23.              The longer you are in this indescribable solace of retreat, your mind will be illuminated with Divine Light which shine will dazzle your inner eyes.

Their light shall run on before them and on their right hands; they shall say: Our Lord! make perfect for us our light, and grant us protection, surely Thou hast power over all things. [101]

On the Day you shall see the believing men and the believing women their light running forward before them and by their right hands.[102]

In this connection, Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani had said to the effect:

The more entrenched the retreat, the more shinning will be the Divine Light engulfing the mind. [103]

Your mental eyes will be able to see the Divine Light in your mind and this will be accompanied by increase in your faith and belief. That moment onward you are able to see the Divine Light exuding from your mind. [104]

24.              Once the evil thoughts are blocked and we are in the gathering of the Lord, then good thoughts started to swarm in.

These are they into whose hearts He has impressed faith, and whom He has strengthened with an inspiration from Him. [105]

According to Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, not only evil thoughts but also all thoughts connected to any persons including your own self must also be avoided.

The sign that you are disassociated with mankind is when you have absolved any kind of relationship with them and free your mind from them. [106]

Do not be dependence on yourself in anything with regard to your needs. Surrender everything to your Lord.[107]

Dependence on your own self and others would surely keep you away from Divine Acceptance.[108]

You are to be alike that of a container with holes as such no water can be retained. You should be like the empty container. Your mind must be empty so that it can be occupied by (the remembrance) of God. Nothing occupies it but (the remembrance) of God. [109]

Once the mind is consistently occupied with remembrance of God, he forgets all other existence. [110]

Once (the remembrance of) Allah resided in your mind, you truly become God’s servant and not servant to man or to their opinions or commands or to any others except God. [111]

25.              Then thoughts which will upgrade us spiritually and made us more knowledgeable start to flower in our mind.

Then He inspired it to understand what is right and wrong for it. [112]

He grants wisdom, to whom He pleases, and whoever is granted wisdom, he indeed is given a great good and none but men of understanding mind. [113]

Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, in high degrees; and Allah is Aware of what you do.[114]

In this connection, Abu Yazid Al Bistami stated that he received his instruction from The Living whereas others from the dead. [115] To this end, Ibnu Arabi wrote to Fakrul Radzi that a person is not knowledgeable until he starts to receive the knowledge direct from the Lord. [116] Whereas Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani had said to the effect:

Allah will guide and enhance him with knowledge. [117]

The door of knowledge will be open to you and you will be endowed with the light of knowledge with which you are able to understand the Divine Secrets as well as increase in your spiritual experiences. [118]

26.              Ultimately our mind becomes an outlet for Divine inspirations (from the Divine Plan).

It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration[119]

We could see this occurred to our Holy Prophet Muhammad [pbuh].

It is not ye who slew them; it was Allah: when thou threwest (a handful of dust) it was not thy act, but Allah’s[120]

To this end, let us see what Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani had to say:

Once you cut off (mentally) your ties with worldly thoughts then Divine works become apparent through you. [121]

You become an infant in your mother’s fold or a corpse having its last ritual bath or a soccer ball at the feet of a soccer player always changing position. You are powerless. In such a position you would surrender (mentally) to your Lord and He would promptly took over and hence all conducts are but His. [122]

Divine works will ooze out of you and during the process you will remain passive, experience serenity, your countenance will glow with Divine Light and your faith is strengthened. [123]

In short, you became instrument of God, Most Exalted. [124]  

27.              Our life is no longer ours but is at the bidding of our Lord to do as He deems fit.

 

I did not do it of my own accord. This is the significance of that with which you could not have patience. [125]

 

Go both to Pharaoh, surely he has become inordinate. Then speak to him a gentle word haply he may mind or fear. Both said: O our Lord! Surely we fear that he may hasten to do evil to us or that he may become inordinate. He said: Fear not, surely I am with you both: I do hear and see.[126]

 

O thou wrapped up (in a mantle)! Arise and deliver thy warning![127]

 

In this connection, Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani had said to the effect:

Your mind is devoid of all worldly desires and it become alike that of a broken jar containing no water. [128]

 

You will find that you are empty (mentally) and you will find God in it. [129]

 

28.              Once we have reached this far, the only thing left is to enhance our acts of worshipping Him.

After they have acquired the Knowledge of God, they will then seriously clean up and improve their acts of worship.[130]

 

And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). [131]

 

29.              We are also to upgrade our acts of worship by performing a lot of supererogatory acts of worship in addition to our obligatory ones. We are to be steadfast in our performing them and at the same time improving our own self in line with His commands.

i.       Prayers:

O thou folded in garments! Stand (to pray) by night, but not all night?Half of it? or a little less Or a little more.[132]

And pray in the small watches of the morning: an additional prayer for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a station of Praise and Glory![133]

Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord? (like one who does not)?[134]

Bibliography

[101] At Tahrim (66):8

[102] Al Hadid (57):12

[103] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 29 (1990).

[104] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 148 (1990).

[105] Al Mujadilah (58):22

[106] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 22 (1990).

[107] Id, 23.

[108] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 47 (1990).

[109] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 57-58 (1990).

[110] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 179 (1990).

[111] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 70 (1990).

[112] Asy Syam (91):8.

[113] Al Baqarah (2):269.

[114] Al Mujadilah (58):11

[115] Zainal Ariffin Abbas, Ilmu Tasauf, 156 (1991).

[116] Ibid.

[117] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 20 (1990).

[118] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 58 (1990).

[119] Asy Syura (42):51

[120] Al Anfaal (8):17

[121] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 19 (1990).

[122] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 19 (1990).

[123] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 23 (1990).

[124] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 143 (1990).

[125] Al Kahfi (18):71-82. Khidir and Moses.

[126] Thaha (20):43-46. Moses and Aaron

[127] Al Muddathir (74):2-3. Muhammad (pbuh)

[128] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 24 (1990).

[129] Syeikh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani, Futuh Ghaib, 24 (1990).

[130] Imam Ghazali, Munhajul Abidin, 10 (1997).

[131] Adz Dzariyaat (51):56.

[132] Al Muzammil (73):2-4

[133] Al Israa (17):79

[134] Az Zumar (39):9