THE TARGETS OF MYSTICAL INSTRUCTION (SAYR U SULUK)
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İnsan-ı Kamil is a perfect human adorned with high morality. The opposite of a perfect human is the "incomplete", "immature", or "immoral" human. Five year-old children do not want to share their toys with their friends, or they may feel jealous when their siblings are bought something new. Where does a child learn this meanness and jealousy? In the philosophy of tabula rasa it is claimed that humans bear no character traits at birth; yet it seems apparent that humans do bear latent seeds of bad or good character traits at birth. Thus, mystical instruction aims to remove these negative traits from the heart, and then cultivate and nurture the good seeds of morality that are also found there.
Another target of mystical instruction is to correct any misconceptions that may be latent in people's unconscious; people with mental or spiritual handicaps find it more difficult to perceive and interpret the religion of Islam in a sound manner, just as a defective factory cannot manufacture perfect goods. Some of the problems that many people encounter can be cited as follows: being oblivious of Allah, having more compassion for the desires of the lower-self than for Allah, being negligent of the fact that Allah is omnipresent, and making no effort to love Allah. Sufis, by using personal experiences, have improved some methods of mystical instructions in order to remove these spiritual malaises. Some scholars maintain that the Arabic word "insan" (human) derives from the word "nisyan", which means to forget. Human beings are able to lose themselves in worldly affairs, and to forget Allah and the hereafter. The cure for this malady is to make dhikr, which means remembrance of Allah.
Another method of mystical instruction is vigilance (muraqabah), which means the contemplation of selected verses and concepts found in the Qur'an. It is not a coincidence that Sufis have chosen only a few verses of which they advise contemplation. According to the Mujaddidiyyah branch of the Naqshbandiyyah Sufi Order, which introduced this system of mystical instruction, each verse contemplated upon must be directed at purging some spiritual malaise or defect in a person's subconscious. Scholars who study Sufism are supposed to name and interpret the instruction methods used, as well as the meanings of these and the targets exercised by the Sufis, in the same way that scholars of Islamic law are supposed to name and interpret the reasons and philosophy of Islamic injunctions and prohibitions. Though Sufic literature presents how different types of vigilance are to be carried out, they do not generally offer targets for these. The present article is an attempt to introduce some outlook and interpretation on the reasons why Sufis pick only a few verses from the Qur'an for contemplation.
1. Muraqaba-i Ahadiyyah (Contemplation of the Oneness of Allah).
This is carried out by studying the four-verses of surah Ikhlas, chapter 112 of the Qur'an. Sufi disciples who have attained a certain level after the recitation of certain litanies can contemplate this short surah for months or even years. They think of their Lord's attributes of Oneness, Omnipotence, Self-Existence, and Uniqueness. In fact, they attain a feeling of pride in their Lord. This contemplation must be targeted at wiping out one's love of worldly gains, saving one's soul from hidden hypocrisy, and wending one's way towards the Lord, avoiding the trap of idolizing one's own lower-self. Thus, the Qur'an warns us, saying: "Have you seen him who takes his low desires for his God?.." (Furqan 25: 43). The travelers on this path contemplate and feel proud of their Lord's Divine Attributes, renouncing worldly desires after feeling their Lord's love, and directing themselves to their true Deity, as did Yunus Emre, who said: "I have, at last, found the best honey, so let my beehive be dispersed."
2. Muraqaba-i Maiyyah (Contemplation upon the Omnipresence of Allah).
This is carried out by contemplation of the fourth verse of chapter 57 of the Qur'an: "… and He is with you wherever you are; and Allah sees what you do." (Hadid 57: 4).
3. Muraqaba-i Aqrabiyyah (Contemplation over the actual presence of Allah in oneself).
This is done by contemplation of the sixteenth verse of chapter 50 of the Qur'an: "…and We are nearer to him than his life-vein." (Qaf 50: 16).
The target of these two lessons is to make one conscious of Allah's immediacy, His attribute of Omniscience, and the fact that He is closer to humans than they are to themselves. This is a necessary lesson, as many unconsciously think that man belongs to this world, but such concepts as Allah, Paradise, and Hell belong to the other world; this is true even though people have learned or memorized during their childhood that Allah is not in a fixed place, but is rather everywhere. Though many repeat the theological principle "Allah is everywhere and sees everything", their lower selves contrarily whispers that Allah is far away. Thus, these two lessons are the treatment to cure the misapprehension of Allah being distant. Muslims who are cognizant of the fact that Allah is watching them at all times will refrain from misdeeds, and they will endeavor to be people of perfect character.
4. Muraqaba-i Muhabbah (Contemplation of the love of Allah).
This lesson covers the fifty-fourth verse of chapter five of the Qur'an: "…He shall love them and they shall love Him..." (Maidah 5: 54). Although humans say that they love Allah, it is not easy for them to internalize this. Humans normally love only those who love them. Their love towards Allah deepens if they believe that Allah loves them. However, children in our society are taught more about the wrath of Allah than the love of Allah. So, their subconscious bears a negative image of Allah. This exemplary story took place almost two decades ago: A youngster was appointed as the Imam (Muslim priest) of a village after graduating from a religious high school. He was staying in lodgings nearby. He got married and soon after became a father. His child was playing in the street around the mosque and in the courtyard of the mosque. The child's mother constantly warned him of Allah's punishments with such words as "Allah will burn you" when he made any mistakes. One day while they were having dinner together the child asked his father: "Daddy does Allah live in my aunt's village?" His father answered: "Of course, Allah is everywhere. Why did you ask?" The child's answer was quite interesting: "If Allah didn't live there, I would like to move there."
It is beyond doubt that this child would have difficulty in internalizing a true image of Allah in the future; moreover, he would find it difficult to understand the fact that Allah loves him. People who listen to preachers talking about the wrath of Allah rather than His love will face the same sort of difficulties. Yet Allah says in the Quran: "… and My mercy encompasses all things…" (Araf 7: 156). Allah also declares: "My mercy overcomes my wrath" (Bukhari, Tawhid, 55).
So, those who feel the God of Wrath in their subconscious will have this distorted image of Allah restored when they contemplate the meaning of the verse "…He shall love them and they shall love Him...". This is the target of muraqaba-i muhabbah (the contemplation of the love of Allah). Sufis who feel a strong passion for the love of Allah get carried away with this feeling and are able to forget about this world and the hereafter. Asad Arbili puts this feeling into words in the following couplet:
Since the day I became intoxicated with Your wine of love,
I know not what the universe, this world, and the next world are all about.
The followers of the Sufi path who duly observe the above methods of contemplation are believed to have reached the level of reading all verses of the Qur'an in contemplation. There are also other Sufi orders that have introduced other contemplation methods for the same purposes. The following saying by Sufis is widely known: "The paths that lead to Allah are as countless as the number of breaths of all creatures."
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