| EVERY
tree, every flower, every leaf moves around turns in ecstasy in
the breeze of love. The spheres seem to compass the sun and the
moon, and it is not a turning without an end, and a whirling without
a goal -as this movement is, in some mysterious way, moving towards
the inexhaustible depths of Allah -the radiant sun of life.
Man,
the most supremely evolved of creation soars to a different sphere
-beyond spheres - and becomes so overwhelmed by the electricity
o his Beloved Lord's divine presence which occupies every single
atom of the universe, that at the sigh of the "symbolic house"
built in honour of his Beloved Lord, this lover of his Lord becomes
so enraptured, that in throes of ecstasy begins to circumambulate
(make tawaaf) of the house of his Beloved (Allah), like a moth
turning around a candle losing itself in burning love. What steers
man to this ecstatic state and what is the reality of his tawaaf?
The
significance goes back to the moment of the Primordial Covenant
between Allah and His servants, wherein Allah posed the question
to all mankind:
"Am
I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?" The
affirmative answer of mankind of: "Indeed, we do testify!!'
(5. VI V.172), established firmly the relationship between
Rabb (Lord) and 'abd (servant/devotee). Eminent
Sufis have stated that "Am I not your Lord" was sounded
in such a melodious, alluring, fascinating voice, that all human
souls were enraptured, and in an ecstatic state-intoxicated by
the love of their Lord exclaimed: "Indeed we do testify!"
This anxiousness, uneasiness and constant desire and longing for
the return of the moment of that divine assemblage of 'A1ast'
in the presence of their Supreme Lord was firmly embedded on the
human soul -a desire so intense, that the human soul in its journey
to earth brought this longing of being in the intimate and overwhelming
presence of its Lord, with it.
Allah
in His infinite wisdom, knowing that His devotees could not bear
the pangs of separation from their Lord, commissioned the building
of a 'symbolic house' in His honour by the father of mankind Hazrat
Adam (A.S.) The wisdom behind building a structure was two-fold:
1.
It is deep-rooted in the nature of man that he looks for something
tangible -i.e. something he can see, touch and hold, which will
satisfy both his inner and outer senses -the physical structure
of the Holy Ka'bah thus symbolised the physical expression of
man's love for Allah, and the erection of the Holy Ka'bah became
a humble way in which men paid homage to his Beloved Lord -showing
man's extreme devotion and love.
2.
Allah, ever-knowing man's constant need of solace from Him, and
man's constant desire of acceptance of the Lord in his endeavours,
accepted and sanctified this house built in His honour, and reassured
man that the house had been given the divine "stamp of approval".
The
Holy Ka'bah thus became the central and focal point of the concentration
of the manifestations of Allah's Noor, His mercy, His beauty and
splendour -so much so, that looking at the Ka'bah is worship,
sleeping within the precincts of the Holy sanctuary is worship,
and just being in the presence of the Holy Ka'bah is worship.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:
| "The
First House (of worship) appointed for men was at Bakka (Macca):
full of blessing and of guidance for all Beings" (5111
V.96), and he states further:
"God made the Ka'bah the Sacred House, an asylum of security
for men". (SV V.I00). "We covenanted Ibrahim and
Ismail that they should sanctify My House for those who compass
around, or use it as a retreat, or bow or prostrate themselves
(to me) therein (in prayer)". (S. 2 V.102). |
In
the above verse Allah emphasised to man His acceptance, and personal
relation to the Holy Ka'bah by referring to it as: "My House."
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Hence,
Aulia Allah have called the Holy K' abah "Maqaam al
Wasl" -"The Place of Union/or 're- union',
where, the human soul tired of the entrapments of the material
world -longing for the closeness and intimacy of the relationship
between 'abd and Rabb, hastens towards the "physical"
station of His Lord, wherein is the concentrations of the manifestations
of his Lord's splendour, glory and majesty. Upon sight of that
edifice erected in honour and glory of his beloved Allah, the
loving servant overwhelmed by this electrifying sight becomes
awe-struck and exclaims: "Labbaik! Labbaik"
-"1 am present to Thee! I am present to Thee!"
(reminiscent of the divine assemblage of AIast -'Am I not your
Lord').
The
devotee of Allah fall into grips of ecstasy and in raptures
and utter-bewilderment begins to compass the abode of his Beloved
Allah. In this ecstatic state the lover of Allah circumambulates
the Holy Ka'bah seven times, wherein he loses himself totally
in the contemplation of the 'Absolute Being" of Allah.
The
secret of the ecstatic tawaaf of the devotee and its
supreme reality lies in the contemplation of the "Absolute
Being" of Allah. There are 7 supreme attributes of Allah,
which constitute the ultimate perfection of the "Absolute
Being" of Allah -(In Sufi terminology, the "Absolute
Being', of Allah is termed: "Huwiyyat al Mutlaqah").
These
7 attributes of Allah which impress the ultimate perfection
of the "Absolute Being" of Him, and which are
found in minute portions in man as well, (through the grace
and magnificence of Allah) -without which, man could never find
Allah are:
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1)
Life 2) Knowledge 3) Will
4) Power 5) Audition (Hearing) 6) Sight 7) Speech.
('And we breathed into man of our own spirit') (5.
38 V. 72).
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The
wisdom behind the tawaaf of the servant, of the
abode of his beloved Allah is, that the devotee removes any
thought of his "existence", (and the 7 attributes
which comprises his existence) and fixes his
thoughts unto the Supreme Creator (Allah), who is the source
and absolute owner and granter of these 7 attributes, (which
are the essence of man's existence).
In
removing any thought of his own existence, and fixing his attention
unto the "Absolute Being"of Allah and contemplating
on that, man shifts away from his limited and mortal self"
(as man is "Haadith" -created) and returns
to Allah, who is "Qadeem" -Original and Absolute.
When man "ceases to exist" and becomes annihilated
(Fana) by contemplating solely on the; "Absolute Being"
of Allah, man then begins to subsist (Baqa) in Allah, wherein
man's knowledge is attributed, related and allied to Allah's
knowledge, and man's power / will / audition / sight / speech
are attributed / allied / related to Allah. This state is similar
to the Hadith on "Qurb al- Nawaafil" wherein
Allah becomes the faculty of audition of his beloved servant
who hears through him, and so on.
The circumambulation of the Holy K' abah is for the lover of
Allah a 'union', wherein the lover "loses" himself
in his beloved Lord. He thus further attempts to "internalise"
the 'physical' station of the Holy K' abah. Thus it becomes
an "inward state" of his being, where he purifies
his heart with the love of Allah, so that eventually his heart
becomes the "throne of Allah" (Hadith). In this way
the "physical" action of tawaaf becomes an
"internal" one wherein the devotee is always lost
in the contemplation of the "Absolute Being"of Allah
in his heart.
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"The
atoms of the world came, because of the love
of that sun, dancing out of non-being".
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The
ultimate goal behind sighting of the Holy Ka'bah and its tawaaf,
is to bring about in one's being, the constant remembrance,
contemplation and reflection of the majesty and splendour of
the Supreme Lord, of which, the sight of the majestical Holy
Ka'bah is indirectly a cause. Our ultimate aim should correspond
with that of Hazrat Abu Yazid AI-Bestami (r.a.) who said: "The
first time I entered the Holy House, I saw only the Holy House.
The second time I entered the Holy House, I saw the Holy House
and the Lord of the Holy House, and the third time I saw the
Lord alone."
Upon return from the Holy House one's state should be arrested
and remain -as it was, in the sacred precincts of the Holy House.
The overwhelming consciousness of the divine presence of Allah
should not cease, after we return. It should become manifest
in us.
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