05. ESSENCE OF BEING

The moment of disobedience in Jannah, reflected upon in the previous chapter, sheds light on the way we came to be in this duniya. As we are all descendants of Sayyidnah Adam (AS) and Sayyidah Hawa (AS), we have inherited and undergone the same process, and thus ended up here. It was through repentance that Allah ﷻ accepted and forgave Sayyidnah Adam (AS) and Sayyidah Hawa (AS). They acknowledged their wrongdoing and turned to Allah ﷻ, seeking HIS forgiveness. Allah ﷻ forgave them and granted them the knowledge that allowed them to transition out of density, back to lightness, and back to HIM while still present in this duniya.

What appeared to be distance from Allah ﷻ‎ (بعد) was perceived through density. We can apply this understanding to our pattern of thinking. As the saying goes, “Heaven is a state of mind.” When our thoughts are dense, they create the illusion of distance from Allah ﷻ, often formed during times of disobedience. Conversely, when our thoughts are light and pure, we experience a sense of bliss and closeness (قرب) with Allah ﷻ, resulting from obedience.

Let’s consider a modern-day example: listening to the radio. As we tune into different channels, the content of each channel begins to play. Each adjustment of the dial makes a difference in clarity. When we tune in to the exact channel, we hear whatever is being broadcast.

Similarly, the universe operates on waves, and sound waves serve as a clear analogy. For instance, an ultrasound during pregnancy creates an image based on vibrations generated by movement within the womb. Likewise, we must tune in to the right frequencies to manifest Ahsan Taqweem or asfal safileen.

Understanding the concepts of individuality and collectiveness is essential, as they play a major role in grasping the Attributes of the Soul and in drawing closer to God-Consciousness. 

The innermost reality of all creation is Noor (Divine Light). One of Noor’s Attributes is that it is all-inclusive. What is in me is in every single particle in this universe—there is no differentiation. The foundation of all manifestation is Allah ﷻ’s Attributes (Asmaa Allah al-Husna); they are the ingredients of all creation and consist of Noor. 

Let us visualize this together. Allah ﷻ willed to create the universe. HE ﷻ first envisioned this manifestation in HIS Mind. When HE desired it to manifest, HE commanded it to “Kun!—Be!” and the manifestation took place from HIS Mind into various forms, each giving birth to the other, all from and within Allah ﷻ .

(اللَّهُ نورُ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ‏)

(Allah is The Divine Light of the heavens and the earth)

[An-Nūr: 35]

Imagine a circle filled with Noor. Within this circle is another circle containing Al-Samawaat (the Heavens). Within it, there is an even smaller circle with Al-Arth (the Earth)—like layers within one another, all encompassed within Allah ﷻ. All are illuminated with the Essence of Allah ﷻ.

On deeper contemplation, we can connect these aspects to our own creation, following the advice of Murshid Kareem (RA), who suggests that when we read Al-Ayat Al-Karimah, we must relate them to our own being in order to understand them more deeply.

If we relate Arth (Earth) to our bodies, the manifested features and forms; Al-Samawaat (the Skies) to our minds, or what may be understood as our ethereal bodies, the intermediary carriers of information that project these waves onto the screen of the mind; and Noor to our Soul, upon which all vision and the movements of life depend, a deeper understanding begins to unfold. 

We must contemplate these teachings deeply, without setting any barriers, until we arrive at the depths of knowledge. 

A metaphorical example helps clarify this understanding: We have all been to the cinema. Visualize an old-school projector facing a screen, where we become so absorbed in the film that we may find ourselves in tears or laughing hysterically, feeling as though we are part of the story for those two hours.

The projector hanging on the wall holds film reels containing all the scenes of the movie. Behind the film reels is a light bulb. When the light turns on, the reels begin to move, and as the light passes through the film, the images are projected onto the screen. If we look up, we can actually see the rays through which information travels from the reels to the screen, creating the moving images. 

All the components exist in one place. When the light is activated and movement occurs, an illusion of distance is produced through the projection. Yet the reality is that everything is happening from and within a single source. 

To understand the metaphor of the projector, we must also understand the mechanism of seeing. When we look at something in front of us, such as a glass of water, sight occurs as light strikes the object, is reflected, and is perceived on the screen of the mind.

For example, if I say “apple,” you can immediately see an apple on the screen of your mind, even if there isn’t one physically present in front of you. Thus, the actual place where sight occurs is within the screen of the mind.

When we watch a movie, we become so engrossed in the scenes that we forget everything that makes them appear in the first place. The Earth is like the screen upon which we witness the scenes of our lives, often mistaking it for the entirety of reality. Yet there is an entire mechanism behind it that allows these shapes and forms to appear.

When we look up and observe the rays of light traveling from the projector, carrying all the information that creates the scenes, we realize that the film is projected through them.  

If we move closer to the projector, we discover that the film reels are useless without the light shining through them. If the light bulb goes off, the film will not appear, even if all the other components are present. 

Similarly, when we depart from this world, our bodies remain here, motionless and lifeless, ready to be buried in the ground. This indicates that the entity which sustained the body is no longer present within it. 

Does this not stir curiosity within us to know and explore that aspect of ourselves which enables our presence in the body, yet is not the body itself?

Allah ﷻ says in Al-Quran Al-Kareem:

(يا مَعشَرَ الجِنِّ وَالإِنسِ إِنِ استَطَعتُم أَن تَنفُذوا مِن أَقطارِ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ فَانفُذوا لا تَنفُذونَ إِلّا بِسُلطانٍ‏)

O assembly of jinn and mankind! If you have the ability to go beyond the boundaries of the heavens and the earth, then pass! You will not be able to pass except with authority.

[Ar-Raḥmān: 33]

The foundation of all creation is the same. Insaan holds the key to go beyond the boundaries of the body and the mind to explore the Divine. The key lies within the Soul. The Soul is the entity within us that is bestowed with the Knowledge of Allah ﷻ and is directly connected to HIM. It is the Authority within us, linked to the Amr (Command) of Allah ﷻ, governing all other aspects and layers of our creation. 

This is what differentiates Insaan from all other creatures: the capacity for conscious recognition through Ilm Al-Asmaa, the Knowledge of the Attributes of Allah ﷻ entrusted to him. This knowledge of Allah ﷻ, through which Insaan is granted awareness, is the essence that makes all of creation appear. The entire universe is the manifestation of Allah ﷻ’s Knowledge. If several scientists were each to attempt to prove different hypotheses about creation, each would be examining a particular manifestation of it. In truth, they would be studying the manifestation—the result—of Allah ﷻ’s Knowledge as it appears through form, rather than the process by which it appears and the Source from which it emerges. Their focus would remain on the external, apparent aspect, rather than on the essence itself. In this sense, they would be exploring manifestation, not Reality, and would remain within the limitations of the physical, or apparent, realm.

If, however, they were to move beyond the physical forms and turn inward toward the essence of what is manifested, they would all arrive at the same truth: that at the core of all manifestation lies the Knowledge of Allah ﷻ. This realization leads directly to HIM.  At the end of all inquiry, they would encounter the Presence of Allah ﷻ.

Thus, we may choose to remain within the limitations of examining manifestation alone, or we may go beyond it—beyond form and appearance—into Reality.  

Let me offer another example to help illustrate the process of creation. Imagine a blank white canvas—relate it to Noor. This canvas is the foundation that allows any painting to exist. Suppose I decide to paint a scene of a lake surrounded by mountains. I begin by drawing the lines that shape the space on the canvas, creating balance, proportion, and symmetry. These lines give structure and direction, allowing different areas of the canvas to emerge. 

From these lines, forms begin to take shape, giving a sense of individuality to the different elements I wish to depict or bring into appearance. Finally, I add colour, texture, and detail, and you marvel at the beautiful scene, forgetting that the blank canvas is what makes the entire painting appear in the first place. 

Likewise, we are all the same—our Essence is One. For the sake of recognition, Allah ﷻ has given different maqadeer, through which Noor appears and expresses itself in various forms. When Noor enters different proportions, it manifests accordingly. If it takes the proportion of a goat, we see a goat. If it takes the proportion of a tree, we see a tree. If it takes the proportion of a human being, we see a human being, and so on.

We often become so caught up in forms and features—the differences that create a sense of individuality. An exclusive focus on individuality becomes the root of many troubles and pains, often leading to discrimination. In contrast, the nature of Noor is Oneness—an all-encompassing, all-inclusive, collective unity.

There’s an Ayah Kareemah that says:

(يا أَيُّهَا النّاسُ إِنّا خَلَقناكُم مِن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثى وَجَعَلناكُم شُعوبًا وَقَبائِلَ لِتَعارَفوا إِنَّ أَكرَمَكُم عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتقاكُم‏)

O mankind! We created you from a single male and female, made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know one another. Verily, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the most God-Conscious.

[Al-Ḥujurāt: 13]

Allah ﷻ created us in duality and diversity not as a means of division, but so that we may explore and come to know one another, and through this knowing, recognize the deeper essence of life. It is a beautiful creation that Allah ﷻ has brought into being—why should we not appreciate it and seek its exploration? To travel, to learn, to meet, to discuss, to share, and to exchange.

Spirituality is not an escape from living or exploring the physical aspect of life. Rather, it is a way of living with understanding—one that deepens our appreciation for creation. It allows us to understand how life came to be, while helping us transcend unhealthy attachments to the material world.

Ultimately, within all the differences, we will find that the most honourable among human beings is the one who is most God-Conscious. This points to the quality of the Soul within each of us, whose nature is Noor, all-encompassing, dissolving separation. When two God-Conscious individuals meet, they will recognize one another not by the colour of their skin, nor by nationality, language, culture, social status, or outward appearances, but through the realization that the Noor within them is one and the same—they share the same Essence. Conversely, when God-Consciousness is absent, discrimination arises in one form or another, as human beings begin to claim superiority over one another, forgetting what it is that unites them.

The screen of the mind is where we display images of doubt, worry, anxiety, and overthinking. Often fixating on things that are not real or have not happened, we waste time over-analyzing and misinterpreting. Over time, we become so accustomed to these patterns that we allow them to persist.

What appears on the screen of the mind is shaped not only by what is before us, but by what we choose to give attention to.

Yet this screen can also display images that evoke feelings of happiness, peace, and tranquility, giving rise to beautiful inner visualizations and realizations. Beloved Murshid (RA) always says, “خوش رہو—Khush rahoo!” the Urdu expression for be happy! By embodying happiness, we can arrive at a neutral state, where the mind becomes still and where we experience blankness, leading us into a deeper reality.

When we wear spectacles, if the lenses are coloured, we see the world through that colour. If the lens is red, everything appears red; if it is blue, everything appears blue. Only with transparent lenses do we see the original colours.

When light goes through a prism, it disperses into various colours. For light to shine clearly through a lantern, the glass surrounding it must be clean; if it gathers dirt and dust, the light appears dull or may not shine through at all. In the same way, we must dust off and purify our minds and patterns of thinking through the practice of Muraqabah. Only then can our True Essence shine through and reflect its origin.