Each image painted on the canvas of existence
is the form of the Artist himself
Eternal Ocean spews forth-new waves.
Waves we call them; but there is only the sea.

Every time you hear in a Sufi poetry something that talks about God being every where or one seeing God in everything or being inside oneself or being hidden and visible at the same time, be afraid, be very very afraid. For you are being fed something that seems so beautiful and so pure and so innocent, yet is something that can tear the very fabric of Iman that Quran worked very hard to teach. I am hardly the person with any knowledge or position to name names but as a conscientious Muslim I must oppose this idea and anyone who spreads it. This disease has spread through majority, and when I say that I mean Majority, of the Sufi sects and followers out there. Its enchantment deceived a few and their unquestionable following preserved it for eternity. 

If there has been one crime that humanity has committed since its beginning, its Shirk, it is mixing God with the things that aren't worthy of being God and worship.

LA ILLAHA ILLALLAH (Nothing worthy of worship except God)

This is the creed that makes you a Muslim. Notice the wording, Ilah in Arabic means something that is worthy of worship, not just a god, but that which should be worshiped. God is careful to tell you that he wants undivided and exclusive rights on being worshiped. This must not be shared with anyone or anything. Full Stop. If you do that you will incur the worst wrath of God.

If anything Satan has always been mindful of this fact and has understood it well. He knows that to keep human beings in God's perpetual wrath, he must deviate them from this fundamental principle. He must make every effort to confuse and convolute this idea and cause them to deviate from the unity and exclusiveness of worship to God. He has succeeded many many times and continues to do so.

Wahdat ul Wajood means that there is 'nothing except God', not that there is nothing worthy of worship except God, but 'nothing except God'. Mushrikeen in the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were not Christians or Jews, but pagans, those who worshiped nature and believed that everything was God and God was in everything. Hence everything became worthy of worship and everything gained some place in the hierarchy of worship. If the ultimate was God, that needed to be worshiped, then He was manifest in everything and part of everything and hence could be worshiped through things or idols or people for that matter. God was everywhere, not metaphorically but literally.

Unfortunately this idea suffers from the same malaise. I have read many arguments regarding how these things are not the same, but they are, when you boil them down to their essence. There will be a lot of confusing philosophizing and layers and layers of reasoning to justify that it is different but the more complex it gets, the simpler the answer becomes, they are the same.

The beauty of truth is in its simplicity. When people go to lengths to prove that something as simple as Tawheed is not that simple, beware that something is wrong. Allah said that he has made the Quran simple and He gives examples so that people may understand. But people are hell bent on making it complex and beyond understanding just so that they can push their faulty ideas and not to have to change.

If you'll bear with me, I will state the explanation given by people (mostly Sufis) on how these things are different. It is a 'causal' relationship. God being the first cause. The idea is that God has existed forever and everything else exists because God exists. Hence everything's existence is causally dependent on God. So, to the keen eye (replace Sufi who has reached Irfaan) everything becomes transparent and even non-existent because it is hardly there on its own. Hence the only thing there is God. My only objection is, why doesn't God say so in the first place? Because he does not. This is a very tricky escape from the pantheistic (pagans) unity. It takes you to the level of mental unity from physical one of the pagan's. But if you ask the simple question, Is there 'anything' beside God? (notice it is anything and not something God like or worship worthy) The answer comes No from them! Why then should I buy the imaginative causal unity?

People (Sufi followers) object that this is a misunderstanding and it arises because one has tried to understand this concept without a Murshid or teacher. Well the Truth (Haq) should sustain, like God, on its own accord without someone making it the truth! The fundamental problem with saying that someone will establish that truth is that someone will establish THEIR truth. Once you make the assumption that you need someone for it, it stops being objective. You find yourself trapped in the vicious circle, that to find the truth you must accept someone but to accept someone you must know if they are true! Hence you already sacrificed all objectivity and sealed your fate that if wrong you will stay wrong forever and that's how all bad ideas ensure their survival. If they open themselves to question and objective reasoning they don't stand a chance. God Himself did not ask you to just believe in Him, but to be reasonable and look around and decide if it this is mere Coincidence!

2:164 (Asad) Verily, in the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and the succession of night and day: and in the ships that speed through the sea with what is useful to man: and in the waters which God sends down from the sky, giving life thereby to the earth after it had, been lifeless, and causing all manner of living creatures to multiply thereon: and in the change of the winds, and the clouds that run their appointed courses between sky and earth: [in all this] there are messages indeed for people who use their reason.

52:35 (Y. Ali) Were they created of nothing, or were they themselves the creators?

Secondly, it is said that it is a matter of experiencing rather than knowing by learning. Well then my question would be, what established guarantees do you have from God regarding your experiences and their interpretation? None, zero, zilch! Experiencing God may definitely bring its own enlightenment and amplification of Iman but as far as knowing the Truth is concerned, it ends where God tells you what it is! And if you say that God told you the truth, then unfortunately I don't have the permission to take this truth from anyone except the Prophets that God chose for the purpose. Especially when I was told that today the religion has been made complete and chosen for me!

It is such a sad fact that the mesmerizing and enchanting beauty of the idea of being one with God has blinded people form He actually asked. He never said we could have the knowledge to know who God really is. If we could ever do that then we would need at least as much knowledge as He Himself, which unfortunately is not possible. Then why run after things that he has not made for us? Why burden yourself with this? He asked Iblis to do something and Iblis declined based on his own knowledge and reasoning, rather than obeying God as He ASKED. With things that God would like to burden us he has left for us to find. But with things he does not need our efforts He has explained on His own and asked us to stick to it! Angels made the same mistake of splitting hairs on what God had specified but apologized immediately:

2:30 (Asad) AND LO! Thy Sustainer said unto the angels: "Behold, I am about to establish upon earth one who shall inherit it." They said: "Wilt Thou place on it such as will spread corruption thereon and shed blood -whereas it is we who extol Thy limitless glory, and praise Thee, and hallow Thy name?" [God] answered: "Verily, I know that which you do not know."

I would like to leave you with words of God, where He clearly says that there is He the creator and others the created. It is only He that deserves worship, but as far as existence goes, there are many. So please stick to that and be as spiritual as you like.

10:3 (Asad) VERILY, your Sustainer is God, who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons, and is established on the throne of His almightiness, ^[6] governing all that exists. There is none that could intercede with Him unless He grants leave therefor. ^[7] Thus is God, your Sustainer: worship, therefore, Him [alone]: will you not, then, keep this in mind?

For God knows best.

 

Further study:

Sufi Metaphysics

What is unity of being

Ibn e Arabi

Ibn e Taymiyya

Wahdat al-Wujud: a fundamental doctrine in Sufism

Another movie over the topic which I believe represents the reawakening of the dormant muslim identity. Muslims all over the world are facing very difficult conditions be it poverty, injustice, dictatorships, discrimination to all out labelled as terrorists. Whether we want it or not, whether we like it or not, our being muslim is asking us to think and react to all this that is happening around us. No day goes by when we don't hear a news that ignites, incites, challenges or simply jolts our conscience and puts us in a situation where we must say something, where we just can't keep quite and wait and be patient and hope for the best. Many of us don't want to do anything bad, we want to act rationally and live in the true spirit of our religion but the environment is charged and overcoming.

This movie 'The War Within' to me depicts the struggle a muslim, any muslim, goes through every day of his life in this present time. It is a war we are fighting within ourselves. The head is telling us that there is clearly a more rational and correct way to respond to this situation and violence and impulsiveness is not the answer. But, we cannot seem to find our way. The heart is too overcome with the pain of helplessness to agree with the head and work with it to come to something more useful. It asks for something to be done to relieve this pain, something practical, something tangible, something noticable. Not just debates, not just roadmaps to success and clearly not rationality. We are confused over what the will of Allah is. We want to live by it but we don't know who to ask. We don't know where to go. During the movie the character Hassan quotes this verse from Quran:

2:216 FIGHTING is ordained for you, even though it be hateful to you; but it may well be that you hate a thing the while it is good for you, and it may well be that you love a thing the while it is bad for you: and God knows, whereas you do not know.

The burden of guilt and the pain is increasing day by day. Somthing has to be done, something must be done and that's what hassan does, in the movie, despite his background. He lived a complacent and carefree life. He was graduate student in paris where it happened. He was arrested in suspicion of involvement in terrorism. That event changed his life and triggered that 'war within' his head and his heart. Each wanted its way and the stronger got it.

Official Movie Website

I am currently reading a book called "The Issue of Interest" by Mufti Taqi Usmani who is a respected scholar, has expertise in matters of Islamic economics, has a law degree and was judge on the shariat bench of the Supreme Court. He is also on the board advising Meezan Bank (Islamic). The main text of this book was written by his father Mufti Muhammad Shafi which he revised and augmented to. His father wrote mostly on Interest in personal loans while he completed it with the discussion on commercial loans. I had read a little on this issue and had a basic understanding but this book has brought to my knowledge a number of things I found pretty confusing earlier. The basic reason for the prohibition of interest is that it is a means of hoarding wealth and creating ill-distribution of wealth in society. If you don't see the importance of these two problems, then consider this: Twentieth century has seen communism because of these two reasons! The whole effort behind the the marxist economic theory was to create an equal (artificial) distribution of wealth by taking it away from everyone and distributing it through the central authority. Islam has tackled this problem much earlier. To see the importance of this issue with respect to Islam, here is the Islamic perspective on this:

Hazrat Abdullah Ibn-e-Masud has reported that the prophet said, "The ill effects of interest are of 73 kinds. The least intense of these is like someone commiting adultery with his mother."

That! is how strictly it is forbidden to participate in any dealings involving interest. Now with the importance of this issue in mind lets see how Quran refers to interest. The Quran uses the word 'riba' to describe the interest that is forbidden in Islam. The dictionary meaning of the word riba is: "The dictionary meaning of riba is increase and the reference in the verse is to every increase against which there is no exchange or consideration" (Ibn-e-Arabi, Ahkamul Quarn) This is how the word riba used in Quran is defined but apart from a literal definition there is also a context in which a word becomes popular. The time of the Prophet(PBUH) and before that is the context where we must look for further understanding of this term. According to the prophet: "Every loan which brings a gain is a riba based loan" "exchange of gold with gold, silver with silver, wheat with wheat, barley with barley,  dates with dates and salt with salt should be of equal quantities and spot. Anyone who varies quantities or allows one side of the exchange to be deffered , indulges in riba for which both the buyer and seller are equally responsible." About the lending methods of  'Jahiliya' or before Islam: "Riba Al Jahiliya which has been prohibited by quran is that people would lend on the condition of obtaining more than the amount lent. Upon expiry of the agreed term, the tenor would be extended and the interest increased. This is the riba which the prophet declared null and void during his last pilgrimage" (Ibn-e-Rushd Maliki, Bidaya Al Mujtahid) The purpose of riba is to increase wealth but without risk. To do that you need to a) protect what you have (principal amount) and b) gain some more. This is the understanding of riba I had earlier which was validated by this book but it adds some more to the rules which define riba. They are a) any increase whether simple or compounding, b) charged against extension of time period not something of value and c) defering of payment from any side (credit). When the bank or a person lents you money and has the security that you will return as much was lent (gurantee of principal amount), additionally you would pay them some markup (for credit/extension of time period) and service charges (against the facility of time extension or failure of compliance in returning installment). All these gains fall under riba. I knew that part correctly but what I did'nt know was the fact that delaying payment from any side (credit) is also not allowed. Now that was an eye-opener for me. The priciple is to not indulge in any kind of financial activity where gain is without risking what you have. For example, in buisness there is equal chance of gain or loss from it and buisness is allowed and preferred in Islam. The extereme form of taking risk is gambling, which is also prohibited. Why? not because of riba but because of its other social ill-effects. Gambling is prohibited alongside drinking in Quran, so that puts the rationale behind it in context. Can we invest in a profit or loss account? We cannot because if the gain is earned through riba then it is prohibited. This is like doing the buisness of selling drugs where buisness is allowed but selling drugs is'nt. So, any gains from that are also prohibited. What does Allah require from us? First, no greed for money. So there goes the risk free earnings where the pricipal is safe. Reduce your needs. Don't defer payments, defer needs. Sounds difficult, even impossible. Yes it is but thats the deal, no good comes without sacrifice. "O believers fear Allah and give up that interest which is still due to you if you are true believers; but if you do not do so then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger. If, however you repent even now (and forgo interest), you are entitled to your pricipal; do not wrong and no wrong will be done to you." (Albaqarah 278-279) Lastly charity is the way of muslim, not gathering and hoarding. Allah says: "The interest that you give in order to increase the wealth of the people, does not  increase in the sight of Allah; and the Zakat that you pay in order to win Allah's approval, its payers do indeed increase their wealth." (Surah Rome 39) I will follow this up with a post on commercial interest and some of its detail.

It is me or do you see this as ironical as well. Evolution the very force helping to destroy God in the 20th and 21st century, the staple argument of the atheists, is the very agent behind the whole thing.

So why do so many people believe? And why has belief proved so resilient as scientific progress unravels the mysteries of plagues, floods, earthquakes and our understanding of the universe? By injecting nuns with radioactive chemicals, by scanning the brains of people with epilepsy and studying naughty children, scientists are now working out why. When the evidence is pieced together, it seems that evolution prepared what society later moulded: a brain to believe.

Tests of faith | Science | The Guardian

Scientists are beginning to see that evolution created a "brain to believe" because it made evolutionary sense. It was beneficial for us in helping to stay focused in uncertainty and complexity. It allowed us to form groups and societies. It seems evolution itself is doing the task of recognizing God which those who ardently preach it don't acknowledge. Now isn't that interesting.

Qasida Burda is a poem in praise of the Prophet Muhammad(SAW)and is written by Imam Sharfuddin Al-Busiri. Legend has it that he used to write praises for the kings and rules and one time he suffered from paralysis and almost half of his body was affected due to it. In this moment of despair he wrote this poem in praise of the Prophet(SAW), the beloved of Allah, then asked Allah for cure of this impairment. He fell asleep while supplicating and was visited by the Prophet(SAW) in his dream. The Prophet(SAW)asked him to recite the poem but he said that his speech is impeded due the paralysis. Then the Prophet(SAW) touched the paralysed part of the body and threw his scard over him. He was cured and was able to recite it. When he woke up he was well and found the scarf over him. Hence the poem is called Qasida Al-Burda (the poem of the scarf).

What part of the story is correct or wrong, I don't know but I do that I really like this poem. Recently I heard this from Junaid Jamshed which reminded me how much liked it and then found the following version by Muhammad Al-Husayn, which is by far the best version I have heard.