Menara-e-Noor/Murshid-E-Kamil (Perfect Spiritual Guide)

There are those who had saintly ancestors, there are story tellers and others who are so called saints, and there are those who occupy saintly throne. We find many people disguised as saints. Who belong to one of the above mentioned categories. But there are only three kinds of perfect spiritual guide.

1. The perfect in life 2. Perfect after demise. 3. The perfect in self (during his life tuned and after his demise)

1. The perfect in life: The perfect in life possesses spiritual benevolence during his life time but his spiritual benevolence ends with his demise. Such guides enable the seeker to be in communion with Allah within seven days. In other words they enable the seekers heart to be articulated with the remembrance of Allah. It is possible that the guide shows the seeker various spiritual stations through contemplation.  2. The perfect after Demise: Such guides lived their lives as hermits and after their demise they returned Spiritually to the world to confer their Zakat (spirit benevolence) upon seeker such guide articulate the remembrance of Allah in the hearts of seekers within a period of 3 days  3. The perfect (In-self): Their spiritual benevolence remains unchanged during both their lifetime and after their demise such guides unite seekers with in one eye glance. It is therefore necessary the aspirant or seeker of the truth should test the guide for a period of seven days otherwise he should abandon his guide and prevent his life from being destroyed. It may be that his guide is imperfect or that the seekers fortune lies elsewhere or it may be the seeker's "land is infertile". Should the seeker be unable to gain spiritual benevolence from any where then he should try to attain spiritual benevolence from the shrine of a perfect spiritual guide.

اذا تحیر تم فی الامور فاستعینوا من اھل القبور Translation: When you are confused about a certain matter then seek guidance from the occupants of shrine"

People who neither believe in living spiritual guides nor visit shrines of saints deprive themselves from this greatest pearl all their lives. Such people call upon Allah directly. Allah's amar (command) can be diverted but Allah's law cannot be changed. A prophet is without an intermediary and received directly from Allah. A Prophet's Ummah has an intermediary, and receives from Allah via their prophet. Just as there is a difference between Allah's common and special people. So the common one's are united with the Prophet by the special (saints of Allah) and the special ones are united with Allah by the prophets. The Almighty Allah declares in the Holy Quran

'''اھدنا الصراط المستقیم ہ صراط الذین انعمت علیھم  Translation''': "Show us the straight path, the path of those upon\ whom you have bestowed your reward". (Surah Fatiha 5-6)1

Therefore, a person who follows the chosen people upon whom Allah (SWT) has bestowed his rewards, he/she will be guided by that group of people. Further there are such) chosen people (saints of Allah SWT). in all times, and if any person is deprived of their guidance then he must understand that he has not reached the path of guidance or the path of those people upon whom Allah has bestowed his rewards. As the Holy Quran declares:

'''فاولئک مع الذین انعم اللہ علیھم من النبیین والصدیقین والشھداء والصٰلحین ج وحسن اولئک رفیقا ہ  Translation''': "Those people upon whom Allah (SWT) has bestowed his rewards are prophets, siddiqueen (truthful), Shohada (Martyrs) and Saliheen (saints) such are the people, for good companionship and guidance" ( Surah NisaV.49.)

Some People rely and restrict themselves to this verse. "We worship only You and seek only Your Help". In other words some people use this verse as an indicator "worship You and seek Your help only" and therefore they do not turn to anyone else for assistance. But such people only become capable of worship when an Alim-ba-Amal (Practicing Savant) taught them something of religion. Likewise, the saints of Allah SWT are a channel throughout which Allah SWT's helps is obtained.

The soul departs from the human body at the command of Allah SWT, but the mechanism by which this is done is through the services of the angel Izrael (AS). No leaf moves without the permission of Allah, but in order to move the leaf Allah has designated the wind for this purpose. Even those people i.e. the prophets with whom Allah SWT had direct contact. The angel Gibreal (AS) is the intermediary through which revelation was proved to the prophets. In the same way, Man's daily bread, faith, guidance, education and medical treatment is achieved through the service or assistance of man. When a salik (traveler of the path) through proper channel travels through all the spiritual stations and approaches the Essence of Allah, he is then designated as Fana Fillah (becoming extinct in the Essence of Allah) only then does he leave behind all intermediaries and obtains the sole refuge and assistance of Allah. For such people Allah declares in the Holy Quran.

'''الا ان اولیاء اللہ لا خوف علیھم ولا ھم یحزنون ہ  Translation''': "Beware the saints of Allah are afraid of nothing and nothing can cause them anxiety." (Surah Younus -62)

Nowadays, many Ulama-ay-lasalasil Savants without spiritual guidance and Murshad-e-Lahasil (Useless bogus saints) consider Tariqat (way to path), Haqiqat (the realm of truth) and Marifat (realm of the recognition of the Essence of Allah, Gnosis) to be within Shariah (the apparent Islamic law). It should be noted Shariah is listening and speaking about, the hidden world, hoors (pure female companions in paradise),. Angels, heaven and hell, within which the ratio of Zakat (alms) is 2.5%, those are the people (in Shariah) worldly people occupied in fulfilling the desires of their NAFS (Self), who in order to improve the state of their NAFS (Self) fast one month in the year, during the month of Ramadan; and their knowledge is Hadith, Fiqah (Islamic Law), Mantaq (Logic) and Philosophy in which they use their intellectual discretion, and its (Shariah) end result leads one into discussion and debate and nothing more, which can possibly be a state of Sharr (contention). In contrast those of Tariqat (the path) are in the realm of seeing (the realm about which the people in Shariah talk about). Such people see the unseen. - Further in order to purify the self and to achieve self-mortification they often subject themselves to the hardship of refraining from food and water. Such people are referred to as Tariq-iiddonya (Those whilst living in the world refrain from the worldly life). Whilst living in the world they remain free from sensual desires their Zakat (alms) is 97.5% their knowledge is based on nothing but the Ishq-e-haqaqi (purest love of Allah) which is free from discussion, debate and sectism, and leads such people to the court (audience) of the Prophet. Hadith:

'''رجعنا من الجھاد الا صغر الی الجھاد الاکبر  Translation''': "We had turned towards, }ehad-e-Akbar (The great spiritual holy war) from the Jehad-e-Asghar (small physical holy war).

Indeed to fight against the NAFS (self) is Jehad-e-Akbar. After a person has undertaken the long twelve year journey of fighting against and purifying his NAFS (self) and there after recognizing and awaking of the truth, he is then referred to as Farigh-uddunya (hermit) such people refrain from all lawful and unlawful deed of the world. Their Zakat (alms) is 100%. Such people deal with the people in the world at the command of Allah almighty and his Prophet S.E.W.S only for the purposes of Deen-e-Islam. After this stage is the stage of Marifat (the realm of the recognition of the Essence of Allah Almighty, Gnosis) in which Ilm-e-laddunni (the sacred inner spiritual knowledge) which can only be obtained from the Prophet. And the keys to the authority of apparent and hidden world are conferred. All the hidden treasure in the earth are revealed to one in this realm, at this point he becomes LA YAHTAAJ (Self sufficient). The realm of FANA (extinction) and BAQA (Immortality) are further ahead. In which the Deedar-e-Elahi (Essence of Allah) may be seen during dream, MURAQABA (Contemplation) or during KASHAF (in a state of inner vision). Some sects deny the possibility of Deedar (seeing the Essence of Allah). But it shall be noted that the Holy Quran bears witness to the reality of Deedar (seeing the Essence of Allah).

'''فمن کان یر جو القاء ربہ فلیعمل عملا صالحا ہ  Translation''': "Who so ever intends to see the Essence of Allah must perform pious deeds".

Those who have seen the Essence of Allah are recognized thus, that if they focus on a brick they are able to turn it into gold, Even so, there is doubt as this power is possessed by Iblees (Satan) also. Further if he has the power to take a persons eyesight or physical power, or if possessed person gains health at his hand, there is still doubt as Iblees (Satan) can do such things also. The only original and final proof of recognition (of the one that claims to have seen the Essence of Allah) is that one glance upon an otherwise dead Qulb (heart) and irrespective of whether that heart belongs to a believer or an unbeliever, upon reviving the remembrance of Allah in that Qulb thereafter connect the seeker to the path leading to the Essence of Allah.

The criteria which distinguishes truth from falsehood in the spiritual realm is the light of Ism-e-Zaat Allah (Allah's personal name) and Kashaf (spiritual insight). This Noor and Kashaf is only gifted by a perfect spiritual guide. However Kashaf, (revelation can be obtained or experienced through other means also but all Kashaf are unreliable, save that Kashaf (spiritual insight) which is due to the Noor (light) of Ism-e-Zaat (the personal name of Allah). Jogies (ascetics) (Non-Muslim hermits) can also possess Kashaf (spiritual insight) and some matters relating to the heart can be ascertained due to telepathy, Amal-e-Hamzad (act of contemporary spirit), Djinns, Mudkalat, good and evil can also be the means through which Kashaf can be acquired. But the above-mentioned Kashaf are unreliable and belong to the realm of Alam-e-Nasoot (physical world of men and jinns). Nasoof is the world in which Man and jinn live together. It is through the Dhikr (remembrance.) of Allah (God) that one, crosses the Nasoot and his Kashaf enters the realm of Malakoot (realm of Angels). Jabaroot (realm of power) and Lahoot (realm of the Essence) where satanic forces cannot interfere, but as long as it remains in the Nasoot. It is unreliable. One becomes Malkooti (relates to the realm of Angels) when all seven of his Lataifs (spiritual bodies) have become purified, and his Jussa-e-Qalb (ethereal body of the Qulb) stands in the row of Angels, and recites the declaration of faith. This is known as verbal admittance and confirmation by the heart. (Iqrarum Billasane Wa Tasdiqum Bil Qulb).

As long as the Nafs (self) exists (in it's unpurified state), anything pure, like prayers and Quranic recitation will not remain in the body. Only after all seven Lataifs have been purified does the human body become Jism-e-Azam (totally purified spiritually) only then the body become capable of receiving Ism-e-Azam (the personal name of God). This is the reason that worldly (Nafsanf) people in their Endeavour to obtain Ism-e-Azam (the name of Allah) are left with their heads in their hands and achieve very little.

Knowledge, reciting Quran from memory, Recitation and the study of prophetic tradition, does not destroy or purify the Nafs (self). Thus practices only show the path towards love as Rumi said, "without knowledge, recognition of God is impossible". Knowledge which does not bring about action and there after the love of God, breeds and is involved in jealousy and arrogance, such knowledge becomes Hijab-ul-Akbar (the greater veil).

The Latifa Anna (spiritual body) of the Hafiz (one who memories the holy Quran) (found in the head), most definitely is purified, but all the other Lataifs remains unpurified. The prophetic tradition reveals time and time again, "Da'a Nafsika Wia Ta'al", in other words leave your ego and come forth so that you may arrive to the Essence of God. How can the worshipper and the pious without leaving his Nafs reach God.

Most Muslims are even unaware of the names of the Lataifs and those who know the names are unaware of their purpose, and many are the subject of the misunderstanding that the spiritual bodies can be purified by physical worship, Quranic recitation and additional prayers. But the spiritual bodies sit in a cave in the human body, which are not affected by external remedy, even if one becomes a Zakir-e-Qulbi (one whose heart commemorates the name of God) his other Lataifs remains unaffected nevertheless having (Zikar-e-Qulb) does facilitate the revival of the remaining spiritual bodies. You must remember that in order to revive the spiritual bodies, there are separate and different Zikar and Fikers (commemoration and concentration). For example Latifi -e-Sirri involve the Zikar "Ya Hayyo Ya Qayyum" and it's contemplation is (HOO) and the direction of its concentration is the above-mentioned Latifa-e-Sirri. Fourteen types of Zikar are sustained in the human body. Seven are Zikars and Seven are Pikers (concentration). Those who commemorate God's name verbally are known as Zakir-e-lisani (verbal Zakir) and who have no status amongst the above mentioned Zakirs. The Zikar-e-Qulb (heart which commemorates God's name) has no special status either, one then becomes Zakir-e-Ruhi, This is far from Faqr also. When all the Lataifs engage in the remembrance of God, only then is one known as Zakir-e-Sultani, and when in one known as Zakir-e-Sultani, and when in one instance and with one glance all seven Lataifs are engaged in the remembrance of God, he is then known as Zakir-e-Rabbani when due to the Dhikr the major joints of the body are reported, this is known as Zakir-Qurbani,and the genuine Faqr begins thereafter. It is in respect of this knowledge (Faqr) that the Prophet Muhammad said:,

"Obtain knowledge even if you have to go to China"