The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 92
PREFACE ESSENCE OF ISLAM 91 continuously—whether sitting, standing, asleep, or awake—like a cool, pleasant, and fragrant breeze that wafts across a garden of flow- ers and begins to blow in the morning, bringing with it a delight and joy; and the man is so drawn towards God Almighty that he finds it impossible to live without His love and an ardent, enraptured con- templation of Him and he is not only ready to sacrifice his wealth, life, honour, progeny, and all that belongs to him, but has already sacri- ficed all of it in his heart; and he is pulled by a powerful attraction the nature of which he is unable to fathom; and he perceives a brilliant light illuminating his inner self, like the dawning of the day; and he observes streams of devotion, love, and loyalty flowing vigorously through him; and feels moment by moment as if God Almighty has descended upon his heart; when you experience this con- dition with all its Signs, then rejoice and express gratitude to the True Beloved, for this is indeed that ultimate stage which has been named liqā. AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE The journey of a righteous person extends only as far as the stage of fana At this ultimate stage, the seeker feels as if he has been washed in many holy waters and has been created anew by casting out every trace of his ego, and then, the throne of Rabbul- alamin [the Lord of all the worlds] has been placed within him and the shining countenance of the Holy and Blessed and Holy Lord, with all its winning charm and beauty, remains ever-present before him. However, it should also be remembered here that both of these last two stages- baqā [revival] and liqā [communion]—are not achieved through one's own efforts but are Divine bounties. Effort and struggle terminates at the stage of fană [self-annihilation], and the journey of all righteous seekers ends at that stage, and the circle of human excellences arrives at its full completion. And when the pure-natured seekers have passed through the stage of fană, as required, it is the practice of God Almighty that, all at once, the breeze of Divine bounty blows and conveys them to the stages of baqa and liqā.