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We
recognize them as the seven stages of consciousness or the levels of Self (Nafs,
ego).
The Commanding Self (nafs al-ammara),
The Blaming Self (nafs al-lawwama),
The Inspired Self (nafs al mulhimah),
The Satisfied Self (nafs al mutmainnah),
The Consenting Self (nafs al radiyah),
The Consent-Given Self (nafs al mardiyyah),
The Purified Self (nafs al safiyyah).
We
have discussed about this subject in detail in our book “KNOW
YOURSELF”.
The phrase of “states of Nafs” denotes basically the
“stages of consciousness”.
When
the consciousness takes shape in the beginning, it considers all the
carnal desires as if they were its own desires because it recognizes
itself as a physical body based on its database. Thus, it
leads a life completely focused on the needs and pleasures of the
body. This is identified as the Commanding Self. At that level of
understanding, the consciousness recognizes itself as a physical
body.
While
still accepting himself as a body, thinking that his life will never
come to an end but go on in some way after the body dies, and that
he will experience the consequences of his deeds in this world, the
Self begins to feel regret because he realizes his possible
wrongdoings while considering his future life after death. This
state is described as blaming the Self.
As
seen above, the Self at both of these levels, that are the states of
consciousness, are connected to and focused on the physical body.
The consciousness at that state is not aware of its heaven (sama)
yet.
Its
world is the earth (ardh), the physical body. All his
delights, concerns and struggles are connected with his ardh,
that is his body.
If a
person’s consciousness realizes that it is not in fact a body but a
reflection of the universal oneness or an expression of the
qualities possessed by the universal oneness, at the level that its
capacity allows, such awareness is called as “the Inspired Self” (nafs
al mulhimah) in view of its characterization because such
awareness is realized through inspirations (ilham).
At
that level of understanding, the consciousness begins getting rid of
the idea of accepting himself as a body. He sometimes feels himself
as a body and sometimes as something separate from the body.
However, what kind of an entity he is at that state of feeling
separate from the body is not clear to him yet. Also, that is not a
state that can be experienced through knowing.
This
stage of understanding for the consciousness is the most difficult
stage of life. There, the consciousness faces many contradictions.
He may sometimes consider himself as a servant, other times as a
God, experiencing the odd results of such sensations.
Only
for rare persons it is possible to go beyond that stage.
The
person, who sees himself as God at that stage, may even find the
level of sainthood (walayat) as lowering for himself. He may,
thus let loose all his values and fall on a completely corporeal
life.
For
people of true faith (muhaqqikun), the act of “READING”
begins to be practiced at that level of consciousness. When READING
the SYSTEM, which is called “SunnatAllah”, is
initiated for such a consciousness, then the “why”s of “what”
RasulAllah brought opens to him at the level of realization known as
“certainty through Haqq (haqq ul yakeen)”.
He
becomes khaneef (worship-free of a God) at that station. His
is “actual belief” in the one named as “ALLAH” at that
level. He is purified from the spiritual power of “heartless
discovery, unveiling” (kashf-i zulmani) and possesses the
spiritual power of “caring discovery” (kashf-i noorani).
He
begins to perceive the secrets of the Koran that rule till
Doomsday. He who experiences that spiritual state is called as “areef”
(Aware –Gnostic).
Almost all the persons whose believers (ahl-al taqlid) among
common people assume them to be saints (awliyah) and even
regard them suitable for the spiritual status of Gaws, Qutb (chief
center authorities of spiritual influence) and are at that realm of
consciousness. Those persons may sometimes think themselves as real
possessors of those spiritual positions (martaba) due to
their level of comprehension, whereas theirs is yet no more than a
small accumulation of water coming down from the fountain of
sainthood (walayat).
There are oceans between them and the sainthood.
Sainthood?
That will be the subject of another article, Allah-willing (inshAllah).
AHMED HULUSI
March 28, 2003
NY, USA |
