By Mushtaque B Barq
Mysticism
It is a kind of enclose that puts out of sight a secret for sacred seekers. Analyzing the Greek myein, “to close the eye” mysticism is termed as “the great spiritual current that goes through all religions.” Evelyn Uderhill’s definition of mysticism is till date accepted as genuine: … the consciousness of the One Reality_ be it called Wisdom, Light, Love or Nothing. To know the essence of mysticism the wisdom of heart, Gnosis can in better way guide a seeker to enjoy the spirit of it. The requirements may vary but one indispensable obligation is to sensitize neutral sense not rational sense. This sensibility in reciprocity encourages a seeker to experience inner light. This light keeps its glow as long as a seeker learns a secret of detachment from mundanity. This glow polishes the heart of a Sufi that leads to the via purgative of Christain mysticism and after experiencing this, a mystic finds himself in the world of via illuminative where he is sanctified with love and gnosis to reach to a stage called the unio mystica where a seeker experience the visio beautifica. It is the stage where a mystic’s spirit begins to see hitherto unseen. This is what most of the Sufi’s called “lifting of the veil of ignorance”. This veil acts as a barrier unless removed between essential identity of God and His creatures. The love of the Absolute which is the undercurrent theme of the mysticism carts the heart of mystic to the Divine Presence. Mystics irrespective of their traditional teaching have in common few experiences to share that are: never-ending quest called Path, the transformation of soul through tribulation and the longing for union. The Sufism traces its origin back to the Prophet (SAW) as the holy Quran describes him ummi (sura 7: 157-58), a quality that is central to the understanding of Islamic religiosity. God reveals Himself through the word of holy Quran, the Prophet (SAW) had to be a vessel that was unpolluted by “Intellect” knowledge of word and script so that he could carry the trust in perfect purity. Muhammad (SAW) is the first link in the spiritual chain of Sufism and his ancestors through the heaven into the divine presence, to which the first lines of Sura 17 allude, became the prototype of the mystic’s spiritual ascension into the intimate presence of God. According to the tradition, esoteric wisdom was transmitted from Muhammad to his cousin and son-in-law ‘ Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth of the righteous caliphs.
The mysticism is a practical life process to seek profound understanding of God. It also encourages a seeker to explore the structural beauty of His cosmos. The essence of the Creator even to the mystics is not ‘known’. As Dhu’n-Nun puts it “To ponder about the Essence of God is ignorance, and to point to Him is associationism and the real gnosis is bewilderment”
The mystics distinguished between the true Sufi, the mutasawwif whose objective is to reach a higher spiritual level and the mustawif, the man who pretends to be a mystic, but ends as a trespasser. It is said that “no ass can turn into horse by energy and zeal”. Urfi, one of Akbar’s court poets says:
…./The ignorant man is busy with building up his body,
The wise man is busy with the coquetry of word,
The lover is busy with annihilation himself
The mysticism is broadly categorized as Mysticism of Infinity and Mysticism of Personality. The former group is in parallel with the system of Plotinus, particularly in Shankara’s advaita philosophy that is to believe that the soul is not different from Brahaman _ The Ultimate Reality of Universe in Hinduism. It is Sanskrit word meaning Infinite. The Mysticism of Personality believes that the relation between man and God is perceived as that of creature and Creator, of a slave in the presence of his Lord, or of a lover yearning for his Beloved.
The distinction between ‘prophetic’ and the ‘mystic’ spirit is well marked in Jami’s description: those who practice complete reclusion are concerned with their own salvation “fight of the one towards the One” and those who return from mystical experiences with a sanctified state of mind are able to lead other people on the right path.
Hans Heinrich Schaeder, the leading Western orientalist says , “ Islamic mysticism is the attempt to reach individual salvation through attaining the true Tauhid”. Henri Corbin has moved too deeper in this regards as has stated, “ the religious conscience of Islam is centered upon a fact of meta-history” namely upon the transhistorical fact of the ancient agreement as understood from the Quranic word in Sura 7:171. Before creation, God called the future humanity out of the loins of the non-yet created Adam and addressed them with the words: “Am I not your Lord?” Alastu bi-rabbikum, and they answered: “Yes, we witness it” Bala Shahidna. This has encouraged the Muslim mystics to think of free will and predestination of election and acceptance of God’s eternal power and man’s loving response and promise. The objective of the mystic is to return to the experience of the ‘Day of Alastu’
Mystic Tradition
Mystic tradition includes Muhammad’s (SAW) companions among ancestors of Sufism called ahl as-suffa “the People of the Bench”, poor and pious members of community who dwelled in the masjid of Madina. Louis Massignon stated: Abu Dharr al-Ghifari as “ un soicialiste avant la letter” as prototype of the true faqir, who possesses nothing but is possessed by God. Salman al- Farsi, a Persian-born barber who was taken into Muhammad’s (SAW) household and became the model of spiritual adaptation, the symbol of the Persians, who were adopted into Islam and links the Arabian world with the Iranian tradition. Another name who is mystically linked with Muhammad (SAW) is Uways al- Qarani, a Yemeni who never met Prophet (SAW). Uways, who is regarded as the prototype of the inspired Sufi who has been guided solely by divine grace, knowing the Prophet (SAW) without outward connection but has a privilege to be listed by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as “ The breath of the Merciful ( nafasar-Rehman) comes to me from Yemen.” Hasan al- Basri belonged to second generation of Muslims who are referred to as the tabiun. Hasan al- Basri was of great importance in the development of Sufism with his name in many mystical silsilas going back to Muhammad (SAW). One of the Hasan’s disciples Abdul Wahid ibn Zayd founded a settlement of ascetically inclined people in Abbadan on the Persian Gulf. Through him Hasan’s ideals reached Syria, where Abu Sulayman ad-Darani and his disciple Ahmad ibn Abi’l Hawari are best kbown members of the Basrian ascetic movement. One of the most famous stories in early Sufism is that of Fudayl ibn Iyad who was a typical representatives of early orthodox asceticism. His elderly contemporary Ibrahim ibn Adham , as Juniad called him“ the key of mystic science” was one of the well-known examples of true poverty, abstinence and trust in God. One of the Fudayl’s disciples was Bishri, called al-Hafi , “ the barefooted one,”. He is believed to have given a concept called ikhlas , “ absolute sincerity” in the thought and action. This concept was later on carried by his younger contemporary I Baghdad, al Harith al- Muhasibi.
Among the early Khurasanian Sufis, Shaqiq al- Balkhi was not only an expert on tawakkul , “ absolute trust in God”, but he was the one deliberate upon the “ mystical states” and was deeply concerned with “ the light of pure love of God”. This concept brought him close to the saint of Basra, Rabi’a al ‘Adawiyya. She was the “one set apart in the seclusion of holiness…..lost in the union with God. Rabi’a is considered as to introduce the element of selfless love into the austere teachings and gave Sufism the texture of true mysticism. She addressed God as:
O Beloved of hearts, I have none like unto Thee,
therefore have pity on this day on the sinner who comes to Thee
O my Hope and my Rest and my Delight,
the heart can love none other than Thee,
Pere Nwyia signified that Ja’far as Sadiq (AS), the sixth imam of the Shia was one of the greatest teachers of Sufism. Ja’far as Sadiq (AS) detected four aspects of the holy Quran: expression, for the common man, allusion, for the privileged, touches of grace (lats’if), for the saints and finally the “realities” for the prophets. Before the time of Rabi’a the steps were taken in the direction of an authentic love mysticism but the definition of divine love by Ja’far as Sadiq (AS) was then the food for the later mystics, “ a divine fire that devour man completely”
Dhu’n- Nun, the Egyptian, Bayezid Bistami the Iranian, Yahya ibn Mu’adh from Riyad and Al- Harith al- Muhasibi the Iraqi are the eminent among classical Sufis. According to tradition, Dhu’n- Nun formulated the theory of ma’rifa, intuitive knowledge of God, or gnosis. He like most of the mystics put jamal (eternal beauty) next to jalal (eternal majesty) coinciding with kamal ( eternal perfection).
Rabi’a’s younger contemporary was Ma’ruf al Karkhi and his disciple Sari as-Saqati, “the husker” is credited to be the first in discussing the various mystical states (ahwal) . Among the disciples of Sari as- Saqati, Abu Bakr al- Kharraz is credited to have discussed the theory of fana (annihilation) and baqa (permanent life in God). At the time of Abu Bakr al- Kharraz, Sahl at- Tusari was discussing the problems of sainthood and Tirmidhi was on to complete his book Khatm al- auliya “The Seal of Saints” in which he developed the terminology of sainthood as : The Leader of the Sufi hierarchy is the Qutb , “pole” or “pivot” or ghauth, “help.” The saints govern the universe in groups of three, seven, forty, or three hundred being entrusted with various duties.
From Bagdad the undisputed master of Sufism was Abu;l Qasim al-Junayd who like other mystical leaders deliberated upon the different stations and stages on the Path. To him Mystical love means “ that the qualities of the Beloved replace the qualities of the Lover”, it is the transformation of lover in terms of attributes. His friend Ruwaym is ascribed for not believing in overemphasizing of tawakkul, for him tawakkul meant trust in God’s eternal promise to look after His creatures, but it did not mean to turn completely away from worldly concerns. Two more famous mystics, Abu’l Husayn Nuri and Sumnun are important to mention. Nuri was considered a heretic by orthodox for he speaks of being a lover of God. He spoke of the light of God like Shaqiq. Nuri’s book Maqamat al- qulub “The Stations of the Hearts” is copious with details of psychological analysis of stages and their “seats” in the human heart.
Sumnun as described by Hujwiri before Attar as holding a special madhhab in love and considered love the root and foundation of the way to God. He considered love superior to gnosis.
Hallaj, according to Edward Pocock, a British scholar and German protestant theologian FAD Tholuck was “ the most famous Sufi who removed the veil of pantheism publicaly with incredible audacity”. Ghazali’s method of combining the life of the heart is strict accord with the law and with a theologically sound attitude compelled orthodox theologians take the Sufi movement seriously.
Objective : Love of God
Every heart is a seat of love equipped with Divine energy, but the seeker alone knows the secret of heart. It is this love that cures the miseries and every Sufi loves to understand the secret of his existence through love. God is the source of love- Love is God. It cures hatred and it is this love that batters a stone till it gets a shape. It is this love that injects attributes like kindness, mercy, compassion and fellow feeling. Vices like anger, lust, malice and envy. It brings peace.
Shall I her hands hold or her art
that finely turned the grain of heart
to end at fire for Fire
and to bring on table on dot
to sate in no way the mud pot.
Or shall I thank the one picked
a bough of me otherwise fixed
like a bead at the end of wire
and sucked the sap all to be mixed
of pain with what dare syrup waxed.
Under deadly sword of craving,
devotee has but no saving
like what is lugged by liar
for love lives where lives suffering
up in grand hall of reckoning.
Danced Hallaj in fetters long
and on his lips was a sweet song
for the death to him was to cheer
what to others nothing but wrong
for aroma is unlike pong…… ( M. Barq)
Mushtaq B.Barq is a Columnist, Poet and Fiction Writer. He is the author of “Feeble prisoner, “ Wings of Love” and many translation works are credited to the author like “ Verses Of Wahab Khar” and “ Songs Of Sochkral”
