أعوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
‘I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil,
In the name of Allah; The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.’
Date: April 13, 2024
Journal Entry: Bushra Lana (Good News)/An Intermediary Phase
Once again, I had an insightful dream in the morning of 4th Shawwal, 1445; a few days after celebrating Eid al-Fitr.
I saw the last moment of my life as I was passing away; I seemed to be bidding farewell to my family. Then, in the dream, I started to see from the point of view perspective. My burial was taking place, and I was being pulled down into my grave. I could see everything getting darker around me as I observed the horizon and the four corners of the ground as I rested six feet deep under. After being covered completely, I felt the contraction of the side walls. I started to feel scared for my experience in Hereafter. However, there after it started to expand and became spacious. The ground to my right starts unveiling from the top to bottom illuminating my grave as it unpacked to a room like environment. There was a man whose face was as clear as crystal with a fair skin tone dressed in all pure white sitting upright against the wall on a couch. His hair was seemingly white and parted from the middle reaching his shoulders. Similarly, he had an aura due to his beard that was white as well which made his appearance to shine like a pearl. It felt as if he had been waiting for me. He gets up to embrace and welcome me. I asked him if we had met before because he seemed to have a unique appearance yet familiarity with his presence. He told to me that we had met at the plain of the souls (Alam-e-Arwa), and that he has kept watch on me since and was familiar with the tailored trails and tribulations of my life. He assured me to rest with ease and tranquility as the journey from here on now will be smooth. I started to weep out of awe knowing very well of the fact that I didn’t deserve to be given this glad tiding, yet felt a joy never experienced before waking up from the dream.
Now, I only bring this to the attention of others to mention that the struggle to remain sound in one’s faith should be a continuous task, until our very last breath, as believers in the religion of Islam. It may take form as small deeds, if done correctly with consistency, which can allow us to progress spiritually by staying upright. I am nowhere near perfect, nor do I claim to be righteous or pious, but I do make efforts consistently for an inward spiritual growth and outward practice as per the religion of Islam. Yearning to attain proximity of God (عزَّ وجلَّ) and His Beloved (ﷺ) is something I try to sincerely strive for by enacting the way of those [The Prophets, The Truthful, The Martyrs & The Righteous (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them all)] who had been successful in following the spiritual path that leads straight to God Almighty’s acceptance & pleasure. May Allah (swt) always keep us sincere and steadfast on Islam as our way of life and grant us a good end with the last of our words to be the Testimony of Faith [لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ – There is no deity worthy of worship save God (alone), and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His servant & final messenger]. I ask Allah (عزَّ وجلَّ) to make the transitionary phase that is a barrier (Barzakh) between this life and the Hereafter to be better than this temporal abode as we hope for our soul to register in ‘Illiyeen’, God-willingly, and reunite with those who we love in the Hereafter.
The sentiment after this experience that resonates with me is from the poem “The House of healing” by Abū Muḥammad ibn Abū Sāliḥ ʿAbdol-Qāder al-Gīlānī al-Ḥasanī wa’l-Ḥusaynī, also known as ‘Abd-ol-Qāder Gīlāni (Persian: عبدالقادر گیلانی; 23 March 1078 – 21 February 1166). Gilani was a 12th-century faqih, Islamic scholar, theologian, and mystic originally from Gilan, Iran.
[In Persian]:
تا ابد یا رب زتو من لطف ها دارم امید
از تو گر امّید بُرَّم از کجا دارم امید
زیستم عمر بسی چون دشمنان ،دشمن مگیر
بی وفائی کرده ام از تو وفا دارم امید
هم فقیرم هم غریبم ،بیکس و بیمار و زار
یک قدح زان شربت دار الشّفا دارم امید
منتهای کارتو دانم چو آمرزیدنست
زان سبب من رحمت بی منتها دارم امید
هرکسی امّید دارد از خدا وجز خدا
لیک عمری شد که از تو ،من تو را دارم امید
هم تو دیدی من چه ها کردم وپوشیدی زلطف
هم تو میدانی که از تو من چرا دارم امید
ذره ذره چون جدا گرداندم خاک لحد
بهرِ هر ذره زتو فضل خدا دارم امید
دمبدم بد گفته ام بد مانده ام بد کرده ام
با وجود این خطاها من عطا دارم امید
روشنی چشم من از گریه کم شد ای حبیب
این زمان از خاک کویت توتیا دارم امید
[English Translation]:
Until eternity, oh Lord, in Your Favours I have hope
If I lose hope in You, from where could I ever gain hope?
Much of my life I lived in defiance: See me not defiant
I have been unfaithful, but in Your Faithfulness I have hope
I am a pauper and a stranger, helpless, ailing and weak
In one cup’s medicine of the House of Healing, I have hope
I know that in the end Your Way is Forgiveness
Because of that, in Your Endless Mercy I have hope
Everyone places their hope in God, yet in others too
But for a lifetime I seek [only] You, and in You [alone] I have hope
You saw all I have done, yet You concealed with Graciousness
And You know well why I have hope in You
As, bit by bit, the grave’s soil takes me apart
With every bit, in God’s Grace I have hope
Repeatedly, I spoke and acted badly and remained the same
Despite of these transgressions, in Forgiveness I have hope
The light of my eyes has weakened from my tears, oh beloved
Now, from Your Place’s Healing Kohl, I have hope
This ghazal, “Dar-osh-shafa”, is a love-poem dedicated to God, Glorified and Exalted is He. ‘Abdol-Qader Gilani expresses his hope in the Mercy, Forgiveness and Grace of God. In the face of his mortality and fallibility, he expresses his regrets, but nevertheless places his trust and hope in God, Mighty and Majestic is He.
Perception Enlightenment 