based on the reality of this intellect and soul, in which, after the holy Prophet, the Perfect Man is the first and foremost among others. For, it is in his personality that the recognition can be attained of what and how the superiority of the children of Adam is over other creatures (17:70).
11. The rank of perfection of humanity preceded others and will outlive others. Therefore in the diagram, the Perfect Man is both the seventh and the first. Now it should be asked why there is a ladder in the diagram? It should be remembered that the heaven is both above and below. Thus this is the ladder of ascent, at the first step of which are the spheres, at the second the elements, at the third the minerals, at the fourth the vegetables, at the fifth the animals, at the sixth the world of humanity and then is the Perfect Man who has climbed the ladder and reached the highest point of ascent and honour, where he has become the standard of health, and invites others to that exalted place.
9 Sha'ban, 1406/19th April, 1986.
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