After achieving the Gnostic Knowledge, the Gnostic must be ready to undergo:

A) Changes in his mental set-up.
B) Increase in his acts of worship.
C) Spiritual experiences.
D) The Station.

A) Changes in his mental set-up.

The Gnostic’s perception changes after achieving The Gnostic Knowledge. Now he sees not only with his physical but also with his mental eyes. Allah had commanded in the Quran to the effect:

Thou was heedless of this, now have We removed thy veil, and sharp is thy sight this Day!¹

With his physical eyes he sees the multi facet creations but with his mental eyes he sees only One and that is, The Little Essence (the source of all creations). Allah had commanded in the Quran to the effect:

Says, “Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? ²

The blind and the seeing are not alike; Nor are the depths of Darkness and the Light; Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. ³

He soon realises that the multi facet creations are in reality The Manifestation of The Little Essence and once The Manifestation ensues, The Little Essence hides behind The Manifestation and became The Hidden. Allah had commanded in the Quran to the effect:

He is The Manifest and The Hidden⁴

Since The Little Essence is The Manifest and The Hidden, it goes without saying that The Little Essence encompasses all existence (including space and time). This being the case, the Gnostic realises that, even if he tries, he cannot not escape from The Little Essence. Allah had commanded in the Quran to the effect:

He it is that encompasses all things.⁵

The earth seemed constrained to them, for all its spaciousness, and their (very) Souls seemed straitened to them, and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allah (and no refuge) but to Himself. ⁶

Later, through self introspection, he discovers that even he, did not exist. To this end, Imam Ghazali had said to the effect:

If you know yourself then you know you did not exist.⁷

The Gnostic then throws his gauntlet and surrenders to his Lord. Allah had commanded to the effect:

And I (Muhammad) am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam.⁸

Say: “Nay! but I am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah (in Islam).⁹

Whoever submits his whole self to Allah, and is a doer of good, has grasped indeed the most trustworthy hand-hold.¹⁰

Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allah¹¹

Ibrahim was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he were true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah’s (which is Islam).¹²

We (Jews) make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam).¹³

Say the disciples (of Jesus): “We are Allah’s helpers: we believe in Allah, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims¹⁴

The act of surrendering to Allah and submit to His Will is Islam.¹⁵

O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly¹⁶

He accepts that each and every action of the creations, in reality, is the actions of The Little Essence. Allah had commanded in the Quran to the effect:

It is not ye who slew them; it was Allah: when you threw (a handful of dust), it was not your act, but Allah’s¹⁷

We have honoured the sons of Adam; by transporting them on land and sea.¹⁸

Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and leads it through springs in the earth? Then He causes to grow, therewith, produce of various colours: then it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then He makes it dry up and crumble away. Truly, in this, is a Message of remembrance to men of understanding.¹⁹

Eventually, The Greatness of The Essence unfolds before him. At every turn he sees The Little Essence behind each and every creation including space and time. This humbled him and moved him to tears. Allah had commanded to the effect:

Thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth: they pray: “Our Lord! We believe; write us down among the witnesses.”²⁰

At the same time he begins to notice that there are innumerable systems apparent on The Manifestation such as the similar physical features of human beings or animals of the same species or trees, birds, fish, amphibians and others as well as the ways they communicate with each other, the way they deliver their off springs, the environment they dwell in, the food they partake and many more. He also notices systems such the solar system, the ever changing four seasons, the rising and ebbing tides and many more.

On the earth are Signs for those of assured Faith as also in your own selves: will ye not then see? And in heaven is your Sustenance, as (also) that which ye are promised. Then, by the Lord of heaven and earth, this is the very Truth, as much as the fact that ye can speak intelligently to each other. ²¹

He merges Night into Day, and He merges Day into Night, and He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His Law): each one runs its course for a term appointed.²²

He begins to see that The Manifestation is in fact governed by the many systems apparent and he starts to ponder about it.

When he saw the sun rising in splendour, he said: “This is my Lord; this is the greatest (of all).” But when the sun set, he said: “O my people! I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving partners to Allah.”²³

The Bibliography