This letter was written
for Muhammad Hâshim Keshmî ‘rahmatullâhu ta’âlâ ’alaih’, (d. 1054 [1645 A.D.],
Burhânpur,) compiler of the third volume of
Maktûbât. It explains the Fanâ of the heart and of the nafs and the
’ilm-i-husûlî’s and the ’ilm-i-hudhûrî’s ceasing to exist:
Fanâ means to forget about
the mâ-siwâ. And mâ-siwâ, in its turn, includes all beings other than Allâhu ta’âlâ. There are two groups of mâ-siwâ: Âfâq means creatures outside of man. Enfus (or anfus) means
things that are within man. To forget about the âfâq is an event that takes
place when the ’ilm-i-husûlî, i.e. the knowledge pertaining to the âfâq, ceases
to exist. To forget about the enfus means for the ’ilm-i-hudhûrî, whereby the
enfus is known, to cease to exist. For, the âfâq is known through the
’ilm-i-husûlî, and the enfus is known through the ’ilm-i-hudhûrî. It is
difficult for the ’ilm-i-husûlî to cease to exist, and it is attained by the
Awliyâ ‘qaddas-Allâhu ta’âlâ asrârahum-ul’azîz’. It is much more difficult for
the ’ilm-i-hudhûrî to cease to exist, and it falls only to the lot of the very
high ones of the Awliyâ. Most of the people who look on facts by using their
mind only, deny these facts. In fact, they say that such things are
unthinkable. They say that it is out of the question for a person with
perception to forget about himself. They say, “A person has to be aware of
himself. A person cannot forget about himself even momentarily, let alone
perpetually.”
It is at the grade
called Fanâ-i-qalb
that
the ’ilm-i-husûlî ceases to exist. And when the ’ilm-i-hudhûrî ceases to exist
the Fanâ-i-nafs
takes place; it is the perfect Fanâ, the true Fanâ. The Fanâ-i-qalb is like the image,
the shadow of the Fanâ-i-nafs. For, the ’ilm-i-husûlî is the shadow, the image of the ’ilm-i-hudhûrî. Therefore, the Fanâ of the ’ilm-i-husûlî, i.e. its ceasing
to exist, is the shadow, the appearance of the Fanâ of the ’ilm-i-hudhûrî. When the ’ilm-i-hudhûrî attains its Fanâ, the nafs attains itmi’nân. (That is, it
attains a state of maturity in which) it is pleased with Allâhu ta’âlâ.
And Allâhu ta’âlâ in turn is pleased with it. After the Baqâ and the return, the
nafs is given the task of guiding the disciples and leading them to kemâl
(maturity, perfection). (At this grade) the nafs becomes blessed with the
ability to make jihâd and ghazâ against all four of the anâsir-i-erbe’a (four elements), which
exist in the human body and which are quite different from one another and at
loggerheads with one another in their desires, inclinations,
properties, and preferences, so much so that things wanted by
any one of them bear no similarity to any of the needs of any of the other
three. None of the other nine components of the body can attain this blessing.
If the energy in the human body increases, the body will become like a fiend
and induce its owner to say, “Aren’t I peerless?” And a nafs
that has attained itmi’nân will make jihâd against it and save its owner, man,
from that nuisance. The other vicious properties in the human nature such as
lust, wrath, etc. exist in other animals, too. The nafs will tame them as well,
turning them into useful versions. Subhân-Allah! How amazing it is that the
nafs, which is the worst of the ten latîfas, develops into being the best of
them and, to the bargain, makes jihâd, (i.e. fights, struggles,) against vices.
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “Among you, the ones who were good in the time of jâhiliyya, (i.e. before the
advent of Islam,) will also be the best ones after learning Islam!”
A note: The symptom of the
heart’s forgeting about the mâ-siwâ is its never thinking about the mâ-siwâ.
[Busy as the mind may be thinking of worldly matters,] the heart will reject
thoughts belonging to the mâ-siwâ. What is symptomatic of a state in which the
’ilm-i-hudhûrî of the nafs has ceased to exist is man’s having ceased to exist.
At this grade man is unaware of himself, of his attributes. At this level both
the knowledge itself and what is known have ceased to exist. For, both the
knowledge itself and what is known are man himself. The knowledge itself and
what is known will not cease to exist unless man himself ceases to exist. The
heart’s Fanâ is the Fanâ of âfâq, whereas the Fanâ of the nafs is the
Fanâ-i-enfus (the Fanâ of the enfus), which is the true Fanâ.
Come on, o man, captivated in the world of forlornness;
Come on, o
man, in the earth’s ruins lying in unawareness!
Open your eyes and look around, many a lord has passed by;
How
lunatic it would be to love this lousy transience!
The nightingale will not stay in a cage, with sweets as it’s fed;
Why should one shut up in this dungeon abide in its darkness!
Come to your senses, o dear, as you still have the chances;
If a
person says, “Never mind,” him endless torment awaits!
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