09. A SINGLE POINT
The Hidden Point
There is a single point that, if one manages to access it through their pattern of thinking, contains within it eternal Sukoon.
This point contains all the secrets of the universe, and it is through this same point that one finds the gateway to the Creator.
When we gain access to this point, we gain the ability to return to it and remain within it, exploring and expanding our consciousness.
It becomes a point of refuge, a true source of stable serenity—where there is no disturbance, only the Knowledge of Allah ﷻ and HIS Presence.
As Hudhoor Qalander Baba Auliya (RA) explained, the Knowledge of the Pen (علم القلم) is distinct in that its attribute lies in the tip of the pen.
When it touches the paper, the first thing it does is create a point.
This point is the Essence of all knowledge.
From this point emerge Alif, Baa, Taa, and so on, but the true distinction lies within the point itself.
The Invitation
There is no love like the Love of Allah ﷻ.
HE ﷻ continuously showers HIS blessings upon all of creation. HIS Love is limitless and unconditional.
Even the atheist who claims that God does not exist is still enjoying Allah ﷻ’s Mercy. They have no choice; they breathe HIS air, drink HIS water, bask in HIS sunshine, and enjoy HIS fruits that HE sweetens beneath HIS moonlight.
The Mercy and Knowledge of Allah ﷻ are not limited to Muslims alone; they encompass all of humanity, for all are HIS creation.
The blessings of God are upon everyone.
If Allah ﷻ were not thinking of you, you would not exist.
It is HE who fashioned you, gave you eyes and sight, and determined your characteristics and how you thrive.
It is HE Who chose you to be a part of HIS creation. Whether you want to appreciate the beauty of it or not, you are a part of it.
It is HE Who sustains you and keeps you alive. What a profound privilege it is that HE even thinks of us and desires us to be alive.
It is now up to each of us to decide how we want to take part and engage with this Reality, and how present and conscious we want HIM to be in our lives.
Allah ﷻ says:
(ادعوني أَستَجِب لَكُم)
Call on Me, I will answer you.
[Ghāfir: 60]
This is an invitation.
Allah ﷻ is saying: invite ME into your lives. Ask from ME to be conscious of ME. Invite ME, and I will come and accept your invitation.
We often think that this Ayah is limited to asking Allah ﷻ to fulfill our needs and desires within creation.
However, at a time when Murshid Kareem (RA), Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi, had no desire in his heart to ask anything from Allah ﷻ, Huzoor Qalander Baba Auliya (RA) advised him,
“Ask Allah for Allah!”
We must have the iradah—a sincere inner willingness—to want HIM to be a conscious part of our lives.
This is the ultimate choice one must make.
There is often a sense of fear instilled in people through cultural understandings of Islam, causing them to shy away from developing a close relationship with Allah ﷻ, believing that intimacy and closeness with Allah ﷻ are not possible while still in duniya—as though this conscious, two-way relationship can only be experienced after we pass away.
People often imagine that closeness to Allah ﷻ means living beneath constant judgement, feeling ashamed each time they fall short or make mistakes.
HE knows what you are thinking. HE knows what you are feeling, whether you express it out loud or not.
What do we have to hide from HIM?
HE knows us better than we know ourselves. HE created each of us and knows every detail of who we are.
Even if you are doing the worst thing in the world, if you sincerely have Allah ﷻ on your mind, HE will make a way for you out of it.
Allah ﷻ is the Most-Forgiving; even if we make mistakes as vast as the ocean HE would forgive us and honour us time and again.
If we perceive Allah ﷻ through feelings of fear and judgement, that is how HE would be revealed to us. Conversely, if we see Allah ﷻ as loving, forgiving, and compassionate, that is how HE will reveal HIMSELF to us.
We make approaching HIM feel so daunting that we begin to believe we can only come to HIM in a certain state—according to our own definitions of purity and piety.
There is no benchmark for approaching HIM, just a sincere heart. Not for HIS resources, but for HIM.
The truth is, Allah ﷻ is with us at all times, even if we are in the gutter.
Everything you love and enjoy, everything that gives you pleasure and makes you happy is a part of HIS creation—so why not experience it with HIM?
The moment we think of Allah ﷻ, HE is already there with us.
A beautiful Hadith Qudsi expresses this:
(قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: يَقُولُ اللهُ ﷻ: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ حِينَ يَذْكُرُنِي، إِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ، ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلَإٍ، ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلَإٍ هُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُمْ، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي شِبْرًا، تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ ذِرَاعًا، تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ بَاعًا، وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً.)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah ﷻ says: 'I Am as my servant expects Me to be, and I am with him when He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering that is better than it. And if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him. And if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go an arm’s length nearer to him. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.'"
Imagine you are a tech fanatic, and a new, incredible device has just been released. You are so amazed by how it works and deeply curious about its inner workings, the details of its creation, and the knowledge behind it.
You constantly use the device and enjoy it.
Now, imagine that tomorrow, you get a call from someone telling you that the person who created this device wants to spend time with you and offer you an internship where you can learn from him personally on a daily basis. You would have the opportunity to know him and understand the mechanisms behind the device.
Would you not want to accept that offer?
Care of Allah ﷻ
Let us consider the example of a mother.
When a mother gives birth to her child, she does everything for him. She prepares for the child even before his arrival. She decorates the child’s room, prepares his clothes, making sure everything is ready, all the while taking care of her health to ensure the child is healthy.
Once the child is here, she sacrifices her time and comfort to nurture him—feeding him, cleaning him, and soothing him to sleep.
As the child grows and makes mistakes, it is often the mother who holds him dearest and nearest. She pardons him and continuously supports him, believing he can become his best self regardless of how many times he errs.
It is her love that consoles and protects; it is her love that instills the confidence and support he needs to change.
Her warm embrace provides comfort and safety.
Now, what can we say about our Creator, our Rabb—the One who created the mother as a means of expressing love to us?
This magnitude of love is not even close to how Allah ﷻ loves us.
How can we remain so oblivious and ignorant, believing that we are the ones doing everything, depending mainly on ourselves, people, and resources?
The human mechanism operates in a way that is beyond our knowledge and control.
You breathe without consciously telling yourself to. Your heart beats, pumping and circulating your blood.
Once, you were just a drop of sperm in your mother’s womb, transforming into a clot as your organs and body parts began to form. Were you in control of this process?
You floated in the womb, being fed and nurtured without a single worry in the world.
When your mother delivered you, her blood transformed into milk to nourish you.
Who governs this transformation, and what role do you, as a human being, play in it?
We rely on Allah ﷻ for all our primary needs, making it irrational and contradictory to assert dominance over secondary needs.
In our constant worry about sustenance, clothing, and shelter—driven by a desire for higher living standards—we often forget that it is Allah ﷻ who sustains us and blesses us with rizq.
HE is not somewhere far away or distant from us; rather, the whole universe exists within HIM.
All our needs are met, just like the bird that flies off in the morning and finds its food before its claws touch the ground—preplanned and provided for by Allah ﷻ.
Animals, like birds, demonstrate more tawakkul in Allah ﷻ than we do. Their yaqeen that Allah ﷻ is their Sole Provider leads them to receive sustenance effortlessly.
In contrast, our lack of tawakkul and yaqeen often results in disappointment because we focus on our desires, outcomes, and material gains rather than trusting in and focusing on the Source that provides for us.
Nothing that happens is because of our own intellect and accomplishments.
We forget that, just like a seed carries all the information needed to become a tree, we too are supported by a Higher Power.
It is an illusion to believe that we are in control or solely responsible for our own care or the care of others.
Turning Towards the Source
One of the most emphasized teachings that Murshid Kareem (RA) repeatedly shares is from Surat Al-Ikhlas, where Allah ﷻ describes HIS Attributes.
This Surah highlights the distinction between Al-Khaliq and makhlooq. Allah ﷻ is Al-Ahad—beyond oneness—while everything in creation exists in duality.
Allah ﷻ is Al-Samad—Self-Sufficient—relying on no entity but HIMSELF, completely independent of external support.
Allah ﷻ is neither begotten nor does HE beget, whereas we are born into families and continue our lineage through our children.
There is nothing in creation equivalent to Allah ﷻ.
However, one attribute that Insaan can share in reflection of Allah ﷻ is the application of Al-Samadiyyah. This means that a person can become independent of reliance on others and direct all their needs and dependencies upon Allah ﷻ.
Tawakkul and Istighna imply surrendering all matters to Allah ﷻ, embodying this principle with certainty and practicality rather than merely claiming to do so superficially without truly implementing it in one’s life.
Why ask anything from duniya? Where does it come from in the first place?
When we allow the influence of worldly needs to enter our hearts, we remain distant from truly practicing this.
As Murshid Kareem (RA) has said:
“Ask Allah ﷻ even for shoelaces.”
When one becomes childlike with Allah ﷻ, knowing that HE is taking care of all their needs, this begins to strengthen and deepen their relationship with HIM.
They become aware through experience that it is Allah ﷻ who provides for them, supports them, and withholds from them.
How beautiful is our religion, filled with metaphors and examples that invite contemplation.
The simplicity of our faith, and the first steps into spirituality, begin with tawajjuh—sincerely turning towards Allah ﷻ, not for HIS blessings, but for HIM alone.
This sincere intention opens the door to HIS Knowledge and draws us closer to knowing HIM.
The Heart as a Home
The focal point of Al-Kaabah Al-Sharifah exemplifies this. No matter where we are in the world or which direction we face, we must turn towards it to establish Salat.
This metaphorically illustrates how our pattern of thinking should be directed towards a single point.
Similarly, in any situation or circumstance we find ourselves in, we have the capacity to consciously redirect our attention towards Allah ﷻ instead of becoming consumed by the situation or its outcome.
Once, after my trip to Umrah, I visited Murshid Kareem (RA).
During his conversation with me, he asked me,
“Does Allah ﷻ live in Makkah? Is HE only found in the Kaabah?”
HE looked at me with his deep, dreamy eyes, and my only response was to point towards my heart.
He smiled widely, his entire face lighting up, especially his eyes—that familiar, signature smile.
Then he confirmed assertively:
“Yes! Your heart is the abode of Allah ﷻ; it is HIS true home. So, if you want to see and be with HIM, that is where you must look.”
And this is the truth: I found Allah ﷻ in my beloved Murshid’s heart—a true believer, a friend, and lover of Allah ﷻ.
When I sought Allah ﷻ, I looked everywhere—in books, classes, talks, people, lectures, practices, religions—but I never found HIM.
However, when I looked into my beloved Murshid’s heart, I found HIM there.
When his students focus on understanding how he loves Allah ﷻ, what his vision of Allah ﷻ is, and his relationship with HIM ﷻ, he graces them by opening their hearts and piercing it with this point of love.
In one discussion about how everything in the universe is praising Allah ﷻ—every creation, from the birds to the mountains, the trees, and to the wind, all are glorifying and celebrating Allah ﷻ, chanting,
“Allah-Hu, Allah-Hu, Allah-Hu”—
he mentioned that humankind is the only creation that remains ignorant of this language and does not understand it.
He then said:
“Close your eyes, focus, listen to your heartbeat… what does it say?”
The Fuad
When Rasool Allah ﷺ was going through the most difficult time in ʿAam Al-Huzn (The Year of Sadness), having lost the people closest to Him—His beloved wife Sayyidah Khadijah (RAA) and his dear uncle, Abu Talib (RA)—Allah ﷻ took Him ﷺ on the Journey of Al-Israa wal Al-Mi’raj.
During this blessed journey, He reached the Maqam of Adnaa—the closest point to Allah ﷻ, in Divine embrace.
At this station, Allah ﷻ revealed HIS secrets to Rasool Allah ﷺ, confirming in Al-Quran Al-Kareem that the Fuad—the Spiritual Heart—did not falsely perceive what it had seen.
This Fuad represents the single point within our hearts that holds the vision of Reality. It contains the vision of all the formulas and secrets of creation, and it is the point in which we can cognize our Lord, the Creator.
Dearest readers and thinkers, please explain to me why Allah ﷻ would send HIS Beloved Prophet ﷺ to experience all this Majesty, Beauty, and Closeness, and convey it to us through the Knowledge of the Holy Quran, if it were not something Insaan was capable of experiencing.
HE ﷻ could have just left it between the two of them. Why would HE share it openly if it was not the guidance we are meant to follow?
Why do we limit our focus to rules and regulations of duniya while the Holy Quran repeatedly directs our attention towards Al-Akhirah?
It is noteworthy that the fewest number of Ayat in Al-Quran Al-Kareem concern conduct in the duniya, yet this remains the primary focus of many people.
What about the countless other Ayat that speak about the formulas of creation, the Ma’ad, and knowing Allah ﷻ? Why do we not spend more time exploring those?
We often fail to understand how the Ayat Al-Kareemah benefit us, perceiving them as beyond our reach and comprehension because they do not align with the agenda of worldly life.
Yet many of these Ayat are clear proof of a Spiritual Life and Existence.
The challenge lies in how we approach the Ayat.
Once, in my desperation to confirm and justify my own imposed understanding of something, I relentlessly searched for answers in Al-Quran Al-Kareem that would support my desired outcome.
When Murshid Kareem (RA) saw this behaviour in me, he said to me:
“When you engage in tafakkur on Al-Quran Al-Kareem, don’t seek the answers you want; seek Allah in each Ayah.”
If Allah ﷻ sent HIS most Beloved Prophet ﷺ to guide us back to HIM, we must recognize that we will never be able to reach HIM while solely focusing on this physical body, which will ultimately be buried in the ground.
We will never be able to attain the full Knowledge of the Messenger ﷺ, as He is Allah ﷻ‘s Beloved.
However, by truly following Him ﷺ, we should sincerely and wholeheartedly focus on the spiritual aspects of His teachings in order to activate our inner vision.
His teachings prove that there is an aspect within us that is the True Essence of who we are, and that we can connect with it now to begin our journey of Ma’ad towards Allah ﷻ.
We don’t have to physically die to embark on this journey; we simply need to detach from relying solely on the body.
(وَمَن كانَ في هذِهِ أَعمى فَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ أَعمى وَأَضَلُّ سَبيلًا)
Those who are blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter,
and even further astray from the Path.
[Al-Isrā’: 72]
When we leave this earth, none of our material accomplishments will come with us. We will leave everything behind.
This Ayah proves that there is something profound we need to unveil. We must activate our inner vision so that, when we leave this temporary world behind, we are not unaware of Reality.
We need to discover who we truly are instead of staying focused on something temporary and illusory that distracts us from searching for and comprehending the true meaning of life.
Rasool Allah ﷺ says:
“موتوا قبل ان تموتوا—Die before you die”
This means that we must detach from the constraints of this worldly life and witness the Other Life before we depart from our bodies; otherwise, we will remain in density even on the other side.
Whatever discovery you pursue, at the core of it, you will ultimately find Allah ﷻ.
Those who are established in Knowledge know that at the depth of everything is the Reality of Allah ﷻ.
These individuals turn to Allah ﷻ in every state. If Allah ﷻ grants them fine clothes, they wear them contentedly; if HE ﷻ provides a simple garment, they accept it with gratitude.
If HE ﷻ gives them a feast, they enjoy it gratefully, and if HE ﷻ offers them a slice of bread, they will remain thankful.
They are content in all circumstances because they know that everything comes from Allah ﷻ.
Every movement they make is an act of gratitude, and each breath is connected to their Beloved, Allah ﷻ, serving HIM day and night.
They attribute all matters to Allah ﷻ, knowing that their every need and desire, as well as the entire functioning of the universe, is rooted in the Care of Allah ﷻ.
They live in a tranquil state filled with love and servitude, experiencing an eternal, blissful expansion as they continuously practice Care of Allah ﷻ while serving HIM in HIS Presence and Closeness.