SUFI STORIES #22. DIVINE GUIDANCE, KNOWLEDGE & WISDOM

In the previous articles, I mentioned my spiritual encounters with the departed Prophets (though in passing only, to avoid controversy) and shared stories of my communication with the Saints. They come into our lives to give instructions and guidance from God.

During our lives, we get advice from many people. However, even the experts in certain fields may give the wrong advice. When we get Divine guidance, the advice is never wrong. Muslims can formally ask for Divine guidance through the Istikharah prayers, although the clarity of the answers depends on the proximity of the servant to the Creator.

Those who are close to God get the answers directly, and often the guidance comes without asking. God says that those who have pleased Him will be given knowledge and visions of the Unknown and Unseen (meaning of a Hadith Qudsi or Sacred Hadith). Thus the living Sufi Saints receive Divine guidance frequently, either through direct inspiration, or through encounters with the departed Prophets and Saints, or through the Angels.

FOR THE SUFI, THE SHAYKH IS THE GATEWAY FOR DIVINE GUIDANCE & INSTRUCTIONS

If you have read my chronicles from the beginning, you will recall that I became an “accidental Sufi” by participating in a mass oath-taking (bay’at) to the late Shaykh Nazim (QS)  in 1988 (see SUFI STORIES #2). And it was only after this that all the visits by the departed Prophets and Saints began.

Although I had become a disciple of Shaykh Nazim, he was not here to physically guide me. The Prophets and Saints came to me directly, although later Shaykh Nazim confirmed that he knew The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had been visiting me, and would continue to visit me.

I noticed that after I became a disciple of Shaykh Atta (my local Qadiri Shaykh, may Allah bless him. See SUFI STORIES #12) about 5 years later, the departed Prophets and Saints would communicate with me mostly through him, or in his presence. Recall how Mawlana Rumi spoke to me directly while I was with Dr Deepak Chopra (since I had to inform the latter immediately) but later Mawlana Rumi delivered his full message (for Dr Deepak Chopra) through Shaykh Atta, and not to me directly (see SUFI STORIES #19). That is the protocol.

I began to understand that the Sufis belong to a vast army of servants and lovers of God. Not an army for war, but an army for peace and spiritual enlightenment. Our supreme commander is The Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Below him are thousands of generals of various rankings (highest being the other Prophets, then the Angels, followed by the Companions, and then the Saints). Note that since Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was the Last Prophet and Messenger of God, Muslims do not recognize any prophet after him. The exception will be Prophet Isa/Jesus (AS) when he returns for the Second Coming (Christians, Muslims and Baha’is believe in his return). The Saints may be living or departed.

The living Shaykhs (many of whom are Saints) are the generals through whom we normally receive our orders and guidance. They in turn receive their instructions from the departed Prophets and Saints, or directly from God. Sometimes, the instructions come from Angel Jibrail/Gabriel (AS) or other angels. For the Sufi, the living Shaykh is the gateway for his spiritual guidance and instructions.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that altogether 124,000 Prophets were sent to guide humanity, and he was the last of them. At any one time there are thousands of living Saints who continue this mission. If we consider that all the Prophets, the righteous Companions, the Saints and the martyrs continue to serve God even after their death (from throughout history, even from before the advent of Islam), then there must be millions of these departed spirits in this Army of God. And the Sufis can expect to be visited by any of them!

In the Sufi world, the different branches or tariqas (Orders) are the battalions within the army. The sub-branches (silsilah) are the platoons. Each have their own special awrad (devotional recitations) and unique practices, but all are devoted to knowing, remembering, loving and serving God.

Some of us are required to receive guidance and instructions from more than one “general”. These instructions do not conflict as they come from the same source, but are necessary for better success in whatever mission entrusted by God. It is also an honour for the Sufi to be guided by several Shaykhs and Saints in the service of God and His Messenger. I am blessed to be a humble soldier in this army.

KNOWLEDGE VERSUS WISDOM

Imam Al Ghazali (QS) once warned that one of the major causes of arrogance is knowledge. We seek knowledge to improve our understanding of the universe and whatever subject within it that is our interest. We also seek to know and understand the Unseen and ultimately, the Creator and Owner of this universe. Knowledge is important. Knowledge is valuable. Knowledge is the key to right understanding, and then to wisdom. But for many, acquiring knowledge makes them think that they are better than others, and they become arrogant. There are many such examples among lay and religious people, especially among those with the title of “scholar”. Those with clean hearts become more humble as they gain knowledge and wisdom, but those with hardened hearts become more arrogant as they gain knowledge but do not become any wiser.

If acquiring knowledge makes you arrogant, then you are better off staying ignorant and humble. The humble but ignorant servant is closer to God than the arrogant scholar. The best is of course the humble and wise scholar. The worst is the ignorant yet arrogant fool.

The same applies to those who have titles, wealth and especially those who are pious – who pray, fast, recite the Qur’an often and give to charity but become proud and arrogant because of their noble deeds. Their deeds become worthless in the eyes of God since they derive pleasure from human recognition for these deeds. In other words, anything done for other than God only gives pride and arrogance to the doer, and nothing more.

This is an important reminder for the Seeker, because humility and subservience to God are the prerequisites to open the doors of Divine guidance. God will give you knowledge and understanding of many things, either through His agents (living or departed Prophets, Shaykhs, Saints and Angels) or directly via inspiration. The Prophets and the highest Saints converse directly with God. Several Saints reported their conversations with God in their books.

After I posted the first instalment of SUFI STORIES which just briefly introduced the subject of Sufism, one reader accused Sufis of having a deviant understanding of God. I answered this in the second instalment. Another reader suggested that I should expand my world views on other thinkers and he listed some famous thinkers, writers, philosophers and scientists. He obviously wanted me to know that he is widely read and is familiar with these prominent game-changers, which is commendable. What puzzled me was that although he hardly knows me, he assumed that I am not familiar with the works of those he listed. I had not yet started on any of my stories proper and he already assumed that my world view is small. That is an example of knowledge causing arrogance. The polite thing to do was to ask me if I was familiar with the works of those geniuses, instead of assuming that I was not. I am addressing this openly here so that all may benefit from this lesson about knowledge bringing arrogance. Never assume that you are better than others.

Perhaps the story about Zainab’s donkey will give an even better illustration.

 

ZAINAB’S DONKEY

This is adapted from a true story from Egypt that happened several hundred years ago. The Shaykhul Azhar (the head of Al Azhar University in Cairo Egypt, the premier Islamic centre of learning until now) at that time used to be very popular and his lectures were always fully attended. Then he noticed that the attendance began to dwindle until there were only a few students left.

He investigated and found that the students were instead attending the impromptu story-telling by a cobbler who was offering his services just outside the gates of the university. He was furious that the students preferred to listen to this uneducated cobbler than to his grand lectures.

So he rode on his horse and went beside the cobbler, who was surrounded by many truant students. From his vantage point, he asked the cobbler what nonsense was he telling the students that they preferred his stories to the proper lectures?

The cobbler replied: “O Zainab’s donkey, you teach them knowledge but they become none the wiser. I tell them stories that make their hearts flutter!”

Upon hearing this, the Shaykh dismounted, kissed the cobbler’s hand and asked for forgiveness. Then he pleaded that the cobbler asked the students to return to their classes and for him to tell his stories only after the university lectures were over.

Why the sudden humility? Well, it turned out that the Shaykh had just married a young wife, Zainab. On the previous night, he was “playing donkey” with his young wife in the privacy of their bedroom, with him being the donkey. There was no way that the cobbler could have known about this, unless he was informed by God to humiliate the Shaykh for his arrogance. The Shaykh then knew that the cobbler was not an ordinary man, but a wise Sufi Saint.

This story illustrates that often the humblest of Sufis have a wide understanding of reality, and are given knowledge directly from Beyond, and through Divine Guidance, they have the right understanding and wisdom. 

 

DIVINE ASSISTANCE

Apart from guidance and instructions, we often receive Divine assistance/intervention in some of our worldly affairs. I share one example here.

In 2007, while I was in Shenzhen (China) learning some plastic surgery techniques at a leading hospital there (I was in the process of re-engineering my career from being an obstetrician/gynecologist to an aesthetic surgeon then), my house got burgled while my wife was out fetching the kids from school. There was nobody home. When my family returned home, the door was broken but not much was ransacked. However, my wife lost all the jewellery that she had kept in her drawer. She was devastated. When she called me, she went blank and couldn’t speak at all. I had to ask my eldest daughter, who was 15 then, to take over and tell me what had happened, and to be in charge of the family until I returned.

Upon my return a few days later, my wife had not yet fully recovered, as some of the jewellery pieces were of very deep sentimental value to her. I went to Atta to seek advice on how to help my wife overcome the emotional trauma.

Atta said: “We will force the burglar to return the jewellery!”

He gave my wife some “homework” to do (recitations of certain Quranic verses), which she did dutifully.

After one week, my wife discovered that all the important pieces of jewellery were back in her drawer! Only some minor ones were not returned (probably already sold off by the burglar).

When I told this to my siblings, some requested if I could ask Atta to do the same favour for them. For example, my sister-in-law in Kota Bharu had lost her jewellery several times to burglars too. Unfortunately I coud not oblige as miraculous powers like this are given by God only to His beloved Saints, to be used to help those who love Him and His Saints. Otherwise the Saints will all be busy helping to recover the thousands of valuables that get stolen every day.

There were many other occasions when I had benefited from Divine assistance, for which I am ever grateful to God The Most Beneficient! I will share several of these in the next article.

Salam/Peace. See you at my next SUFI STORIES post!