25
Jul 2017
(This is part of the series Hajj: The Inner Journey updating daily on Sheikh’s Telegram Channel @haj1438) “And announce the intention (of attaining to God) inside the people (to their innate nature)…” (22:27) So far we have established that although there exists a superficial and historic narrative to this verse, the esoteric aspect relates to the ingrained yearning to God that resides in the innate nature of all people. How do people react to this call towards absolute perfection (God)? The verse reads: “And announce the intention (of attaining to God) inside......
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25
Jul 2017
(This is part of the series Hajj: The Inner Journey updating daily on Sheikh’s Telegram Channel @haj1438) And announce the Hajj to the people, they’ll come to you by foot and they will come (riding) on thin camels that come from every distant place. (Quran 22:27) This holy verse has an exoteric meaning which is apparent. But on closer scrutiny to the esoteric meaning, hidden truths can be unveiled. The fact that Prophet Abraham was ordered to stand on a platform and physically proclaim the invitation is a reality and we do......
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25
Jul 2017
(This is part of the series Hajj: The Inner Journey updating daily on Sheikh’s Telegram Channel @haj1438) In Hajj, there is a plethora of ghaybi realities, embodied in physical rituals. Examples include: Although the satans are physical realities (albeit not visible to the naked eye), their war zone (temptations) against man deals with the immaterial ghaybi realm of the mind. In Hajj, the satan is embodied in a series of stone pillars and man’s immaterial struggle against satan is embodied by the physical throwing of stones against the pillars. The immaterial mortification......
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25
Jul 2017
(This is part of the series Hajj: The Inner Journey updating daily on Sheikh’s Telegram Channel @haj1438) Belief in the physical occultation of the Mahdi is important but only a minimum. How does the fact that a human being is in physical occultation help ones spirituality? One of Allah’s names is the Hidden . Naturally the latter is not physical in any way. The Mahdi’s occultation which is of more significance is his immaterial occultation, him being a manifestation of Allah’s al-ghaa’ib-ness. So the appearance of the Mahdi which is of spiritual......
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24
Jul 2017
(This is part of the series Hajj: The Inner Journey updating daily on Sheikh’s Telegram Channel @haj1438) Before answering this question it’s important to understand what the term ‘ghayb’ (unseen) means. Belief in the ghayb is a manifestation of one’s faith. Sometimes one believes in the unseen by means of rationality or philosophy. That is a minimum in faith. For example proving by deduction that there are metaphysical, immaterial realms and existents is a step one prerequisite to faith. But were one to see such realms – whilst asleep or awake –......
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24
Jul 2017
(This is part of the series Hajj: The Inner Journey updating daily on Sheikh’s Telegram Channel @haj1438) Whenever one enjoys going to salaat without undergoing burdens, one must truthfully evaluate oneself. By way of example, when one attends a congregational prayer every day and enjoys doing so without there being a burden at all, and in fact not attending becomes difficult, one must ask oneself why? Duties and ibaadaat are burdensome by nature because they tame one’s ego and animalistic pleasures. Now imagine one attends a prayer to be seen by others,......
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24
Jul 2017
(This is part of the series Hajj: The Inner Journey updating daily on Sheikh’s Telegram Channel @haj1438) In Arabic, the term duty (takleef) means ‘being burdensome/difficult’. Why? Because Islamic rituals and duties entail a degree, albeit tolerable, of burden. Let’s briefly peruse through some of them. In salaat (five obligatory daily prayes), there are a series of disciplines one must observe at least for five periods during the day at specific allocated times, thus preventing one from being occupied in other activities during such moments. In sawm/fasting, one must avoid committing a......
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