The Reality of European Spiritualists and Their Misunderstanding

Hazrat Faqir Noor Muhammad Sarwari
Qadri Kalachwi (RA)

This article contains translations of important excerpts from the chapter titled "The Reality of European Spiritualists and Their Misunderstanding", from the book "Irfan (part 2)" by Hazrat Faqir Noor Muhammad Sarwari Qadri Kalachwi (RA). This book was first published in 1942. It has two parts. Both parts also  have translations in English. The urdu version of the first volume can be read here and English version can be read here. I have to acknowledge that this translation is not very good and has various reasons to it:

1. I have tried to translate everything verbatim from Urdu to English with less regard for grammatical corection but to stay more in harmony with the text.
2. There are many jargon words specific to Islamic spiritualism which I do not know the meaning of and I do not possess an Urdu to English dictionary.
3. Translation is a cumbersome process.
4. I did the translation.

It is advisable that this article be read in connection with, and preferably after reading, An Account of Invocation of Jinns, Angels and Souls.

It is also advisable that this article be read in connection with, and preferably after reading, On Afterlife and Islamic Spirituality.

The motivation behind doing this translation very immediately was this interview of Richard Martini, 

New Pathway To Healing: An Interview With Richard Martini.

Now we want to make this thing clear that what beings are the safli (evil) souls that  European Spiritualists invoke and communicate with. And when they are asked that who are you, why do they reply that we are your forefather's and we are the souls of those people who have passed away from this world. And before this we have been living our lives on earth like you, and now we are living and are busy in spiritual progress in the seven communities (or planes or levels or realms) of the aalam-e-arwaah (the world of the souls).

If this is true then the beliefs of all religions, specially Islam, which are, judgement, the judgement day, hashar nashar (I think this translates to judgement too), azaab-e-qabar (punishment of the grave), munkar nakeer (some angels that ask questions in the grave), qayaam-e-qayaamat (again the setting of the judgement day), and the reality of heaven and hell etc., then belief vanishes in them. Because when these spirits are asked about these things they deny their existence. And say that there is no such thing like this. Neither there is hell nor heaven, nor is there any existence of a Godhead. Although because of spiritualism Europe's science-ridden materialists' previous naturalist and atheistic ideology has now changed and they have all become convinced of life after death and they have gotten redemption from the Christian Religion's old papal and priestly machinations.which had indulged them into the wrong consolations of tasliyyat (I don't know the translation, but I think that it means confession) and kaffaara (this is an urdu word which means to pay or worship, or do something similar to attain redemption from one's sins). Now everyone considers himself responsible for his deeds. But these spirits meaning safli souls' (I don't know the meaning of safli but I think that it means evil) and jinn devils' false descriptions have pushed them into a quagmire of a new type of atheism and irreligiousity and the ghost of Darwin's evolution has again overcome their hearts and minds. Meaning that this life is a natural thing and just like in the worldly life the human body is attaining the levels of material progress and evolution, similarly death is also synonymous with a natural change and after death human being keeps on accomplishing higher levels of spiritual progress and evolution. Before this, although to a certain extent, everyone had the fear of death, due to which those people used to refrain and shy away from doing bad deeds, but now the fear of death has vanished away from their hearts and the thought of reward and punishment has also vanished. Only the name and the process of progress and evolution has remained which is happening autonomously. Similarly the devil has pushed them in to a new kind of irreligiosity and atheism. Thus, the example of falling from the sky and getting stuck in the date palm suits truly with them. And similarly he has imprisoned them in the false idea that the miracles of the previous prophets were also of this kind and type of safli (evil?) and mad (mental, the word junooni) karishmas and when their mediums heal and cure the diseases created by mad ghosts then they think that previous prophets, specially Hazrat Isa (Alaihe Salaat-o-wassalam, meaning peace be upon Him) (i.e. Jesus Christ PBUH) who used to cure, handicapped or the blind by birth, he also had inside him this type of spiritual and healing power, the practice of which these people do in their churches with the help of passes etc. Even though, there is a diference equivalent of sky and the earth between every two of these safli (evil?) acrobatics and alvi (good in some sense?) miracles.

Now we consider it important to tell the souls or the spirits that are invoked by the spiritualists of Europe in their seances and those that say we are your forefathers who have passed away from your world or we are those dead humans' souls who inhibited the earth. We have passed away from this world and tell their relatives and kin their complete signs and whereabouts. Who they actually are? And what is their reality? 

It should be clear that the mediums of Europe are often women or weak, illiterate, or simple minded (or possibly innocent) men. Most of the mediums are affected by certain mental illnesses for a while. And the guide spirits that are appointed on them that mostly tells of itself as a foreign person. The most strange thing is that such infants who die after less than even a week or so, such infant children' souls' when invoked start talking, communicating and answering every question like grown up adults without training. Moreover, when some people die, they appear in spiritual seances and start talking without inhibition, even when they are not buried. Even though the person, after having undergone prolonged illness, the difficult process of death, enters the unseen and unheard barzakh (another jargon word, but it is one of the planes of the afterlife) and has to deal with different kinds of revolutions and storms therein. He, for no reason, has the pain and agony of leaving his beloved land, house, relatives and kin and solitude, how can he instantaneously get rid of all of these irritations and problems and start talking with the members of the seance? Thus, these are things which the refined wisdom cannot agree to accept.  Thus, what are these things that tell of themselves as the dead peoples' souls? If they are not souls, then how and why they are aware of all the information and circumstances of the souls.  

So the real thing is that according to Islamic beliefs when a human being is born, a devil is appointed and fixed for (and with) him. Therefore, when it was asked to Hazrat Muhammad Sallalaho Alaihe Wassalam (PBUH), You (PBUH) replied, "Yes, a devil has been fixed with me. But Allah Almighty has endowed me with dominance over him and my devil has become a Muslim". Such physical jinns and devils are born naturally with every human being and to him is also an hidden structure, to which some people refer to as duplicate. This structure is human soul's image, shadow, and complete model and all human feelings and knowledge. Besides this there are other subtle structures in human self. Our spiritual teacher Hazrat Sultan Baahu (Rehmat Allah Alaih) (May Allah's beneficience be upon Him) says in his book Noor-ul-Huda Kalaan:

There are bodies within the body of the human beings and there are various types of these bodies. And every type has a name given to it. Because Humans' body is like a magical treasure. The puzzle of this magic of body is solved by a person of spell by virtue of the name of Allah and attains inner and hidden wealth and blessing. Those hiddedn structures are described as follows:

(I am missing the translation because of the fact that there is use of Persian language here and some jargon).

On another occasion he says:

Nine types of subtle bodies come out of Arif Billah's body. Thus, four bodies are nafs-e-ammaara, nafs-e-lawwaama, nafs-e-mulhima and nafs-e-mutmainna. Three bodies are of the heart; qalb-e-saleem, qalb-e-muneeb, qalb-e-shaheed, and two bodies of the soul; rooh-e-jamaadi, rooh-e-nabaati.

On a third occasion he says that:

From every body, thousand rather so many bodies come out and then they assemble in to one body.

So this type of numerous bodies/structures exist in the human body and after death this type of human's symbolic bodies stay behind like offspring. Other than this there is Allah Almighty's uncountable invisible creation the quantity of which is not known to any other but Allah Almighty.

Translation 74:31: And none can know the hosts of your Lord but He.

One structure, namely humzaad which is called as duplicate in English is appointed with a human from the time of his/her birth. If the spiritualists of Europe invoke such an invisible subtle structure and he/she tells of him/her-self as the body and mind of or the soul of the same soul, then because of this an aspersion cannot be made about different divine religions' specially Islam's, beliefs and ideologies and various notions regarding human soul about punishment, judgment, etc stay untainted as they are. The existence of jinns is although true and shown in Europeans' old religious beliefs and they exist with the names of genie, fairy, devil etc. But the type of invisible subtle creation spiritualists encounter in or out of their seances, they describe themselves as dead peoples' souls. And whatever right or wrong those souls tell them they believe in that. Although one hundred years ago there was not a single person in Europe who was convinced about the existence of soul after death. Now only due to the invocation of souls in the spiritual seances and frequent visual exhibitions experiments has convinced Europe of life after death and a slight glimpse about the one  true thing among many beliefs and ideologies about the religion of Islam, which is life after death, has been known. And in spite of so many observations and experiments devil has indulged them in to a new type of atheism and naturalism. As Allah Almighty has said in surah Al-Anaam (chapter 6) of the Holly Quran:

111. And even if We had sent down unto them angels, and the dead had spoken unto them, and We had gathered together all things before their very eyes, they would not have believed, unless Allah willed, but most of them behave ignorantly.

112. And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies - Shayatin (devils) among mankind and jinns, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception). If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it, so leave them alone with their fabrications. (Tafseer Qurtubi, Vol.7, Page 67)

In the verses above, how has Allah

CONTINUED

Certainty in Belief is Dependent Upon Seeing

Hazrat Faqir Noor Muhammad Sarwari
Qadri Kalachwi (RA)

This article contains translations of important excerpts from the chapter titled "Certainty in Belief is Dependent Upon Seeing", from the book "Irfan (part 2)" by Hazrat Faqir Noor Muhammad Sarwari Qadri Kalachwi (RA). This book was first published in 1942. It has two parts. Both parts also  have translations in English. The urdu version of the first volume can be read here and English version can be read here.

It is also advisable that this article be read in connection with, and preferably after reading, On Afterlife and Islamic Spirituality.

Now we come to our real topic and describe the reality of nafs (the soul, or the self). It should be made clear that Allah shows to the seekers of path verses and signs of the aafaaq (skies) and anfas (souls, selves) so much so that they clearly find the truth.

سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ 

شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ (حم 53:41)

We shall show them Our portents on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Dothnot thy Lord suffice, since He is Witness over all things?

In the verse quoted, a mention has been made about the world of aafaaq (the skies) and world of anfas (the souls), the whole universe is composed of these two worlds.

The world of Aafaaq (the skies) is also called as the world of creation, the apparent world, the witnessed world, the material world, the subtle world, the shape world, and the unreal world. And this is this world that the human being knows about and feels through his five senses.

The second world of anfas (the souls) is also called as the upper world, the inner world, the invisible world, the subtle world, the world of meaning and the real world. And this world is hidden from the apparent senses. The anfas world is real and the aafaaq world is its image. Both worlds have similar earth, sky, sun, moon, stars and all of the other things and two types of material and subtle subtle creation. In Quran-e-Pak Allah Almighty often discusses the reality of the invisible world with the subtle world and its creation. As Allah Almighty says.

الم  o ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ  o  الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ()

This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil). Who believe in the Unseen.

Normally with, يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ, it has been considered to bear faith without seeing. This can never be correct because faith and belief become firm with seeing. As there are three levels of belief: First is ilm-ul-yaqeen (knowledge of belief), ain-ul-yaqeen (vision of belief) and haq-ul-yaqeen, which mean identification, visual perception and discovery. Just like in the case of any issue or incident a man's testimony is true only if he has actually witnessed and seen the particular issue or the incident. Otherwise, without seeing the witness can be proven to be wrong. Similarly, in the case bearing testimony of oneness of Allah Almighty and on Prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad (May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon) only those virtuous and people of enlightened conscience can be true who have seen the invisible accounts and the inner/hidden issues of Allah Almighty with the eyes of their inner self. Meaning that their kalimah (word of testimony):

اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللہُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدً اعَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُوْلُهٗؕ

Translation: I bear witness that (there is) no god except Allah; One is He, no partner hath He, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Sall-Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) is His Servant and Messenger.

is correct. Just like Allah Almighty showed the angels of the earth and the skies to Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) to strengthen his faith and belief. As it has been said: 

Translation: 6:75. Thus did we show Ibrahim (Abraham) the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty.

Rather Hazrat Ibrahim kept on begging and requesting Allah Almighty for peace of heart and solidarity of certainty in faith. As it is discussed in these verses:

Translation 2:260. And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said, "My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead." He (Allah) said: "Do you not believe?" He [Ibrahim (Abraham)] said: "Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in Faith." He said: "Take four birds, then cause them to incline towards you (then slaughter them, cut them into pieces), and then put a portion of them on every hill, and call them, they will come to you in haste. And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise."

Then Allah showed the process of resurrecting the dead to Hazrat Ibrahim (AS). And if having certainty of faith without seeing had any value then why would Allah Almighty have increased Hazrat Ibrahim's faith by showing him the angels of the earth and the skies? And why would Hazrat Ibrahim have requested to see the resurrection of the dead?  So belief and faith and the certainty therein is dependent on seeing and reciting the kalimah of testimony without seeing is not correct at all. And such is the testimony of hypocrites. As we have described in the previous verses:

Translation 63:1. When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad ), they say: "We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah." Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed.

So the issue of faith is all about the invisible. As it has been described in the conditions of faith (The detailed declaration of faith): 

I have faith in Allah and His Angels, His Books and His Messengers, and the Day of Judgment and that all good and evil and fate is from Allah and it is sure that there will be resurrection after death. 

And all of these are invisible things. And till the time a believer cannot see these hidden secret things his having faith in the invisible world is word of testimony is not at all correct and right. The starry eyed hypocrites who are blind since ever from this invisible real world, their formality driven and conceited faith is not equal to a piece of straw in value near God. Rather like hypocrites their verbal word is not becomes a cause and reason for their curse and doomed faith. The saying of Allah in this regard is:

Translation 17:72. And whoever is blind in this world (i.e., does not see Allah's Signs and believes not in Him), will be blind in the Hereafter, and more astray from the Path. 

The description about Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) that has been given of another occasion in Quran-e-Hakeem  that he after seeing the stars, moon and the sun after one another that this is my God. The real detail and description and explanation of these verses is extremely important. Allah says:

Translation 6:76: When the night covered him over with darkness he saw a star. He said: "This is my lord." But when it set, he said: "I like not those that set."

And when he saw the moon while it was shining, he said this is my lord. But when that set he got fed up of that too. And when he saw sun he considered it as his lord and god. But when that also set he showed annoyance with that too. Ultimately after seeing the actual noor (light) of God he said:

Translation 6:79. Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism, i.e. worshipping none but Allah Alone) and I am not of Al-Mushrikun (see V.2:105)".

So all the universe is composed of Aalam-e-Aafaaq (the visible world) and the aalam-e-anfas (the invisible world. Just like the visible world has material stars, moon and the sun, the invisible world also has subtle stars, moon(s) and sun(s). When the disciple achieves levels of discipleship in his inner self he has to pass through many inner places, levels and circumstances. And different enlightenments are bestowed upon him. Thus the enlightenment of nafs (the self) on the level (place) of naasoot appears in the form of star due to lights of the deeds. On some disciples when this type of light appears then he considers it as the light of Allah.But after some while when the disciple progresses and moves ahead from this level then this light disappears and dims. At this stage the disciple understands that this passing and dimming light is temporary and Allah's light (noor, actually the urdu word tajjalli is used here) is ahead which is eternal and perpetual. After this the tajjali-e-qalb (light of heart?) appears on the disciple on the level of malakoot (angels?) due to lights (anwaar) of names (asmaa) in the form of moon. Because this light is slightly brighter than than the previous light, due to this the disciple starts considering it as the the light of Allah Almighty. But after a while this light also disappears and the disciple understands that this could also not be the light of Allah Almighty. When the disciple progresses further then the light appears in the level of jabaroot due to anwaar-e-sifaat (lights of characteristics, traits, qualities) in the form of sun and the disciple (the actual word in Urdu saalik is used here and I do not know the real translation of the word in English) thinks that this electrifying and clear light is that of Allah Almighty. But when in the accomplished levels this light disappears, he abandons it by saying "I like not those that set." (verse 76:6). After this in the level of Laahoot the actual light of Allah Almighty appears on the disciple which does not dim or disappear in any way. At this stage the disciple knows that this is the actual, real and personal light of Allah Almighty. At this stage, like Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), by becoming appointed on the level of real unity of and by attaining close proximity of Allah Almighty he proclaims: 

Translation 6:79. Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism, i.e. worshipping none but Allah Alone) and I am not of Al-Mushrikun (see V.2:105)".

Meaning that I have turned my attention completely towards the personal light of Allah Almighty and I have become a complete knower by ridding myself off from all polytheism except the lights (anwaar) deeds, names and traits.

NOTE: Another relevant topic to this is that of the psychospiritual organs.