Book of Healing - Spiritual Healing - The Spirit of the Qur'an
The Spirit of the Qur'an
Tags: Spirit of the Qur'an, Qur'an, Reward, Ajr, Light
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
1. In this series of Divine medicine and spiritual healing, it is extremely necessary to mention the Spirit and spirituality of the Qur'an, so that it may be revealed to the esteemed readers that the meanings in which the Qur'an is healing or shifa' (17:82), is in the sense of Light and luminosity, Spirit and spirituality and knowledge and wisdom. Without these, there cannot be any concept of the transformation of the lives of mu'mins from death into life and from darkness into light (6:122; 8:24).
2. The noble Qur'an is revealed from the command of God, the Exalted, namely the word "Be", as Spirit and spirituality, and it is this Spirit which is the light of guidance (wisdom of: 42:52). From the speech of God, it is also clear that the holy Qur'an was revealed to the blessed heart of the holy Prophet (2:97). And, to the heart, are revealed only spiritual and intellectual things, not material ones.
3. In verse (5:15) it is said: "Indeed, there has come to you a Light and a clear Book." Here by the Light is meant the holy Prophet and by the clear Book, the holy Qur'an. This means that the living Spirit i.e. the speaking light of the Qur'an, was in the blessed personality of the holy Prophet and in this sense, he was the luminous lamp (33:46). For, just as the Qur'an is in the Guarded Tablet (85:21-22) and in the Mother of the Book (43:4), so is its Spirit or Light in the holy Prophet.
4. Those fortunate people who, after being annihilated in the murshid, attain the rank of annihilation in the Prophet (fana' fi'r-rasul), experience spiritual death. Therefore, in a way they receive the living and speaking record of deeds, which is the Spirit or Light of the Qur'an (23:62; 57:12; 42:53). For, the glorious Qur'an is so comprehensive in its miracles of light, that it is everything. Thus, it is the real Spirit and spirituality, and the Light and luminosity (66:8) as well as the record of deeds (45:29) of the mu'mins.
5. See verses (80:11-16): "Nay! surely it (the Qur'an) is an (unforgettable) recollection (at the place of soul and intellect). So let him, who pleases, pay heed to it. It is in honoured books, exalted and purified, in the hands of scribes (angels), noble, virtuous." (80:11-16) This is that exalted place of ma`rifat (recognition), where the light of the Qur'an is found in the hidden Book (56:78).
6. In verse (47:7) it is said: "O you who believe! if you help God (in personal and collective matters of religion), He will help you (with heavenly help or ta'yid) and make firm your feet (so that you may reach the desired destination on the spiritual path)". Here, one has to reflect deeply on how trivial and limited human help really is, and the extent of the vastness and universality of Divine ta'yid! Indeed, ta'yid is another name of light. And it is the characteristic of light that wherever it goes, it immerses all things in its rays. This means that with the coming of the light of ta'yid, the spiritual diseases of mu'mins are gradually consumed and disappear.
7. According to verse (58:22) God, the Knowing, the Wise, writes the form and meaning of faith (Iman) in the hearts of His servants and helps them with a close Spirit from His special presence, so that they may be able to see this spiritual writing and understand its secret of secrets. But, how is it possible for there to be such a luminosity without the Spirit of the Qur'an? Indeed, it is the Spirit of the Qur'an through whose guidance the final treasure of secrets is found.
8. It is said in verses (83:18-21): "Nay! Most surely the record (of deeds) is in `lliyyin. And what will make you know what `Illiyyun is? It is a written book which those who are close (to God) see." That is, the close servants of God can also see their record of deeds in this world, which is the greatest miracle of the Qur'an at the height of the soul and the intellect. For, the explanation of everything is in the exoteric and esoteric aspects of the glorious Qur'an (16:89).
9. According to verses (15:29; 38:72), the Divine Spirit was breathed into Hazrat Adam. The same, most holy Spirit was also given to other Prophets, one of the prominent examples being Hazrat `Isa, about whom it is said: "A spirit of Him (rahun minhu, 4:171)." The holy Prophet also had the same Spirit, but since he was the chief of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets and the Mercy for the worlds, therefore it came down to him with a unique book, such as the glorious Qur'an (42:52), which is also the quintessence of all the previous Scriptures. Thus the wise Qur'an became manifest (mubin, 5:15), but the Light had to necessarily remain in him, so that when needed it may be shed on it (the Qur'an).
10. After the sublime place of the Prophets comes the place of the awliya', in the sense that they, in the light of the Spirit and spirituality of the Qur'an, see the renewal of similitudes (tajaddud-i amthal) concerning the Prophets. Thus, on the one hand they recognise the spiritual and intellectual places of the heavenly Book and on the other, the sublime ranks of the Prophets and the Messengers. As it is said about them in verse (7:11): "And certainly We created you (completely in the body), then We completed your (spiritual) form, then We said to the angels (as if in front of you): Prostrate yourselves to Adam." This is such a clear reality that there cannot be the slightest doubt in it for the wise people.
11. Read verses (5:44-48) carefully which show that every heavenly Book comprehends and comprises all external and internal states. Its external form is in material writings, but its internal form is in spiritual and intellectual writings. Its exoteric guidance is always directed towards the spirit or the light, so that the people may see the heavenly guide Book both exoterically and esoterically and all the treasures of realities and gnoses may be available to them, as God says: "And We revealed the Torah in which was guidance and light." (5:44). Regarding the Gospel it is said: "And We gave him (`Isa) the Gospel in which was guidance and light." (5:46). That is, in the exoteric aspect of the heavenly Book there is guidance and in the esoteric aspect there is the light, as in reality the Mashaf and the Guarded Tablet together are the Qur'an or Kitab-i mubin (clear and speaking Book). (27:75). The Qur'an is also in the Guarded Tablet (85:21-22) where it is the greatest Spirit and the supreme Light.
12. It is a unique characteristic of the verses of light that if they are duly reflected upon (God willing), extremely great secrets can be revealed. One vivid example of this fact in the Qur'an is in verse (57:19): "And those who believe in God and His Messengers (completely and perfectly), they are the siddiqin (the truthful) and the shuhada' (the martyrs, the witnesses) with their Lord; they have their reward and their light." In this wisdom-filled teaching is mentioned that perfect faith which goes beyond even the ranks of `aynu'l-yaqin. For, this is the faith of the awliya' (siddiqin) and the spiritual martyrs, who die in the path of God while they are alive. Shuhada' also means that they become witnesses over the spiritual miracles of the heavenly Book, as indicated in verse (5:44): "And they were witnesses (shuhada') over it."
13. What is reward (ajr)? It is the everlasting wealth of the Spirit and spirituality of the noble Qur'an and the requital of this world and the next (3:148). And what is light? It is the sun of knowledge and wisdom. Thus those fortunate people who receive the reward and light become free and guarded from internal diseases and are happy and delighted with the security and safety of the soul and intellect.
14. It is said in verse (5:15): "There has come to you from God a Light and a clear Book." The Light in the time of prophethood was the holy Prophet and after him the presence of this Light is also necessary. (See diagram overleaf).
N.N. Hunzai,
London,
29 Muharramu'l-Saram, 1409
11th September, 1988.
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