| When we try to learn a new skill or try to gain | | | | after that gave him the senses. ruh is in fact a |
| knowledge about a specific subject, we follow a | | | | component of the Divine and in it all the knowledge of |
| guideline or a system, which demands that we pay | | | | Divine Discretions and Attributes are present, which |
| attention to the subject to fully understand it. Our mind | | | | God so Willed. Just how this knowledge was acquired |
| becomes curious to know the where, how and what | | | | by the component, is a Divine Mystery, which could |
| of it. When we pay attention to the minor details, that | | | | never be explained. |
| minor point itself gains value. However, when we | | | | There are eleven thousand generators (latifa, plural |
| ignore the most important part and do not pay any | | | | lataif) at work inside the Man. According to Sufism, |
| cognitive attention to it then even that major point | | | | there are eleven thousand Divine Names as well. |
| loses its value and importance. Through contemplation | | | | Every Divine Name is an Attribute and every Divine |
| we gain knowledge about any object and the deeper | | | | Attribute is knowledge (ilm). This knowledge further |
| that knowledge, the more we learn about that object | | | | expands into more and more spheres to become a |
| and its qualities. | | | | manifestation of the Divine Attributes. |
| Muraqaba is the name of that contemplation through | | | | In order to enter the unseen world (al-ghayb) or to |
| which man is able to gain the knowledge which is the | | | | behold anything beyond Time and Space, we have to |
| primordial knowledge of his Ego, Self, or Soul. After | | | | first free ourselves from the clutches of |
| gaining that knowledge, any man can gain access to | | | | spatiotemporal restrictions. This is only possible when |
| his Ego or Soul. | | | | the vision that sees Time and Space frees itself from |
| It appears that the person performing Muraqaba is | | | | its boundaries. To activate that vision, certain exercises |
| simply sitting in a pose with his or her eyes closed. | | | | have been created through which even if the human |
| However, merely shutting the eyes and assuming a | | | | mind is not totally free at least it is able to come close |
| specific pose does not serve the purpose. Muraqaba | | | | to it. |
| is in fact an angle of perception through which the | | | | Now the next question is to how and when the human |
| person doing the Muraqaba frees himself or herself | | | | senses could be freed from that restriction. One |
| from outward senses and begins their journey in the | | | | example is the state of dreaming. Sleeping actually is |
| inward senses. | | | | getting freedom from the diurnal senses, which are |
| Now we are going to look into whether or not the | | | | Time and Space. When we go to sleep then our |
| Muraqaba-like conditions or states exist in us, without | | | | senses are transferred to a realm where the state of |
| adopting the specific pose of Muraqaba. | | | | Time and Space do exist but not in the chronological |
| Freedom from outward senses happens in our daily | | | | order in which we spend our life. The Second way is |
| life, both involuntarily and voluntarily. For example, we | | | | that while wake human mind could focus on any |
| go to sleep and while sleeping our brain disconnects | | | | object with full concentration. For example when we |
| from outward senses. It is true that this disconnection | | | | read an interesting book, we often lost track of the |
| is temporary however; this condition could not be | | | | time. When we finally look at our watch, we then |
| termed as anything but disconnection from outward | | | | realized that so much time had elapsed, though we |
| senses. Hence, we can say that Muraqaba is in fact a | | | | were not aware of it. |
| way of imposing a state of sleeping without going to | | | | In the Quran, the event of Moses receiving the Torah |
| sleep. | | | | is mentioned in the following verse, |
| Every human being, from the time of birth to death | | | | And We promised Moses thirty nights and fulfilled it in |
| spends life in two states. In other words, in the human | | | | forty nights. |
| mind there are two types of conditions that prevail | | | | Day and night are mentioned in Quran in the following |
| every moment of our life. One of these conditions or | | | | verses, |
| state is wakening and the other sleeping or dreaming. | | | | And We enter night into the day and let the day enter |
| In the wakening state, they are trapped in Time and | | | | into the night. |
| Space while during dreaming they are free from the | | | | We take the night out of the day and take the day out |
| confines of spatiotemporal limitations. This freedom of | | | | of the night. |
| Time and Space is sought through Muraqaba by | | | | We cover the day onto night and night into the day |
| converting the state of sleeping or dreaming into an | | | | When we contemplate these verses of Quran, we |
| awakened state. Because during Muraqaba, a person | | | | realized that day and night are in fact two senses. In |
| goes through the same conditions that he or she goes | | | | other words, our life is divided into two senses. One of |
| through while sleeping or dreaming. | | | | the senses is day the other one is night. During the day |
| The notion that dreams are nothing but thoughts is not | | | | senses (diurnal senses) restricted with Time and |
| correct. In all scriptures including the Quran (Koran), | | | | Space while during night senses (nocturnal senses) we |
| dreams have been mentioned. The dreams that were | | | | are free from these restrictions. |
| mentioned in the Quran show that the realm of dream | | | | The Divine Statement that We promised Moses thirty |
| is free from the restrictions imposed by Time and | | | | nights and fulfilled it in forty nights is interesting. |
| Space. When a person tries to impose the state of | | | | Because Moses did not simply spend forty nights |
| dreaming through Muraqaba, they free themselves | | | | there, his entire stay was forty days and forty nights. It |
| from that spatiotemporal boundaries and they journey | | | | was not that he was spending the nights at the place |
| through the realm of dream the way they travel while | | | | and coming back during the day. He did spend his |
| fully wake. All existing things need foundation; without it | | | | entire stay at the Mount. Interestingly God did not |
| they could not survive. This is not something that is | | | | mention days in the verse instead mentions only night. It |
| hard to comprehend. For example the foundation of a | | | | clearly suggests that during those forty days and forty |
| chair is its legs. A house remains erect only when | | | | nights, Moses was under the influence of nocturnal |
| inside the earth its foundation is laid. Similarly, we can | | | | senses. The same nocturnal senses, which free us |
| only learn a subject or a branch of knowledge when | | | | from the restrictions of Time and Space. |
| we know its basics. These basics (or formulas) are | | | | Hence, anyone who would impose the nocturnal |
| considered as the foundation of any branch of | | | | senses during the period of day and night on |
| knowledge. God has revealed it in the Quran, | | | | themselves would be free from the confinement of |
| Al-Lah is the Light of the heavens and earth. | | | | Time and Space. This freedom from spatiotemporal |
| In this Universe, there are several worlds and galaxies. | | | | restriction is the way to exploring the unseen realm |
| The Essence and Reality of God is something only | | | | and getting intuitive information. |
| God knows or those with whom He has shared His | | | | During a battle, an arrow injured Amirul Momineen Ali |
| Secrets. How much of this information God has | | | | ibn abi Talib. It had entered his thigh and the pain was |
| shared with His chosen servants is not our concern. | | | | excruciating. The surgeons could not operate on it. |
| However, we do know that God created this entire | | | | Because of extreme pain he would not let them even |
| universe for us humans. It is stated on several | | | | touch it. One of his companions suggested to surgeons |
| occasions in the Quran that the foundation of this | | | | that they wait until Imam Ali began his prayer. When |
| universe is the Light (nur) of God. Based on this fact it | | | | Imam Ali began his prayer, the surgeons were able to |
| is imperative that Man and all of his abilities be | | | | operate on him without him showing any sign of pain. |
| centered on one foundation. | | | | By the time he was done with his prayers, Imam Ali |
| It is our daily observation that not all of our actions, | | | | realized that the surgeon had already performed the |
| motions, whims, thoughts, imaginations, and feelings are | | | | surgery and the wound had already been stitched. This |
| dependent on the body of bones and flesh. Because | | | | event is another example of the negation of Time and |
| when the Spirit disconnects its link with the physical | | | | Space. When Imam Ali started his prayers, his senses |
| body then this body of bones and flesh is unable to | | | | went from diurnal state into nocturnal state. The |
| act on its own. As long as the Spirit is attached with | | | | moment his mind entered the nocturnal senses his |
| the body, all the needs, and functions necessary for life | | | | focus was shifted away from the diurnal senses |
| are present. In other words, Spirit (ruh) is the foundation | | | | (restriction and pain). The foundation of Spirituality is |
| of the body. | | | | based on the reality that Man has two senses, two |
| According to the Quran, a limited knowledge of the | | | | brains, and two lives. Just like the two sides of a coin, it |
| Spirit is given. Nevertheless even this limited knowledge | | | | has two sides.One life is restricted; the other one is |
| is still knowledge. What we are trying to emphasize is | | | | free. Constrained life is day, wakefulness, and |
| that what we consider Man is a body of bones and | | | | consciousness. On the other hand, free life is the name |
| flesh, though that Man is nothing but fiction. The real | | | | of night, joy, peace and the contentment of the heart. |
| Man is the one that protects that skeleton of flesh and | | | | To gain that life the easiest method in Spirituality is |
| keeps it in motion, whom the Quran calls ruh (Spirit). | | | | Muraqaba. Muraqaba is in fact the name of an |
| This ruh, in order to fulfill the needs of life uses a | | | | exercise, effort and the angle of perception. Through it, |
| medium. We call this medium, chromosomes. In the | | | | anyone can enter the nocturnal senses while keeping |
| Quran, God has said that, We poured Our ruh in him | | | | the diurnal senses active as well. |
| (Adam). In other words, ruh created a medium and | | | | |