Sittings of Late October 1959

مجالسِ اواخر اکتوبر ۱۹۵۹

21 October 1959 (Wednesday)

Topics 116–117: Duration of Hearing; 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah' is Necessary

A legal issue regarding the 'mi'yad al-sama'' — the duration or period of hearing in certain legal procedures — was discussed in connection with Islamic jurisprudence.

Hazrat addressed the well-known hadith: 'Whoever says La ilaha illa Allah enters Paradise.' He clarified that this refers to the complete testimony of faith — La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadun Rasul Allah — and that both parts are inseparable conditions for Islam. Simply saying there is no god but Allah without acknowledging Muhammad as the Messenger is insufficient. The hadith must be understood in its full context.

Topics 118–123: Revelation and Inspiration; Love of Wife; The Shaykh's Spiritual State; Imagination, Dream and Kashf; Love of the Ahl al-Bayt

Revelation (wahy) is the communication from Allah directly to His prophets — a special, protected form of divine communication that ceased with the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Inspiration (ilham) continues to be granted to the Friends of Allah, but it is not binding on others and is subject to error. The difference between the two is absolute.

Even the love of one's own wife, if it becomes excessive or takes the heart away from the remembrance of Allah, becomes a form of attachment to 'other than Allah' (ghayrullah). The seeker's love must ultimately be oriented toward the Real, and all other loves must be subservient to that supreme love.

Hazrat described a state of spiritual intoxication (bi-hali) that the perfect shaykh sometimes enters. In this state, the shaykh is fully absorbed in the Divine Presence and may appear unresponsive to outer matters. This is a station of closeness, not negligence.

Love of the Ahl al-Bayt — the family of the Prophet, peace be upon him — is obligatory for every Muslim. The Qur'an commands it, and the hadith affirm it. However, this love must be accompanied by love of all the Companions (Sahaba), not used as a basis for rejection of Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, or other great Companions.

29 October 1959 (Saturday)

Topics 124–126: A Trial; Companions, Companion and Shaykh; The Verse of Surah al-Baqara

Hazrat discussed a certain trial (fitnah) that had arisen in the community, counseling patience, wisdom and trust in Allah.

He then described the three relationships available to the seeker: the servant (khadim), the companion (rafiq), and the shaykh (murshid). Each has a different nature and a different level of spiritual benefit. The shaykh is the highest — through him, the seeker receives direct transmission of the divine light.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

(Surah al-Baqara 2:62) — 'Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews and Christians and Sabeans — those who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness — will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.' Hazrat explained that this verse refers to those of previous communities who believed sincerely before the coming of the Prophet. After the Prophet's coming, the condition of salvation is belief in him along with belief in Allah and the Last Day.