Anfas al Arifeen

The Breaths of the Gnostics

Shah Waliullah radiAllahu anhu

My beloved Father (Sayyiduna Shah Abdur Raheem Dehlvi radiAllahu anhu) informed me, of a man who spent all his time and concentration upon sending Salutations (Salawat/Darood Shareef) upon the Beloved Prophet until such a time arrived, where he (the man) states he would witness the Beloved Prophet in all states (whilst standing, sitting, walking, eating and drinking and at all times,) and in no state was the witnessing hidden from me.

I (Sayyiduna Shah Abdur Raheem radiAllahu anhu) said to him that you do not witness His actual being but rather what you witness is The Beloved  through the power of your subtle thoughts (khayal).*

When the man insisted that he would witness Him (as the companions did), I told him, the next time you witness Him ask the Beloved Prophet about the meaning of such and such an ayah and inform us of the answer. When the man asked the Prophet the question, he did not receive a reply. I then informed him ‘what you witness is from your thoughts.’*

Shah Waliullah radiAllahu anhu then elaborates: ‘Sometimes some people receive such a sublime proximity to Him that it creates a perfect unity with His blessed Spirit and the veil between the dream and wakeful state is lifted; such blessed ones witness Him in every atom of the universe without difficulty, and if such a state remains all throughout his life, only then will it be called a True Witnessing.

Notes:

*This is also a very blessed state to have and a immense blessings from Allah Ta’ala and His Beloved and is not something which should be seen as simply a mere stray thought, rather it is a tremendous blessing indeed. What the great Imam’s are mentioning here is that this is not the actual witnessing that the Gnostics/spiritual masters are gifted with whereby they witness Him  as the Noble and blessed Companions would witness. and Allah Ta’ala and His Habib know best.

2 Comments

  • Ahmad
    Posted 5 March 2022 19:29 3Likes

    SubhanAllah, Ameen ❤️

  • Muhammad Ali
    Posted 5 March 2022 01:54 6Likes

    SubhanAllah absolutely beautiful May we always be Blessed with the visions of our beloved Prophet ‎ﷺ Ameen Al Fathiha

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