Book of Healing - Spiritual Healing - Satisfaction of the Heart
Satisfaction of the Heart
Tags: Satisfaction of the Heart, Divine remembrance, Table spread
1. The single remedy for every kind of false fear, every kind of perplexity, inferiority complex, worldly greed, embarrassment, torment of bad or disturbing thoughts, sadness, restlessness, disappointment, unwanted anger, indignity, slip of tongue, lack of courage, malice, pride, vanity, ignorance, negligence, laziness, meanness, uneasiness, oblivion, obtuseness, mental confusion and other such ethical and spiritual diseases, is the satisfaction of the heart, which is attained from the blessings of Divine remembrance, as is said in verse (13:28): "Verily in the remembrance of God do the hearts find satisfaction (gradually)." It should be remembered that, from the remembrance of God, hearts find satisfaction gradually. Since the hearts are in different ranks, therefore, from the beginning to the end, satisfaction comprises all ranks. This means that satisfaction depends on the knowledge and good deeds of each individual.
2. Question: How does the satisfaction of the heart come into being from the remembrance of God, the Holy? If a mu'min is afflicted by a great calamity and remembers God abundantly, in what sense does this remembrance produce satisfaction and peace?
3. In "Qur'anic Healing" and "Healing through Knowledge", you might have seen a reference to the noble Hadith in which it is said that with every person there are two companions: one is an angel and the other is a jinn (shaytan). The angel always persuades him to do good and in contrast, the devil incites him to do bad. Thus when a believing servant remembers Allah, initially the devil struggles a little out of fear, but when eventually defeated, he becomes silent and disappointed. On the other hand, due to the blessing of remembrance, the angel gets a chance to speak and casts the axioms of knowledge and wisdom in the heart. If there is any affliction or disease, he gives glad tidings of its removal, says that every hardship is considered an `ibadat, and gives the glad tidings of success in spirituality and the Hereafter. Since this is heavenly inspiration filled with the spirit of truthfulness and illumined by the light of reality, it is full of the tremendous satisfaction of the heart and an all-inclusive healing for every disease. Even though initially the voice of this angel is not heard clearly, it is felt by the signal of the conscience that the heart receives extraordinary peace, solace and happiness.
4. Divine remembrance is a rope hung between divinity and humanity. It is a spiritual bridge, which links the city of annihilation to the kingdom of eternal life. It is the straight path on which the light of guidance increases step by step and stage by stage. It is also true that in Divine remembrance, there is a luminous world like Paradise, the wonders and marvels of which are beyond description. In the blessed Name of the Sustainer lies such a unique medicine, the like of which cannot be available from any physician or doctor. Through Divine remembrance, the eternal link of the Creator and the creature is renewed. In it lie the priceless treasures of lasting happiness and the delights of the intellect and the soul. If it is practised in the true sense, it is a light. In that case, it is not surprising if the soul of the dhakir gradually dissolves in that light or accepts it instantly.
5. The satisfaction which is received from the blessed Divine remembrance is mostly related to spiritual and intellectual bounties. For, if the scale of physical ease and comfort always remains heavier, there will be disappointment in the Hereafter. However, this does not mean that we should never try to remove physical difficulties, rather, it means that in any worldly difficulties and trials, we should never despair of the mercy of God. Thus it is also necessary to remember His name abundantly during physical disease, so that we may be healed quickly. However, if by the wisdom and expediency of God we remain ill for a longer time, then God willing, the angel (whom we have mentioned above), will start to say in the heart of the sick mu'min: "Have patience and courage, you are purified by this physical disease, which by the command of God, destroys several ethical and spiritual diseases."
6. In verses (89:27-30) satisfaction is praised with the following magnificence: "O the satisfied soul! Return unto your Lord, pleased and pleasing! Enter among My (chosen) servants and enter My Paradise." In this Qur'anic teaching lies the wisdom that, in the life of a mu'min the result of all good words and deeds is true satisfaction and then there is the return to God. However, the holy Qur'an (2:155-157) enumerates many kinds of trials which befall mu'mins before they reach this satisfaction and return.
7. It is also necessary to explain the wisdom which is hidden in the following verse: "Enter among My (chosen) servants". So, it should be known that the chosen servants of God are the Prophets and the awliya', who have become one with the holy Prophet by being annihilated in his holy light. Thus the satisfied soul is invited to become one with the Single Soul (nafs-i wahidah) (31:28) by being annihilated in the murshid and the Prophet. For, the meanings of "in, among (fi)" are such that they allude to annihilation or merging in the soul and light.
8. There is another sublime place of satisfaction about which it is said in verse (17:95): "Say (O Prophet!) If there were in the earth angels walking satisfied, We would have sent down for them from heaven an angel as messenger." These earthly angels are, first of all, the Prophets, one of whose great attributes is the satisfaction of the heart, the purport of which is extremely vast.
9. In reality, satisfaction comprises many meanings, in which there are glad tidings of varying grades. One of these glad tidings is about the invisible Divine help through angels, just as God helped the army of Islam by sending angels in the battle of Badr, as said in verse (8:10): "And Allah made it (help) only as good tidings and that your hearts thereby might be satisfied." It is said that the angels were seen. Indeed, only one Archangel appears, in whom there are innumerable angels. It is as though this Archangel is like a living fortress and all other angels within him are an army.
10. Regarding satisfaction, refer to verses (5:112-15): "They said: We wish to eat from it (the heavenly table spread) and satisfy our hearts and know that you had spoken truth to us (concerning your messengership) and that thereof we may be among the witnesses." The wisdom of this similitude is that the table of spiritual knowledge was revealed to the disciples of Hazrat `Isa and their hearts had to have complete satisfaction from it. For, the wise Qur'an says that God has kept everything in knowledge (6:80). Thus, in this connection, before paying attention to other things, it is necessary to reflect upon the Qur'anic things and similitudes. One of these is "the table spread", which was sent down from heaven. By this table spread is meant the spiritual (or given) knowledge which is the blessed table spread of the Divine bounties of the intellect and soul. Each of these bounties is nourishment as well as medicine for the intellect and soul. Then why should there not be the satisfaction of the heart from it?
11. As mentioned earlier, there are varying grades or stages of satisfaction. Here we have to mention that the final and the highest grade of satisfaction is in the example of hazrat Ibrahim (2:160). The noble Prophets and the great awliya', through their holy lives, present the examples of realities and gnoses. This is extremely necessary, so that by the command of God, they may be able to make the sick and afflicted humanity walk on the paths of peace. Thus the wise Qur'an declares unequivocally that the path of those who are favoured (4:69) is open for all, so follow them (i.e. progress spiritually and benefit from their spiritual companionship, so that you may be enriched with the peerless treasures of the eternal secrets and everlasting wealth of ma`rifat).
12. A physical doctor emphasising prevention and then cure, would say: "See! Do not neglect even the smallest disease, rather you should have recourse to its treatment, for most of the time, the slightest poor health turns into a major disease." Similarly, the glorious Qur'an, in allegorical and parabolic language has said: In comparison to physical disease, spiritual disease catches quickly, therefore, you should be in constant remembrance and should always take care of the satisfaction of the heart. If you are slightly neglectful and the devil gets a chance to spread the germs of his like in your heart, you will be in great difficulty. For, these germs can very quickly give birth to a serious disease. Therefore, time and again check whether, by the remembrance of God, the heart is satisfied or not. If it does not receive pleasure, happiness and satisfaction from a supreme bounty such as the remembrance of God, then you should know that this is the symptom of your illness.
Nasir Hunzai,
London,
3 Safar al-muzaffar, 1409
15th September, 1988.
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