MAN'S PERFECTION (II)

Shaikh-ul-islâm Hirawî Abdullah Ansârî^[3]states, “Intuition attained by a person with ma’rifats is to see whether a person is sâlih, (pious, obedient to Islam) or fâsiq (sinful, wrongdoing) at first sight. Intuition possessed by people who subject themselves to hunger and other methods of mortification is to see where (secret) things are and to inform about, (say), lost property. People in the latter category inform about (things pertaining to) creatures. For they are unaware of Allâhu ta’âlâ. People of Ma’ârif, on the other hand, recognizing the pieces of information, the hâls and ma’rifats coming to their hearts from Allâhu ta’âlâ, always inform about (facts inspired by) Allâhu ta’âlâ. People are mostly oblivious of Allâhu ta’âlâ and their hearts are occupied by worldly thoughts; consequently, they wish to know about material beings, to find out about unknown things. They look on people who inform about these things as Ahl-ullah, as Awliyâ, as people loved by Allâhu ta’âlâ. They do not attach any importance to the kashfs of the people of haqîqat, of the Awliyâ. They do not believe in the information these people convey from Allâhu ta’âlâ. They say, ‘If these people were men of Allah (Ahlullah), they would know and inform about facts about creatures. How can a person who is unaware of facts about creatures know about things of higher level, how can he be an ârif of Allâhu ta’âlâ?’ As a result of this wrong reasoning they deny the Ahlullah and reject the Awliyâ. Because Allâhu ta’âlâ loves His Awliyâ very much, He does not want them to waste their time on creatures, to think of anyone except Him. If they had busied themselves with states of creatures they would not have reached grades of Wilâyat. As those people who busy themselves with states of creatures will be deprived of ma’rifats pertaining to Allâhu ta’âlâ, the Ahlullah do not think of states pertaining to creatures. If the Ahlullah concentrated their attention on states about creatures, they would understand these states better than the others. Because Allâhu ta’âlâ does not care about the firâsat (intuition, insight) which some people attain by polishing the mirror of their nafs by way of mortifications, this firâsat happens on Jews and Christians, [on Shiites and Wahhâbîs] as well as on Muslims. That is, this firâsat is not peculiar to the Ahlullah (men of Allah, people loved by Allah).”

[3] Abdullah Ansârî passed away in Hirât in 481 [A.D. 1088].