5 . TEN DEGREES OF GUIDANCE (4)

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5. TEN DEGREES OF GUIDANCE (4) B. The second degree of ilhām is an inspiration that takes place clearly which is general and, unlike the first degree of ilhām, it is higher degree, as it is inevitable, and cannot be rejected by the heart. This is viewing (‫ ) ُم َعا َي َنة‬and unveiling (‫) ُم َكا َش َفة‬, and therefore it appears to the heart like its appearance to the eyes. It has three signs: 1. It does not penetrate a veil, which means if a person is shown in one occasion an unveil thing, either good or bad, he cannot penetrate the veil and unveil what Allah veils from people.

2. It does not violate the limit, (a) committing disobedience, such as the works of soothsayers, or devilish practice, (b) contradictory to Islamic law, such as spying against people, (c) there is no room for mistake; it is contrary to the devil’s inspiration which is mainly a mistake. When the Prophet s.a.w. asked Ibn Ṣā‘id, “What have you seen?” he answered, “I have seen something right and wrong (at the same time).” The Prophet told him, “He (Satan) is deceiving you.” Therefore, this devilish unveiling has to be wrong and will never be right.

C. The third degree of ilhām is an inspiration where the essence (substance) of conviction has become purely unveiled, and genuinely talks about the essence of eternity.

This ilhām is an objective where the essence of conviction is unable to identify itself, as it has become annihilated in witnessing the reality, so that other than the reality has disappeared. There is no longer any feeling and mental perception in receiving this kind of ilhām, because it is beyond senses and reason. This experience leads a person to the annihilation of appearance, and not of existence. This is called Waḥdat al-Shuhūd ‫) َوحْ َدةُ​ُ ُال ُّشهُود‬, lit. “Unity of Witness,” “Unity of Perception,” "Unity of Appearance" or "Oneness of Manifestation" “Unity in Conscience”,

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“Apparentism”) which states that Allah and His creatures are entirely separate.

With regard to those who believe in the unity of existence, namely, the annihilation of oneself in witnessing the reality (namely, Allah) which is called Waḥdat al-Wujūd )‫ َوحْ َدُةُ​ُ ْالوُ ج ُْود‬, lit. “Unity of Existence” or “Unity of Being”), that the Creator and the creatures are one, and that the creatures are only reflection of the Creator, the person who reaches this point is free from this idea and denounces based on reason, religion, actuality, and perception.

Ibn al-Qayyim said further that in the condition of (divine) intoxication, unconsciousness, and annihilation a person could lose his discretion, feeling, thinking, and intelligence. In this case he might say, like Abū Yazīd alBusṭāmī (d. 261/874 or 264/877) who was reported to have said, ُ ‫شُأْنُي‬ َُ ُ ‫ظ َُم‬ َُ ُْ‫ ُ َُما ُأع‬،‫حانُي‬ َُ ‫سُْب‬ ُ​ُ ُ ُ (“Praise to Me, for My greatest ْ Glory!”) instead ofُ‫شُأُ​ُنه‬ َُ ُ‫ظ َُم‬ َُ ُْ‫ُ َُماُ​ُأَع‬، ‫للا‬ ُّ ُ‫ان‬ َُ ‫ح‬ َُ ‫سُْب‬ ُ​ُ (“Praise to Allah, for His greatest Glory!”) or ‫جبُةُ ُإّلُ ُللا‬ ُ​ُ ‫“( ُ َُما ُفُي ُُْال‬There is nothing in this robe I am wearing except Allah”) and similar expressions, then accountability might be lifted from him, as he has become insane. Ibn Taymiyyah explained of him, “He does not see himself as existing any longer, but only sees the existence of Allah, due to his self-denial.” It is impossible for a rational and sensible person in whatever condition to believe that the Creator and the creatures are one, the worshipper and the worshiped are one, and that Allah is the human being. Otherwise, if he is in his full sense and conscience, he is then a non-believer.

The concept of Waḥdat al-Wujūd (“Unity of Being”), namely, union with God or the deity is also found Hinduism, through practicing yoga, which we do not discuss here whether it has influence on it or not. The term yoga has many meanings, among which are: joining, uniting, union, mode, manner, and means. It is a means to be united with

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the deity. The New Hutchison 20th Century Encyclopedia (1980) mentions yoga as follows: Yoga (Sanskrit, union). A system of Hindu philosophy, characterized by belief in personal deity with whom it is possible to attain mystical and ecstatic union by the practice of hypnosis and complicated and prolonged system of mortification of the senses, e.g., by abstract meditation, induced apathy, rigidity of posture, ascetic practices, concentration of mind on one particular point, etc….

The Hutchinson Softback Encyclopedia (1991), explains yoga in more details, as follows: Yoga (Sanskrit, union) Hindu philosophic system attributed to Patanjali, who lived about 150 BC at Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, India. He preached mystical union with a personal deity by the practice of selfhypnosis and a rising above the senses by abstract meditation, adoption of special postures, and ascetic practices. As practised in the West, yoga is more a system of induced relaxation and mental and physical exercises.

The tenth degree of guidance according to Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah is al-Ru’yā al-Ṣādiqahُ )‫الرُّ ْؤ َيا ُالصاد َقة‬، “True Vision”) which is part of prophethood. The Prophet s.a.w. said on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ūd: ‫ينُج ُْزءًا‬ َُ ‫الرُّ ْؤ َياُالصاد َق ُ​ُةُالصال َح ُ​ُةج ُْزءُ​ُمنُْ​ُستةُ​ُ َو َسبْع‬ ُ)‫نُال ُّنبُوةُ(رواهُالطبراني‬ َُ ‫ُم‬ True valid vision is one seventy-sixth of prophethood (Reported by al-Ṭabrānī) In another tradition the Prophet s.a.w. said: )‫الرُّ ْؤ َياُالصاد َق ُ​ُةُمنُْ​ُللاُ​ُ َو ْالح ُْل ُ​ُمُمنُْ​ُالش ْي َطانُ​ُ(رواهُالبخاري‬ True vision is from Allah, whereas dreaming is from Satan (Reported by Bukhari)

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Ibn al-Qayym al-Jawziyyah quoted a ḥadīth that true vision is one 46th of prophethood, but also mentioned in another ḥadīth that true vision is one 70th of prophethood. He said that as the True Vision took place in a half year, and the revelation in wakefulness took place in 23 years, from the starting of revelation until the Prophet’s death, it means that True Vision is one 43rd of the whole revelation. To combine these two traditions there is an opinion that the true vision of ṣiddīqīqīn starts at the age of 64, whereas for the believers in general it starts at the age of 70.

Vision is the starting point of revelation, and its truthfulness depends on the truthfulness of the person who has the vision, and the most truthful vision is with the most ْ truthful person. On the other hand, it is said karāmāt )‫ُال َك َرا َمات‬، miracles that Allah works through a pious man or allows to happen to him), did not happen in the time of the ṣaḥābah (companions of the Prophet), for they are not in need of them due to their strong faith. But it did happen to many ṣaḥābah.

The Prophet’s companion ‘Ubādah ibn Ṣāmit (d. 34/654) said: “The vision of the believer is the Lord’s talking to His servant in his sleep.” The Prophet s.a. said as narrated by Abū Hurayrah, as follows: ُ​ُ ‫اتُ َقالُواُ َو َماُ ْال ُم َب ِّش َر‬ ‫ات‬ ُ​ُ ‫ْقُمنُْ​ُال ُّنبُوةُ​ُإّلُ​ُ ْال ُم َب ِّش َر‬ َُ ‫لَ ُْمُ َيب‬ )‫لُالرُّ ْؤ َياُالصال َح ُ​ُةُ(رواهُالبخاري‬ َُ ‫ُ َقا‬ Nothing left after the prophethood, except good news. They asked what is that good news?

He said the right vision (Reported by Bukhārī).

The right vision comes from Allah only. If the vision is from other than the prophet, it is to be compared with the vision of the Muslims. If it agrees with theirs, then the vision is right. The vision is also is compared with the clear revelation; if it agrees with it we accept it, and if it disagrees with it, then it is not accepted. Ibn al-Qayym al-Jawziyyah said that the truest vision is when it occurs in predawn, as it is the time Allah brings

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closely His blessings and forgiveness and the devils are in state of rest.

Vision is like the kashf )‫ ُ ْال َك ْشف‬، unveiling, illumination), either it is divine mercy, personal, and devilish. The Prophet s.a.w. said: ُ ُ‫نُللاُ َُو ُ​ُرؤَُياَُُتحُْزُُْينُ(م َنُالش ْي َطان)ُ َُو ُ​ُرؤَُياُمما‬ َُ ُ‫ُ ُ​ُرؤَُياُم‬:ُ​ُ‫لَُثة‬ ُ َ ‫الرُُّؤَُُْياَُُث‬ ْ ‫ُ َف َي َراهُ​ُف‬،‫س ُ​ُه (فيُ ْال َي َق َظة‬ )‫يُال َم َنام)ُ(رواهُمسلم‬ َُ ‫ثُُْال َُمرُْ ُ​ُءُبُهُ​َُُنُْف‬ ُ​ُ ‫ح ِّد‬ َُ ‫ُ​ُي‬ There are three kinds of vision: vision from Allah, vision causing grief (from Satan), and vision of what a person talk about to himself (in his wakefulness, then he sees it in his sleep) (Reported by Muslim)] The vision from Allah could be either good news or a warning. The vision from Satan is always bad, saddening, terrifying, and consists of confused dreams. The vision of a person talking about himself includes what he used to say, to do and to know in his wakefulness.

The vision of prophets is revelation, and cannot be from Satan, as they are protected from his temptation. It is through this vision Prophet Abraham a.s. obeys Allah to sacrifice his son Ishamel. Satan tries to prevent him from obeying Allah, telling him that Allah would never order him to do bad things, like sacrificing his only and innocent son. Satan does not tell him that he is the one who tempts him in his vision, because he (Satan) knows that Prophet Ibrahim knows that he (Satan) cannot do it.

It is said that Prophet Abraham a.s. saw one night in his vision that someone told him, “Indeed, Allah orders you to sacrifice your son.” In the morning he wondered whether this vision had been from Allah or from Satan. Therefore that day was called “the day of reflection” )‫( َي ْو ُم ُالترْ و َية‬. In the next night he saw in his vision again and was ask to promise it, and in the morning he knew that it was from Allah, and that day was called “the day of knowing” )‫ُع َر َفة‬ َ ‫( َي ْو ُم‬. In the third night he saw

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the same vision, so that in the morning he insisted to sacrifice his son, and that day was called “the day of sacrifice” )‫( َي ْو ُمُالنحْ ر‬.

It was also reported that when Prophet Abraham (Ibrāhīm) a.s. was on the process of sacrificing his son the angel Gabriel ّ (“Allah is Great, Allah is Great”), (Jibrīl) a.s. said, ‫ ُللا ُأَ ْك َبر‬،‫للا ُ ُأَ ْك َبر‬ and the sacrificed Ishmael (Ismā‘īl) said, ‫للا ُ ُأَ ْك َب ُ​ُر‬ ُ ‫للاُ ُ َو‬ ُ ُ ُ‫ّل ُإلَ َُه ُإّل‬ َُ (“There is no god but Allah, and Allah is Great”), and Prophet Abraham a.s. said, ُ‫للا ُ​ُأَ ْك َب ُ​ُرُ َو ْال َح ْم ُ​ُدُلِل‬ ُ ُ(“Allah is Great, and Praise be to Allah”. This is what the pilgrims cite in their pilgrimage (ḥajj) with slight difference: instead of citing ُ‫ َو ْال َح ْم ُ​ُد ُلِل‬they invert it, ْ ‫“( ُ َولِل‬To Allah –only- Praise Belongs”) which is sayingُ ‫ُال َحمْد‬ stronger in meaning.

In order to have a true vision a person has to be honest, has to eat ḥalāl (legal) food only, keep doing what is good and avoiding what is evil, sleep while he is completely clean by having wuḍū’ (ablution), face the qiblah (the direction of the Ka‘bah in Makkah), and citing dhikr (remembering Allah) until he falls asleep. By doing this, he will have a true vision, in shā’ Allāh (if Allah wills).

(CIVIC, 5 February, 2016) :‫المراجع‬ ُ‫المكتبةُالشاملة‬ (‫ُهـ‬013ُ.‫تفسيرُالطبريُ(ت‬ (‫ُهـ‬171ُ.‫تفسيرُالقرطبىُ(ت‬ (‫ُهـ‬777ُ.‫تفسيرُابنُكثيرُ(ت‬ .‫ُمدارجُالسالكين‬.‫ابنُالقيمُالجوزية‬ The New Hutchison 20th Century Encyclopedia (1980) The Hutchinson Softback Encyclopedia (1991) http://jamharah.net/showthread.php?t=22172#.VpycPlLIWpY http://www.nabulsi.com/blue/ar/art.php?art=2999&id=150&si d=734&ssid=753&sssid=754 http://www.alhiwar.net/ShowNews.php?Tnd=26462 http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=231339 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufi_metaphysics