The Result of Spirituality: Beholding God and What This Requires
Beholding God is the pinnacle of spiritual attainment, characterized by a profound and continuous awareness of His presence. Achieving this state involves a combination of inner devotion, righteous actions, and sincere adherence to divine guidance. Sidi Ahmed Zarruq outlines seven essential elements that one must cultivate to truly behold God in all aspects of life.
Annihilation (Fana)
An important concept in the realm of spirituality is annihilation, or fana. This refers to the state of beholding God to such an extent that one no longer beholds creation. It is the total absorption in the divine presence, where the distractions of the material world fade away, and the soul is deeply immersed in the awareness of God.
Beholding God
Beholding God involves attaining a higher consciousness of Him that surpasses base consciousness. It means realizing that every marvel of creation is a manifestation of God’s creative power, and this realization has a profound internal effect. One becomes more conscious of God than of their own self, recognizing that the Creator precedes everything He has created.
To facilitate this awareness, believers may invoke the supplication (dua):
Arabic
اللهم أرنا الأشياء كما هي
This translates to, ‘Oh God, show us things as they actually are.’
This dua is stated in one of commentaries of the early scholars:
And among the supplications of those who came before us is: O God, show us the truth as truth and inspire us to follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and inspire us to avoid it. (Ibn Shaheen, Sharh Madhahib Ahl al-Sunnah)
The meaning of the supplication points to seeking true vision and an understanding of the divine reality behind all existence.
Prerequisite of Fulfilling an Inner Reality
To fulfill an inner spiritual reality, one must do more than merely make a claim. The requirement is to meet the conditions that substantiate both the claim and the reality itself. It involves sincere striving, adherence to divine guidance, and the cultivation of qualities like taqwa (God consciousness) and istiqama (uprightness). This ensures that the inner spiritual state is not just a facade but a genuine reflection of one’s deep connection with the divine.
Elements Required for Beholding God
The Shadhili master Sidi Ahmed Zarruq stated 7 elements in order for the seeker to behold God:
- Leave procrastination.
- Embrace neediness and uprightness (istiqama).
- Adopt slavehood.
- Realization of God-consciousness (taqwa) with scrupulousness (wara’).
- Following Divine Guidance (shar’a).
- Cutting attachments.
- Lifting resolve from mere creation thereby attaching the heart to God.
First, to behold God, one must first leave procrastination behind. If something is known to be pleasing to God, it should be done immediately. The principle here is that one who loves hastens to do what is pleasing to the one they love. Delaying acts of devotion or righteousness is contrary to the eagerness that characterizes true love and submission to God.
Second, embracing the reality of one’s desperate need for Allah (DNA) is crucial. Recognizing that we are in constant need of God keeps us grounded and sincere in our spiritual pursuits. This sense of neediness must be coupled with uprightness, adhering to a path of integrity and moral rectitude.
Third, adopting the attitude of slavehood is essential. The Prophet Muhammad exemplified this by living as a humble servant of God, in how he sat, ate, and spoke. Embracing our status as God’s slaves is both our poverty and our wealth, for it places us in a position of total reliance on Him and immense spiritual richness.
Fourth, realizing taqwa, or God-consciousness, necessitates scrupulousness (wara’). This means taking care to perform actions correctly and rightly, always seeking to please God. Such scrupulousness demonstrates sincerity and dedication to God’s will.
Fifth, following divine guidance in all aspects of life is imperative. One must learn and stay within the limits set by God’s law (shar’a) and hasten to repent if they fall short. This adherence ensures that one’s actions remain aligned with divine expectations.
Sixth, cutting attachments to anything other than God is also a key element. A believer should strive not to be attached to worldly matters more than to God, lifting their resolve from mere creation to attach their heart to Allah. This ensures that one’s ultimate focus and devotion are centered on God alone.
Lastly, everything other than God should be regarded as a means, not an end. The substance and debris of this life should not be seen as the ultimate purpose. Instead, they should be used as tools to achieve spiritual goals, keeping one’s heart and intentions directed toward God.