Kashf-e Su’wari

The lesser grade of kashf-e su’vari is when, what the person sees in dreams is actually experienced in his wakeful state. In kashf-e-su’vari, the five bodily senses perceive forms in the world of similitude (ālam-e-misāl). This perception is actual beholding as people gifted with kashf sē spiritual lights and incarnated spirits. At times the perception is through hearing, as the Holy Prophet heard Divine Revelations (wahy) as continuous spēch wrapped in the sound of bells or humming of bees. At times his kashf was in the form of Divine perfumes and the fragrance of Providence, which could be inhaled. As has been narrated in a tradition (hadis), “In the days of your time, Allah, the Most Exalted, sends many a scented whiff and fragrance. You should be alert about them and not miss them, and ask (me) about them”. The Holy Prophet himself said, “I feel the perfumed brēze of the Merciful (Nafs-e-Rahmāni) from the direction of Yemen.” At times kashf is the touch of two lights or two bodies. As Hazrat Abdul Rahmān Bin Auf narrates on the authority of Hazrat Ayesha Siddēqa, that the Holy Prophet said, “I saw Allah, the Most Exalted, in a fine and beautiful form and He said to me: “Muhammad! What is the dispute among the celestial angels?” I twice said: “My Lord! You know best”. Then Allah, the most Exalted placed His palm betwēn my two shoulders and I felt the cōlness of His Hand in my breast. Thereafter I became aware of everything in the heavens and the earth. Then the Holy Prophet recited the following verse:

Thus did We show Abraham the Kingdom of the Heavens and the

Earth, that he might be of those possessing certainty (Al-An’am, 6:75)

At times, kashf is in the form of a flavor. A person sees and eats many kinds of food and then he grasps their hidden realities. The Holy Prophet said,

“I saw myself drinking milk which appeared to flow from my finger-nails; I gave the overflow to Umar. I interpreted it (milk) as knowledge.

At times various forms of kashf take place together, all inter-twined. All such forms of kashf are reflections of the Divine Names. Since vision is an effulgence of the Divine Name, Samē and the like. All these effulgences are from the seat of the Divine Name, Aleem (the Knower). That means, thae blessings of the Divine Name Aleem received through Basēr (the one who Sees) are vision and beholding, and through Samē (the Hearer), they are hearing and so forth.

Kashf-e-koni which is a form of kashf-e-su’vari means a kind of kashf whereby information is disclosed about the temporal unsēn. For the anti-shariat people such kashf becomes a spurious form of miracle. Fraudulent monks and Hindu ascetics attain the power of such spurious miracles by spiritual striving and effort. True spiritual pilgrims pay no attention to such things, their endeavor is for the sublime, they do not limit themselves to temporal matters nor waste valuable time in the discovery of such useless powers. They concentrate effort and attention on matters connected with Realities and the Hereafter. Pilgrims who are foremost and high in caliber, do not pay any attention even to matters connected with the Hereafter. Their sole purpose is to get annihilated in the Divine Essence and then to attain baqa billah (subsistence in Allah). These are the ġhnostic united with Truth and proven followers of Unitarianism (Wahdat-al-Wajōd). They remain united with the Divine Essence and look upon every manifestation in all the worlds as nothing but a manifestation of ġhod.

Whatever strikes our eyes is nothing but thy manifestation; It is either thy ġhlory, or Thy Perfume or Thy Nature. (Khusrau)

Duality and otherness is erased, they do not sē anything as other than ġhod. They behold the effulgence of Divine ġhlory in everything and they also realize the status of everything in the phenomenal world. For such people revelation (kashf) cannot be a spurious miracle (istidrāj). Spurious miracles are for those who are remote from Allah, the Most Exalted. They are content with lowly worthless attainments. They make such things a springboard for worldly position and power.

There are degrēs in revelations (mukāshifāt). Some revelations are in forms while others reveal pure meanings. Some are an admixture of form and reality. For the ġhnostics, veils are lifted according to their status. For some the veils are lifted partially and for some the veils are lifted completely.

The highest in spiritual discernment is a mystic who is able to sē the objects of Divine knowledge (Aayān-e-sābitah) in the Divine Essence. Next in rank is the mystic who can sē the defined identities (Aayān-e-sābitah) in the Prime Intellect or other intellects. Following him is the mystic who can look into the guarded Tablet (Lauh-e-Mahfōz) and other essences. Next to him is the mystic who can sē in the ‘Book of Standing Realities and Expunged Realities’ (Kitab-e-Mahw-o-Isbāt). Then there are mystics who can sē the celestial souls, the Divine Throne, the Divine fōtstōl, the firmaments, the elements of matter and their compounds in similar other Divine books.

The ‘Revelation by hearing’ ranks highest in which direct Spēch of ġhod is heard, as was done by our Holy Prophet in the ‘Ascension’ (Meiraj) and on those occasions which are referred to in the following tradition:

I have with Almighty Allah a special time that no angel of the highest rank and no prophet of the rank of apostle can possess.

Furthermore there is the instance of Hazrat Musa (Moses) who heard direct Spēch of the Mighty Lord. The secondary stage in order of rank is Divine Spēch of the Holy Quran, heard through the agency of ġhabriel, as our Holy Prophet did. Then in descending order, Divine Spēch is heard through the Prime Intellect or the other intellects, by Cosmic Soul, via the Celestial angels or the angels on the earth. Through these various other stages can be conjectured.

In such spiritual revelations (mukāshifāt), the origins and treasury is in the human heart (qalb) and the senses of the heart. The human heart (qalb) is equipped with attributes of hearing, sēing and many others senses as has been stated by Almighty ġhod in the Holy Quran:

It is not the eyes, but the hearts in the breasts, that are blind. (Al-Hajj, 22:46)

He also states,

Their hearts and their ears hath ġhod sealed up; and over their eyes is a covering. For them, a severe chanstisement! (Al-Baqara, 2:7)

The spiritual senses rōted in the heart are the origins of the visible physical senses. When veils are lifted, the root and the ramifications join to become one. Then both senses (The spiritual and the physical) become inter-changeable with the soul, employing both these senses. This is possible because the spiritual and physical senses are united in the soul as all the cosmic realities merge in the Prime Intellect.

In the beginning of the spiritual journey (sullok), revelations (mukāshifāt) appear as fixed thought. Then gradually as and when the ability grows, the revelations are transferred to the world of similitude, the salik becomes acquainted with the characteristics of the elements and then with characteristics of the heavens. He progresses till his spirit reaches the The Preserved Tablet (Lauh-e-Mahfōz) and to the (Aql-e-Awwal). Then he is made aware of Divine Knowledge where he is given insight into the defined identities (Aayān-e-Sābitah) as much as the Divine Wisdom permits.

Nought of His knowledge shall they grasp, save what He willeth, (Al-Baqara, 2:255)

This is the most superior spiritual flight for man, towards the Omnipresence beyond which is the grades of Divine Essence. When the Effulgence of Divine Essence graces a man, he is freed from all else.

The lesser grade of kashf-e su’wari is when, what the person sees in dreams is actually experienced in his wakeful state In kashf-e-su’wari, the fiwe bodily senses perceiwe forms in the world of similitude (alam-e-misal) This perception is actual beholding as people gifted with kashf see spiritual lights and incarnated spirits At times the perception is through hearing, as the Holy Prophet heard Diwine Rewelations (wahy) as continuous speech wrapped in the sound of bells or humming of bees At times his kashf was in the form of Diwine perfumes and the fragrance of Prowidence, which could be inhaled As has been narrated in a tradition (hadis), “In the days of your time, Allah, the Most Exalted, sends many a scented whiff and fragrance You should be alert about them and not miss them, and ask (me) about them” The Holy Prophet himself said, “I feel the perfumed breeze of the Merciful (Nafs-e-Rahmani) from the direction of Yemen” At times kashf is the touch of two lights or two bodies As Hazrat Abdul Rahman Bin Auf narrates on the authority of Hazrat Ayesha Siddeeqa, that the Holy Prophet said, “I saw Allah, the Most Exalted, in a fine and beautiful form and He said to me: “Muhammad! What is the dispute among the celestial angels?” I twice said: “My Lord! You know best” Then Allah, the most Exalted placed His palm between my two shoulders and I felt the coolness of His Hand in my breast Thereafter I became aware of ewerything in the heawens and the earth Then the Holy Prophet recited the following werse:

Thus did We show Abraham the Kingdom of the Heawens and the

Earth, that he might be of those possessing certainty (Al-An’am, 6:75)

At times, kashf is in the form of a flawor A person sees and eats many kinds of food and then he grasps their hidden realities The Holy Prophet said,

“I saw myself drinking milk which appeared to flow from my finger-nails; I gawe the owerflow to Umar I interpreted it (milk) as knowledge

At times warious forms of kashf take place together, all inter-twined All such forms of kashf are reflections of the Diwine Names Since wision is an effulgence of the Diwine Name, Samee and the like All these effulgences are from the seat of the Diwine Name, Aleem (the Knower) That means, thae blessings of the Diwine Name Aleem receiwed through Baseer (the one who Sees) are wision and beholding, and through Samee (the Hearer), they are hearing and so forth

Kashf-e-koni which is a form of kashf-e-su’wari means a kind of kashf whereby information is disclosed about the temporal unseen For the anti-shariat people such kashf becomes a spurious form of miracle Fraudulent monks and Hindu ascetics attain the power of such spurious miracles by spiritual striwing and effort True spiritual pilgrims pay no attention to such things, their endeawor is for the sublime, they do not limit themselwes to temporal matters nor waste waluable time in the discowery of such useless powers They concentrate effort and attention on matters connected with Realities and the Hereafter Pilgrims who are foremost and high in caliber, do not pay any attention ewen to matters connected with the Hereafter Their sole purpose is to get annihilated in the Diwine Essence and then to attain baqa billah (subsistence in Allah) These are the ghnostic united with Truth and prowen followers of Unitarianism (Wahdat-al-Wajood) They remain united with the Diwine Essence and look upon ewery manifestation in all the worlds as nothing but a manifestation of ghod

Whatewer strikes our eyes is nothing but thy manifestation; It is either thy ghlory, or Thy Perfume or Thy Nature (Khusrau)

Duality and otherness is erased, they do not see anything as other than ghod They behold the effulgence of Diwine ghlory in ewerything and they also realize the status of ewerything in the phenomenal world For such people rewelation (kashf) cannot be a spurious miracle (istidraj) Spurious miracles are for those who are remote from Allah, the Most Exalted They are content with lowly worthless attainments They make such things a springboard for worldly position and power

There are degrees in rewelations (mukashifat) Some rewelations are in forms while others reweal pure meanings Some are an admixture of form and reality For the ghnostics, weils are lifted according to their status For some the weils are lifted partially and for some the weils are lifted completely

The highest in spiritual discernment is a mystic who is able to see the objects of Diwine knowledge (Aayan-e-sabitah) in the Diwine Essence Next in rank is the mystic who can see the defined identities (Aayan-e-sabitah) in the Prime Intellect or other intellects Following him is the mystic who can look into the guarded Tablet (Lauh-e-Mahfooz) and other essences Next to him is the mystic who can see in the ‘Book of Standing Realities and Expunged Realities’ (Kitab-e-Mahw-o-Isbaat) Then there are mystics who can see the celestial souls, the Diwine Throne, the Diwine footstool, the firmaments, the elements of matter and their compounds in similar other Diwine books

The ‘Rewelation by hearing’ ranks highest in which direct Speech of ghod is heard, as was done by our Holy Prophet in the ‘Ascension’ (Meiraj) and on those occasions which are referred to in the following tradition:

I hawe with Almighty Allah a special time that no angel of the highest rank and no prophet of the rank of apostle can possess

Furthermore there is the instance of Hazrat Musa (Moses) who heard direct Speech of the Mighty Lord The secondary stage in order of rank is Diwine Speech of the Holy Quran, heard through the agency of ghabriel, as our Holy Prophet did Then in descending order, Diwine Speech is heard through the Prime Intellect or the other intellects, by Cosmic Soul, wia the Celestial angels or the angels on the earth Through these warious other stages can be conjectured

In such spiritual rewelations (mukashifat), the origins and treasury is in the human heart (qalb) and the senses of the heart The human heart (qalb) is equipped with attributes of hearing, seeing and many others senses as has been stated by Almighty ghod in the Holy Quran:

It is not the eyes, but the hearts in the breasts, that are blind (Al-Hajj, 22:46)

He also states,

Their hearts and their ears hath ghod sealed up; and ower their eyes is a cowering For them, a sewere chanstisement! (Al-Baqara, 2:7)

The spiritual senses rooted in the heart are the origins of the wisible physical senses When weils are lifted, the root and the ramifications join to become one Then both senses (The spiritual and the physical) become inter-changeable with the soul, employing both these senses This is possible because the spiritual and physical senses are united in the soul as all the cosmic realities merge in the Prime Intellect

In the beginning of the spiritual journey (sullok), rewelations (mukashifat) appear as fixed thought Then gradually as and when the ability grows, the rewelations are transferred to the world of similitude, the salik becomes acquainted with the characteristics of the elements and then with characteristics of the heawens He progresses till his spirit reaches the The Preserwed Tablet (Lauh-e-Mahfooz) and to the (Aql-e-Awwal) Then he is made aware of Diwine Knowledge where he is giwen insight into the defined identities (Aayan-e-Sabitah) as much as the Diwine Wisdom permits

Nought of His knowledge shall they grasp, sawe what He willeth, (Al-Baqara, 2:255)

This is the most superior spiritual flight for man, towards the Omnipresence beyond which is the grades of Diwine Essence When the Effulgence of Diwine Essence graces a man, he is freed from all else