Heart and Divine Illuminations

Allah created man and made man the best of creation. He is the best of creation because He has the ability to gain the Ma’rifat of Allah. This Ma’rifat (realization) is gained by the heart. The heart has the knowledge of Allah. The heart strives to gain the pleasure of Allah, it strives to gain proximity to Allah Ta’ala. The other organs are all followers and at the service of the service of the heart. If the heart is saved from “Ghairullah” – people and things that drift you away from Allah – it is accepted by Allah and if it is attached to Ghairullah it is rejected by Allah. If an effort is made on the purification of the heart it gains the pleasure of Allah. On the other hand, if it is left to be polluted with sin and disobedience it is rejected and inflicted with hardships. In reality, it is the heart which is obedient to Allah. Deeds and Ibadah are the fruits of the heart’s obedience. It is the heart that transgresses the limits of Shariah and the actions of man in transgression is the result of the heart’s transgression. If man recognizes his heart, he recognizes himself and if he fails to recognize his heart, he fails to recognize himself, he fails to recognize Allah Ta’ala. Unfortunately many are ignorant in regard to their “nafs” and heart.

Oh my Muslim brothers and sisters, Allah Ta’ala is in control of our hearts. He directs it in whichever direction He wills. He inspires the heart and removes from the heart what He wills. Allah Ta’ala says:

“But Allah has endeared the faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts.”(49: 8).

“And whosoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart.” (64: 12).

“And (as for the believers) Allah has put affection between their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have produced that affection, but Allah has produced it.” (8: 64).

Divine Guidance and Free Will

Alhamdulillah Summa Alhamdulillah, Allah (twt) has given me this opportunity to continue the subject matter of last week’s Sermon on the need of the advent of a prophet of God, and the reality of the miracles and faith which are joined together for the realization of the designs of Allah.

Indeed God Almighty talked in the past, is talking even today to His humble servants and messengers. It is unbelievable that a Merciful and Loving God would remain unmoved at the sight of mankind floundering in error and worldliness and yet He would take no measures for their guidance and direction. So my dear brothers and sisters, if there is a God, He cannot permit this!

If He feels for His servants in their trials and yet makes no provision, we must conclude either that He has no power to guide mankind to the truth, or that to attain communion with God is not the object of man’s existence, and that man was created merely to eat, drink, and to lead a purely worldly and animal existence. But each of the alternatives previously mentioned is insupportable.

To imagine that He who created the universe has no power to provide means for the spiritual guidance of mankind is absurd. The Creator of the whole must have power to create a part. If we admit the existence of a Creator, we must admit that He has absolute power and that nothing is impossible unto him, and He can accomplish everything except whatever is incompatible with His holiness and perfection, nor can we imagine that man has been created merely for the purpose of a worldly existence for, in that case, we would be compelled to admit that an All-Wise and All-Knowing Creator has brought this huge universe into being to no purpose.

Miracles and the Light of Faith

In continuation to last Friday’s sermon, the condition of the world itself demands the advent of a prophet. For, where can be find today the light and the faith of which we read in connection with the prophets? Who can show the signs and miracles which men were wont to witness at the hands of the prophets and their companions? We find a great deal written in the books of each religion, but where can be find the practical proof of it? Where is the gift of prophecy which the companions of Moses possessed? Where are the signs which the disciples of Jesus were wont to show? The books of every religion talk of a living God, but is that living God living today also? Does He still maintain with His servants the relation which Jehovah was wont to maintain with the followers of Moses or the Heavenly Father with the disciples of Jesus, or Allah with the Muslims?

If not, what reason can be assigned for this change? And, has this change occurred in God, or in man? We find that, in order to avoid having to face this question and to admit that this change has occurred, the contents of the revealed books of different religions are sought to be explained away, and meanings are assigned to passages which the words are incapable of bearing.

It may be permissible to us to say that God spoke to His servants in this or that manner, or spoke to His servants in this or that way, or that His relations with His servants were of this or that kind, but it is not open to us to assert that God has never talked to man in a manner which should exclude all possibility of doubt or misgiving nor is it open to us to say that God never showed any miracles to demonstrate conclusively the truth of a particular religion or of a particular prophet. We may be permitted to assert that the relationship which existed between God and His servants in the past was of a nature different from that ordinarily understood or accepted, but after a perusal of the scriptures of different religions we cannot honestly assert that God has never dealt with His servants in manner from which the world could judge that a Living God exists who displays his Might and Mercy for those He loves.