Inayat Khan The Way of Illumination NEW

THE WAY
OF ILLUMINATION
(A GUIDE-BOOK TO THE SUFI MOVEMENT)
BEING COMPILED MAINLY FROM

THE WRITINGS OF
INAYAT KHAN
PUBLISHED BY
THE SUFI MOVEMENT
All rights reserved
Second Edition
Made and Printed in Great Britain by

The Camelot Press Limited,
Southampton.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
PART I.
GENERAL INFORMATION 9
PART II.
THE PRINCIPAL SUFI THOUGHTS 23
PART III.
SOME TOPICS PRESENTED IN SUFIC TERMS 59
PART IV.
INITIATION INTO THE SUFI ORDER I03
PART I.
GENERAL INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION.
ETYMOLOGY.
The word “Sufi." Although, some scholars
assert that this word is derived from a Persian
word meaning “wool," to denote that Sufis wear
woollen garments, it is considered in the Sufi
Movement that, while possibly there may be
connection with the Arabic “saf" meaning “pure"
(i.e. pure from differences and distinctions), the
word more probably has relationship with the
Greek word “sophia” (wisdom), so that the word
“Sufism” may convey the idea of “that state in
which there is pursuit of divine wisdom."
HISTORY
The European historian of Sufism sometimes
traces its history by noticing the actual occurrence
of the word in literature, and Therefore, refers
only to those schools of thought which have
definitely wished to be known by this name. Some
scholars find the origin of its philosophy in the
teaching of Mohammed, some trace the marked
influence upon the Sufi writers of the Neo-
platonists, some refer back to Zarathusthra, or
Abraham, or the schools of Egypt.
12 THE WAY OF ILLUMINATION
In the view of the Sufi, however, every age of

the world carries with it the presence of awakened
souls, so that wisdom cannot rightly be limited to
one particular period or place. Hence it is
impossible to assign a date to the origin of Sufism
Sufism is to be understood as conterminous with
the true wisdom of all times. That which the
illuminated souls of all times have uttered,
whatever faith they exhibited, whatever language
they used, it has always been Sufism; for the
wisdom underlying all different faiths is that
which unites them all, despite their external
difference of aspect.
THE HISTORY OF THE SUFI MOVEMENT

It is true that a point in history can be found at
which the words, Sufi Movement first began to be
used. The words simply describe a group of
persons who have come together because their
thoughts and points of view are alike, and if the
group of persons gave themselves no name, others
would soon find one for them!
The Sufi Movement may Therefore, be
considered as the name of a group of people who
are in sympathy with putting the truth before the
world as Sufi thoughts, and take an interest in
spreading these thoughts.
This Movement was first introduced into the
West by Inayat Khan, who came from India in
1910 bringing the Sufi message. His
understanding of life is and has been one and the
same with that of the great Sufis of history, and yet

they originated other schools in the East. His
expression of the wisdom differs only to suit the
environment which it is his aim to reach. The same
herb, planted in various atmospheric conditions,
will vary in form accordingly, while retaining its
essential characteristics. Hence, in spite of our
having been born in different regions of the earth,
and having had different religions, customs, and
manners, and different ideals in life, we can in the
Sufi. Movement all unite in the thought of Truth,
beyond the narrow boundaries of caste, creed,
nation, or religion.
Now, a philosophy can be studied
academically, and it can be studied as a religion.
But it cannot be realised as a religion without
making or adopting it as such. Therefore, the
purely academic student cannot enter into the
heart-sympathy which alone enables a true
judgment. To reach the latter, one must come into
personal touch with such a Movement, and
become a sincere pupil.
During his travels throughout the Western
world, Inayat Khan has spread his philosophy
before all sorts of people and amid all conditions,
beginning in the United States, and then
proceeding through France and Russia,
establishing the work in England, until—up to the
present— it has entered and reached Belgium,
Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and
Scandinavia.
WHAT IS “A SUFI? ”
Strictly speaking, every seeker after the
ultimate truth is really a Sufi, whether he calls
himself that or not. Necessarily he seeks Truth
according to his own particular point of view, and
hence may find it difficult to believe that others,
from their different points of view, are yet seeking
the same Truth, and always with success, though
to a varying degree.
The Sufi Movement has a point of view which
differs from others only in its constant endeavour
to comprehend all others as within itself. It seeks
to appreciate as true that every person, following
his own particular line in life, nevertheless fits into
the scheme of the Whole and finally attains not
only his own goal, but the one final Goal of all.
Hence every person, though obviously not a
member of the Sufi Movement, is a Sufi either as
long as he is seeking to understand Life, or as soon
as he is willing to believe that every other human
being will also find and touch the same Ideal.
When a person opposes or hinders the expression
of a great Ideal, and is unwilling to believe that he
will meet the others as soon as he has penetrated
deeply enough into the depth of every soul, he is
preventing himself from realising the Unlimited.
All beliefs are simply degrees of clearness of
vision. All are part of one ocean of Truth. The more
this is realised, the easier is it to see the true
relationship between all beliefs, and the wider

does the range of vision of the one great Ocean
become.
Limitations and boundaries are inevitable in
human life; forms and conventions are natural
and necessary; but they none the less separate
humanity. It is the wise who can meet one another
beyond these boundaries. The Sufi Movement is a
limitation only in a certain direction. Without
such limitation it cannot act as a corporate body;
it could not utter its voice. It is corporate only for
that purpose. It is, in a sense, merely a bureau in
which certain work centres.
THE CHARACTER AND WORK OF THE SUFI

MOVEMENT.
The character is expressed by the work.
Therefore, a proper understanding of the Sufi
Movement is most easily obtained by considering
its work. This work is two-fold. There is the inner
work, the teaching of pupils who sincerely desire
this particular instruction; and there is the outer
work, or propaganda. In ordinary business life,
there is the work of the business itself, and there
is the advertising by means of which more and
more people become aware of its work, and
acquainted with its value.
The inner work of the Movement. This may be
considered in two aspects. First there is the work
of teaching pupils, and second there is the work
carried on by each pupil within himself. The
teacher is he who brought the Movement into

Europe and there are some who are authorised to
assist in the work of teaching. Some pupils are in
personal touch, others are in touch by conforming
with instructions though personally absent, and
by reading and meditating upon oral teachings
which are written, and which form a course of
study.
It may be supposed that a perusal or even a
study of Sufi books would provide the necessary
means of learning what the Sufi Movement has to
teach. But such is not sufficient. In this respect the
study is quite different from studies made in
schools and business houses. Their knowledge is
external, about external things. The Sufi seeks
understanding of things internal; the outward
teaching is to guide him to such understanding.
This makes it essential for a pupil to submit
himself unreservedly and trustfully to a teacher,
and he can only do this comfortably by being
satisfied that the teacher has long trodden this
particular path himself and is well able to guide
others along their path.
For this reason, the study of books is relegated
to the background. As will be seen in Part II, the
Sufi's textbook is Nature itself, and not a book in
handwriting. His progress is not in terms of the
knowledge commonly called such, but in terms of
appreciated experience in his own life.
The Mureed follows the path of meditation, the

Murshid only hands him the torch by which to
observe what he meets on his path and to guide
him to the goal.
The kind of written teaching can be seen from
the extracts given in Part III, and in the various
Sufi books published. Those who wish to orient
themselves intellectually about the Sufic
viewpoint can do so in this way, but the real
insight into the philosophy is only achieved by
pupils who are willing to study everything they see
through this telescope (as it were) and do not wish
to waste time in scrutinising the outside of the
instrument, taking it to pieces and so forth.
The question may be raised, but is not this
teaching “in secret?” This implies that secrecy is
objectionable. The answer, however, is quite easy.
A certain secrecy is necessary in that some of the
Sufi conceptions may easily be misunderstood and
misused, were they exposed to the general public.
The earnest pupil will not speak of them without
due consideration of his audience. The further
point is that when a teacher is not absolutely
dependent on his pupils, he will prefer to select his
pupils. If a person wished to go to the very best
master for violin, he would seek out a virtuoso of
fame; the latter might not care to spend time upon
him; he would if he were sure the pupil would
faithfully do all he was asked to do, and attain to
something like the standard of the virtuoso
himself. Whatever instruction he gives this pupil
is naturally “secret "; it is a personal matter; the

pupil may hand it on to his own pupils later, but
he does not have it printed and circulated
indiscriminately. The “secrecy” is no more than
this.
As Inayat Khan has said, “I do not teach you to
take up a particular Scripture alone as the sacred
book; I do not give you any particular principles,
that you should subject your life to them; I do not
encourage in you the desire for seeking after
wonders, though I tell you that in the spiritual
pursuit, as your sight will be keen, so the whole life
will become a wonder. I do not want you to revere
me, or to consider me wonderful, good or great,
and to raise me so high that someday you may
have to throw me down from that height. I desire
you to consider me friend, brother, comrade, one
who rejoices in your joy and sorrows in your
sorrow. I do not ask you to pray in a particular
house of the Lord; I do not force upon you any
rituals, forms or dogmas."
The second part of the inner work of the
Movement is that which concerns each individual
member or pupil. His object is to become endowed
with the capacity for being himself a teacher.
However sincere his desire might be to serve
humanity, and “leave the world better than he
finds it," it should be clear that the surest mode of
achieving this lies in the improvement of himself.
He must first create peace in himself who desires
to see peace in the world at large. The most
arduous labours in others' service bring little real

result without first the possession of that peace
within which one desires to see without.
The true peace comes from a knowledge of the
self, and from an understanding of the whole law
of creation. The distinction between the false self
(the ego) and the true Self is gradually perceived
inwardly, practically rather than merely
theoretically. He who holds the reins of self in his
hand has the mastery of his own life.
The ideal of the Sufi, which he holds constantly
in his mind, is describable by the words: “Union,"
"At-one-ment," "Self-realisation," "Salvation,"
"the attainment of Unity." The exact meaning of
such terms varies with each one's discernment. As
there are degrees of understanding, so there are
degrees of ideal. Every person has an ideal of this
kind, consciously or unconsciously; it is only the
degree that varies. This subject is dealt with in
several of the Movement's publications, and
perhaps most fully in “In an Eastern Rose-
Garden," pp. 329 to 342.
THE EXTERNAL WORK OF THE SUFI MOVEMENT.

A person may become connected with the Sufi
Movement without any definite comprehension of
its nature, and nevertheless help in its outward
work, and afterwards come to an understanding of
its significance. Or, he may begin by studying
Sufism, discover the great gain which it proves in

his life, and consequently develop a desire of
sharing in and helping on its outward work.
Perhaps it is not too much to say that Pir-o-
Murshid Inayat Khan's primary object in coming
to the West is to deliver the Sufi message, and that
the instruction of pupils is secondary. At the same
time, it is true that organisation, helpers, and
agents are all necessary for his first object. All
these things together produce what is called the
Sufi Movement.
This is not the only movement of the kind in
existence. Obviously, other groups of people are
seeking to realise and spread among others the
knowledge of unity, the religion of love and
wisdom, the removal of the variety of beliefs and
faiths, the inflow of love, to overflowing, in the
human heart, and the rooting out of all the hatred
produced by distinctions and differences. The Sufi
welcomes all these workers, seeing them to be
fellow-workers; he wishes to avoid all opposition
or hindrance to their work. It is not necessary that
every person should belong to one and the same
organisation; rather is it desirable that each shall
use his talents according to the direction and
organisation which suits him best.
To the question, “why belong to the Sufi
Movement and not to some order of free-masonry,
or a Christian Order, or other brotherhood? “The
answer may be given: that each should belong to
that which is most suitable. If he is content with
his own, that is the reason for adhering to it; if not,

he may seek one with which he can be content. If
the Sufi Movement is such, he will ascertain this
to be the case after noting the contents of this
Guide-book. At all times, he must remember that
the Sufi Movement is not a religious sect; it is an
organisation concerned with the output of a
knowledge of Sufi, philosophy.
Remembering that it is very difficult to give a
correct statement about a work or a system,
because it is always necessary to view all aspects
of a case before judging upon it, or describing it, it
will be reasonable to advise persons interested to
withhold judgment till they have thought over the
topics referred to in the remaining Parts of this
Guide-book.
PART II*
THE PRINCIPAL SUFI THOUGHTS.

THE PRINCIPAL SUFI THOUGHTS
There are ten principal Sufi thoughts, which

comprise all the important subjects with which the
inner life of man is concerned. In the following
exposition of these thoughts, each subject is
divided into three parts: the formal statement of
the thought; a brief explanation or expansion of
the statement; replies to such questions as may
arise out of the subject-matter.
I.
"There is One God, the Eternal, the Only
Being; none exists save He."
The God of the Sufi is the God of every creed,
and the God of all. Names make no difference to
him—Allah, God, Gott, Dieu, Khurda, Brahma, or
Bhagwan. All these names and more are the
names of his God, and yet to him God is beyond
the limitation of name. He sees his God in the sun,
in the fire, in the idol which diverse sects worship,
and he recognises Him in all forms of the universe,
yet knowing Him to be beyond all form. God in all,
and all in God, He being the Seen and the Unseen,
the Only Being. God, to the Sufi, is not only a
religious belief, but also the highest ideal the

human mind can conceive.
The Sufi, forgetting the self, and aiming at the
attainment of the Divine Ideal, walks constantly
all through life in the path of love and light. In God
the Sufi sees the perfection of all that is in the
reach of man's perception, and yet knows Him to
be above human reach. He looks to Him as the
lover to his beloved, and takes all things in life as
coming from Him, with perfect resignation. The
sacred Name of God is to him as medicine to the
patient; the divine thought is the compass by
which he steers the ship to the shores of
immortality.
The God Ideal is to a Sufi as a lift by which he
raises himself to the eternal goal, the attainment
of which is the only purpose of his life.
II.
“There is One Master, the Guiding Spirit of all
Souls, Who constantly leads His followers
towards the light."
The Sufi understands that, although God is the
source of all knowledge, inspiration, and
guidance, yet man is the medium through whom
God chooses to impart His knowledge to the
world. He imparts it through one who is a man in
the eyes of the world, but God in his
consciousness. It is the mature soul that draws
blessings from the Heavens, and God speaks

through that soul.
Although the tongue of God is busy speaking
through all things, yet in order to speak to the deaf
ears of many among us, it is necessary for Him to
speak through the lips of man. He has done this all
through the history of man, every great teacher of
the past having been this Guiding Spirit living the
life of God in human guise. In other words, their
human guises are the various coats worn by the
same person, who appeared to be different in
each. Shiva, Buddha, Rama, Krishna on the one
side, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mahommed on the
other; and many more, known or unknown to
history—always one and the same person.
Those who saw the person and knew Him
recognised Him in whatever form or guise; those
who could only see the coat, went astray, To the
Sufi, Therefore,, there is only one teacher,
however differently he be named at different
periods of history, and He comes constantly to
awaken humanity from the slumber of this life of
illusion, and to guide man onwards towards divine
perfection. As the Sufi, progresses in this view, he
recognises his Master, not only in the Holy Ones,
but in the wise, in the foolish, in the saint and in
the sinner, and has never allowed the Master Who
is One alone, and the only One Who can be and
Who ever will be, to disappear from his sight.
The Persian word for Master is Murshid. The
Sufi recognises the Murshid in all beings of the
world, and is ready to learn from young and old,

educated and uneducated, rich and poor, without
questioning from whom he learns. Then he begins
to see the light of “Risalat," the torch of truth
which shines before him in every being and thing
in the universe. Thus he sees “Rasul," his Divine
Message Bearer, a living identity before him.
Thus, the Sufi sees the vision of God, the
worshipped Deity in His immanence, manifest in
nature, and life now becomes for him a perfect
revelation both within and without.
It is often for no other reason than clinging to
the personality of their particular teacher,
claiming for him superiority over other teachers,
and degrading the teacher held in the same esteem
by others, that people have separated themselves
from one another, and caused all the wars and
factions and contentions which history records
among the children of God.
“The Spirit of Guidance." A further
explanation of this phrase is as follows: As in man
there is a faculty for art, music, poetry, and
science, so in him is the faculty or spirit of
guidance; it is better to call it “spirit” because it is
the supreme faculty from which all the others
originate. As we see that in every person there is
some artistic faculty, but not everyone is an artist,
as everyone can hum a tune but only one in a
thousand is a musician, so every person possesses
this faculty in some form and to a limited degree,
but the spirit of guidance is found among few

indeed of the human race.
A Sanskrit poet says, “Jewels are stones, but
cannot be found everywhere; the Sandal tree is a
tree, but does not grow in every forest; as there are
many elephants, but only one king elephant, so
there are human beings all over the world, but the
real human being is rarely to be found."
When we arise above faculty and consider the
spirit of guidance, we shall find that it is
consummated in the Bodhisatva, the spiritual
Teacher or Divine Messenger. There is a saying
that the Reformer is the child of civilisation, but
the Prophet is its father. This spirit has always
existed, and must always exist; and in this way
from time to time the message of God has been
given.
QUESTIONS RELEVANT TO THIS SECTION.
(a) What is the Sufi's belief regarding the

coming of a world teacher, or, as some speak of it,
the Second Coming of Christ? The Sufi, is free
from beliefs and disbeliefs, and yet gives every
liberty to people to have their own opinion. There
is no doubt that if an individual or a multitude
believe that a teacher or a reformer will come, he
will surely come to them. Similarly, in the case of
those who do not believe that any teacher or

reformer will come, to them he will not come.
To those who expect the teacher to be a man, a
man will bring the message, to those who expect
the teacher to be a woman, a woman must deliver
it. To those who call on God, God comes. To those
who knock at the door of Satan, Satan answers.
There is an answer to every call.
To a Sufi the teacher is never absent, whether
he comes in one form or a thousand forms. He is
always one to him, and the same One he
recognises to be in all, and all teachers he sees in
his one teacher alone. For a Sufi, the self within,
the self without, the kingdom of the earth, the
kingdom of heaven—the whole being is his
teacher, and his every moment is engaged in
acquiring knowledge. For some, the teacher has
already come and gone, for others the teacher may
still come, but for a Sufi the teacher has always
been and will remain with him forever.
(b) What is the position of the Sufi with regard
to Christ? The question asked by Jesus himself,
“What think ye of Christ?” itself provides the
answer. The emphasis is on the “ye." There are as
many thoughts of him as there are people who
express them. The Sufi does not limit himself by
expressing them.. Christ is the name of his Ideal,
though in the Persian the same Ideal is named
Rasul. All that centres in Rasul centres in Christ;
the two conceptions are one. All the names and
functions which have been placed upon the
conception of Christ—Prophet, Priest, King,

Saviour, Bridegroom, Beloved—all these are
understood by the Sufi. By constant meditation he
realises all these aspects of the One, and, beyond
that—Allah or God!
III.
“There is one holy book, the sacred
manuscript of nature, the only scripture which
can enlighten the reader."
The belief is almost universal in the West that
the sacred books are certain books or scrolls
written by the hand of man, and carefully
preserved as holy, to be handed down to posterity
as divine revelation. Men have fought and
disputed over the authenticity of these books, have
refused to accept any other book of similar
character, and, clinging thus to the book and
losing the sense of it, have formed diverse sects.
The Sufi, has in all ages respected all such books,
and has traced in the Vedanta, Zendavasta,
Kabala, Bible, Koran, and all other sacred
scriptures, the same truth which he reads in the
incorruptible manuscript of nature, the only holy
book, the perfect and living model that teaches the
inner law of life; all scriptures before nature's
manuscript are as little pools of water before the
ocean.
To the eye of the seer every leaf of the tree is a

page of the holy book that contains Divine
Revelation, and he is inspired every moment of his
life by constantly reading and understanding the
holy script of Nature.
When man writes, he inscribes characters
upon rock, leaf, paper, wood, steel; when God
writes, the characters He writes are living
creatures!
It is when the eye of the soul is opened and the
sight is keen that the Sufi can read the divine law
in the manuscript of nature, and that which the
teachers of humanity have taught to their
followers was derived by them from the same
source; they expressed what little it is possible to
express in words, and so they preserved the inner
truth when they themselves were no longer there
to reveal it.
IV.
“There is one religion, the unswerving
progress in the right direction toward the ideal,
which fulfils the life's purpose of every soul."
What is meant by the word “religion "? In the
Sanskrit language, religion is termed “Dharma,"
which means “duty." The duty of every individual
is religion. “Every soul is born for a certain
purpose, and the light of that purpose is kindled in
his soul” (Sadi). This explains why the Sufi with
tolerance allows everyone to pursue his own path,
and does not compare the principles of others with

his own, but allows freedom of thought to
everyone, since he himself is a freethinker.
Religion, to the understanding of the Sufi, is
the path that leads man toward the attainment of
his ideal, worldly as well as heavenly. Sin and
virtue, right and wrong, good and bad are not the
same in the case of every individual; they are
according to his grade of evolution and state of
life. Therefore, he concerns himself little with the
name of the religion or the place of worship. All
places are sacred enough for his worship, and all
religions convey to him the religion of his soul. “I
saw Thee in the sacred Kaba and in the temple of
the idol also Thee I saw."
Some of the questions which arise under this
heading are:
(a) Is Sufism a religion? It should be clear from

the above explanation that the religion of the Sufi
is not separate from the religions of the world.
People have fought in vain about the names and
lives of their saviours, and have named their
religions after the name of their saviour, instead of
uniting with each other in the truth that is taught.
This truth can be traced in all religions, whether
one community call another pagan or infidel or
heathen. Such persons claim that theirs is the only
scripture, and their place of worship the only
abode of God. “Sufism” is a name applied to a
certain philosophy by those who do not accept the
philosophy; hence it can not really be described as

a religion; it contains a religion but is not itself a
religion. Sufism is a religion if one wishes to learn
religion from it. But it is beyond religion, for it is
the light, the sustenance of every soul, raising the
mortal being to immortality.
As matters stand to-day, each one claims his
own religion to be the best, and he has his own
religion. The Sufi tolerates all, and considers them
all his; he is Therefore, not of a religion but all
religions belong to him. He can see all the
religions like so many forms in a school: some are
in one, others are in higher forms, —that is, some
study life more deeply. And in each class in the
school there are pupils who like to play.
To say, “you are not of my religion; my religion
alone is true," is as reasonable as to say, “you are
not a lawyer, a merchant, a scholar; your way of
carrying on life is false; you must become as I."
To say “all who are in my religion are saved” is
as reasonable as to say “every lawyer, merchant,
scholar (as the case may be) is earnest, and
performs his work perfectly." Some speak of
“nominal Christians, and true Christians "; this is
only another way of saying that some persons are
earnest about their work and others play.
(b) Is Sufism a belief? What do we mean by the

word “belief "? It is the nature of mind to believe,
and disbelief comes after. No unbeliever was born
an unbeliever; for if a soul from childhood should
disbelieve, he would never learn to speak. All

knowledge that man possesses, he has acquired by
belief. When he strengthens his belief by
knowledge, then comes disbelief in things that his
knowledge cannot cope with, and in things that his
reason cannot justify. He then disbelieves things
that he once believed in. An unbeliever is one who
has changed his belief to disbelief; disbelief often
darkens the soul, but sometimes it illuminates it.
There is a Persian saying, “Until belief has
changed to disbelief, and, again, the disbelief into
a belief, a man does not become a real
Mussulman." But when disbelief becomes a wall
and stands against the further penetration of mind
into life, then it darkens the soul, for there is no
chance of further progress, and man's pride and
satisfaction in what he knows limits the scope of
his vision.
A constant “Why” arises in the minds of the
intelligent, and when this “Why” is answered by
life to man's satisfaction, he goes on further and
further, penetrating through all different planes of
life; but when this “Why" does not get a
satisfactory answer from life, then doubt, dismay,
and dissatisfaction arise and result in confusion,
puzzle, and despair. Sometimes belief proves to be
worse than disbelief. This is when a person, set in
his belief, hinders his own progress, not allowing
his mind to go further in the research of life,
refusing guidance and advice from another, in
order that he may preserve his own belief. Thus a
belief, which is preserved as a virtue, becomes the

greatest sin. Both belief and disbelief, by practice,
in time become natural tendencies; the person
who is inclined to believe gets into a habit of
believing all things and everything, and an
unbeliever in time comes to disbelieve everything
whether right or wrong. The optimistic
temperament is the temperament of the believer,
and pessimism is as a rule the nature of the
unbeliever. The prophets have always promised a
reward for the believer, and have threatened the
unbeliever with punishment, because the chance
for spiritual enlightenment was only in the life of
the believer, for the unbeliever covers his soul by
his own disbelief.
Sufis are inclined to recognise four stages of
belief:
1. Iman Muhmil, when one believes in a thing
which others believe in, but no matter how strong
his belief may be, when those in his surroundings
change their belief, he will likewise change his.
2. Iman Kamil, the next stage of belief, is the
belief of the idealist who has faith in his scripture
and Saviour. He believes because it is written in
the scripture, or taught by the Saviour. His belief,
of course, will not change with the weather, but
still it may waver, if by any means reason were
awakened in his soul. At least it would be dimmed
just as the light of a candle would become dimmed
by the rising sun. When the sun of the intelligence
rises, it would break through and scatter the

clouds of emotion and devotion made by this
belief.
3. Hakul Iman, the third stage of belief, when
man believes because his reason allows him to
believe; such a man is journeying through life with
a torch in his hand. His belief is based on reason,
and cannot be broken except by a still greater
reason, for it is the diamond that alone can cut the
diamond, and reason alone can break reason.
4. Ainul Iman, the fourth stage of belief, is a
belief of conviction; not only reason, but every
part of one's being is convinced and assured of the
truth of things, and nothing on earth can change
it. If a person were to say to him, do not cross over
this place, there is water here, he will say, “No, it
is land, I can see for myself." It is just like seeing
with the eyes all that one believes. This belief is the
belief of the seer whose knowledge is his eye
witness, and Therefore, his belief will last for ever
and ever. Of course, as a soul evolves from stage to
stage, it must break the former belief in order to
establish the later, and this breaking of the belief
is called by Sufis "Tark," which means
abandonment, the abandoning of the worldly
ideal, the abandonment of the heavenly ideal, the
abandoning of the Divine ideal, and even the
abandoning of abandonment. This brings the seer
to the shores of the ultimate truth.
"Truth is that which cannot be fully spoken,

and that which can be spoken is not necessarily
the truth."
(c) Is Sufism Moslem? Is a Sufi a
Mohammedan? In joining a Sufi community is
one associating with Muslims? Is a Sufi a follower
of Islam?
The word “Islam” means “peace "; this is the
Arabic word; the Hebrew word is “Salem” (Jeru-
salem). Peace and its attainment in all directions
is the goal of the world.
But if the following of Islam is understood to
mean “the obligatory adherence to a certain rite ";
if being a Mohammedan means “conforming to
certain restrictions," how can the Sufi be placed in
that category, seeing that the Sufi is beyond all
limitations of this kind? So far from not accepting
the Koran, the Sufi recognises scriptures which
others disregard. But the Sufi does not follow any
special book. The shining ones, such as Attar,
Shams Tabriz, Rumi, Sa'adi, and Hafiz, have
expressed their free thought with a complete
liberty of language. To a Sufi, revelation is the
inherent property of every soul. There is an
unceasing flow of the divine stream, which has
neither beginning nor end.
(d) What is the position of Sufism with regard
to Christianity? There is a place in the Sufi
understanding for all the teachings contained in
that Faith, and there can be no antagonism in the
mind of him who understands. The writings of the
Christian mystics evidence the intensity of their

pursuit and devotion to the Beloved, — and there
is only one Beloved. The Devotion to the Sacred
Heart will be found to be a link with the Sufi
philosophy, which recognises and practises it in
the truest sense.
(e) Is Sufism mysticism? As green is
considered to be the colour of Ireland, yet it
cannot be said to belong exclusively to the Irish
people, for anybody can wear green, and green is
found all over the world; so mystics in Islam have
been called Sufis, but Sufism, Divine Wisdom, is
for all, and is not limited to a certain people. It has
existed from the first day of creation, and will
continue to spread and to exist unto the end of the
world. Sufism is a mysticism if one wishes to be
guided by it in the unfoldment of the soul. Yet it is
beyond mysticism.
(f) Is Sufism theosophy? Sufis have no set
belief or disbelief. Divine Light is the only
sustenance of their soul, and through this light
they see their path clear, and what they see in this
light they believe, and what they do not see they
do not blindly believe. Yet they do not interfere
with another person's belief or disbelief, thinking
that perhaps a greater portion of light has kindled
his heart, and so he sees and believes what we
cannot see or believe. Or, perhaps a lesser portion
of light has kept his sight dim and he cannot see
and believe as we believe. Therefore, Sufis leave
the belief and disbelief to the grade of evolution of
every individual soul. The Murshid's work is to

kindle the fire of the heart, and to light the torch
of the soul of his Mureed, and to let the Mureed
believe and disbelieve as he chooses, while
journeying through the path of evolution. But in
the end all culminates in one belief, “Humaman-
am," that is, “I am all that exists,” all other beliefs
being preparatory for this final conviction, which
is called Hakul Iman in the Sufic terminology.
As soon as the word “Theosophy” is taken to
mean certain fixed beliefs or disbeliefs, there is a
difference from Sufism. Beliefs and disbeliefs are
the cause of sects, each of these being blinded
from the vision of the singleness of the whole of
existence. As soon as thought is restricted, it
ceases to be Sufism.
(g) Is Sufism a school of thought? This
question is answered by what is said in Part I.
Wisdom is not restricted to one geographical spot
such as a country, a city, a building or meeting-
place. Sufism cannot be correctly described as a
school of thought, if by that is meant the
instruction of a certain doctrine; but it might be
correct to speak of it as a school of thought in the
sense that through Sufism one learns wisdom, just
as in a school one learns wisdom of a certain kind.
Sufism is beyond philosophy.
(h) What is life's purpose? This question arises
out of the wording of the Thought at the beginning
of this section. The subject is dealt with in Part III.
V.
“There is one law, the law of reciprocity,
which can be observed by a selfless conscience,
together with a sense of awakened justice."
Man spends his life in the pursuit of all that
seems to him to be profitable for himself, and
when so absorbed in self-interest, in time he even
loses touch with his own real interest. The laws
which man has made are arranged to suit himself,
but they are laws by which he can take the best out
of another. It is this that he calls justice, and it is
only that which is done to him by another that he
calls injustice. A peaceful and harmonious life
with his fellow-men cannot be led until the sense
of justice has been awakened in him by a selfless
conscience. As the judicial authorities of the world
intervene between two persons who are at
variance, knowing that they have a right to
intervene when the two parties in dispute are
blinded by personal interest, so the Almighty
Power intervenes in all disputes however small or
great.
It is the Law of Reciprocity which saves man
from being exposed to the Higher Powers, as a
considerate man has less chance of being brought
before the court. The sense of justice is awakened
in a perfectly sober mind; that is, one which is free
from the intoxication of youth, strength, power,
possession, command, birth, or rank. It seems a

net profit when one does not give but takes, or
when one gives less and takes more, but in either
case there is really a greater loss than profit, for
every such profit spreads a cover over the sense of
justice within, and when many such covers have
veiled the sight, man becomes blind even to his
own profit. It is like standing in one's own light.
“Blind here remains blind in the hereafter. "See
also "In an Eastern Rose-Garden," p. 201 and
onwards.
Although the different religions, in teaching
man how to act harmoniously and peacefully with
his fellow-men, have given out different laws, they
all meet in this one truth, “Do unto others as thou
wouldst they should do unto thee." The Sufi, in
taking a favour from another, enhances its value,
and in taking measures from another, he makes
allowance.
The questions which may arise under this

heading are:
(a) If the idea of right and wrong is manmade,
how does it matter anymore what anyone does?
The answer is, It matters to those to whom it
matters, and it does not matter to those to whom
it does not matter. In this respect, if the Sufi has to
say anything to his follower, it is this, “Refrain
from doing that which hinders you from
accomplishing the purpose in your inner and your
external life. Do not act against your ideal, for it

will never be satisfactory to you: you will not be
pleased with yourself and this inharmony in your
inner and your external self will prevent peace,
which is your life's craving, without which life
becomes unhappy."
“Right” is the straight path which the soul is
inclined to take in life, but when one walks astray,
leaving the straight path in life owing either to
negligence or ignorance, or by reason of weakness
or by the attraction of some temptation on the
way, that is considered wrong. (This subject is
referred to in “In an Eastern Rose Garden," p. 39
and pp. 92—3.)
(b) What is good and what is evil? There are
two answers to this question. First it may be said:
Good is that which you consider to be good, and
the effect of which is agreeable to you both in its
beginning and end. Evil is that which you consider
to be evil and the effect of which is disagreeable in
the beginning as well as in the end. If good and evil
have no agreeable or disagreeable effect at first, or
have a contrary effect at the beginning, whether
they are really agreeable or disagreeable will
appear in the end. The second answer is this:
That all things that seem good and evil are the
opposite ends of one line, and it is difficult to say
where evil ends and good begins, for these are
comparative terms; a lesser good would seem evil
when compared with a greater good, and the lesser
evil in comparison with the greater evil would

appear good. If there were no evil, good would not
have been valued. Without injustice, justice would
not have been appreciated. Therefore, the whole
life's joy is expressed in duality.
(c) Why is there so much suffering in life,
when God is described as merciful?
If God were a separate being from man, and if
He rejoiced in the suffering of man, then He is to
be blamed. But He, as the Sufi realises, is the
sufferer and the suffering; yet He is beyond all
suffering. This fact can be understood, not merely
by believing in God, but in knowing Him. Suppose
your hands dropped a heavy weight upon your feet
and hurt them, are your hands to be blamed? No,
for they share the pain with the feet, and although
the feet seem to have been hurt, yet the one that
feels hurt in your being is your absolute being. In
reality, that “Being” feels hurt, and Therefore, the
hand shares the hurt of the foot. So it is with God;
our very life is His, and He is not void of the feeling
of joy or of pain which we feel. In reality, He feels
what we imagine we feel, and at the same time His
Perfect Being keeps Him above all earthly oys and
pains; and our imperfection limits us, so that we
become subject to all joys and pains, however
small they may be.
(d) What is sin and what is virtue, according to
the Sufi?
The difference between sin and virtue is as the

difference between good and evil. They are
comparative terms. Lesser virtue compared with
greater virtue appears to be sin, and lesser sin
compared with greater sin is considered virtue.
The inclination of the soul is towards good; it is
only when the soul is helpless in the hands of the
lower self that it is inclined towards evil.
Again, it may be said: Sin and virtue are the
standards of good and evil made by the teachers of
religion; it is the standards of morals that keep the
world in order; and it is the breaking of this order
that causes the decline of religion, with the effect
of wars, famines, and disaster. In order to uphold
this order, Messengers are sent from time to time,
and Spiritual Controllers are appointed in every
part of the earth.
(e) Why tread the path of righteousness and
piety; why spend your life in teaching and
preaching to humanity?
It is natural. Every loving and illuminated
heart has a desire to see others partake in its vision
of glory.
(f) It seems that some persons are quite happy
in committing sin. Is there then no restriction to
be imposed on sin?
The answer is: sin can never make one happy,
Even were there pleasure in it for the time being,
it would re-echo, and the re-echo of a false note is
never pleasing to the musical ear. If a person were
really happy in his “sin," one might be satisfied
that it was really his virtue, and that it is only to

us, from our point of view, that his action is sinful.
Therefore, the Sufi attends to his own journey, and
does not judge others.
(g) If there is only a comparative difference
between good and evil, sin and virtue, why should
there be punishment for evil and reward for good?
The effect of good itself is a reward for good, and
the effect of evil is itself a punishment. From our
limited view, perhaps, we attribute these effects to
a third person, to a Divine ideal.
(h) What then of the belief of the orthodox,
that if anybody asks forgiveness before his death,
his sins would be forgiven by God? It seems hard
to believe that a person who has sinned all through
life could be forgiven at a simple request made at
the hour of death.
The answer is, that it is absolutely true that the
whole of life's sins may be forgiven by Divine
mercy in one moment, just as a chemical solution
may wash away the stains of years from the
surface of a rock in a moment. The real question
is, is the request earnest enough? It is not so easy
as it seems, for this is the matter of Divine mercy,
and if a person has continued to commit sins, at
every sin he has lost his belief in the Judgment of
the Divine Being and in His Power. Therefore, he
has sown the seed of disbelief in his heart and has
reared this plant by his sins. That being so, how
can he in the end develop sufficient faith in a
moment to believe in Divine Mercy? The simplest

thing becomes the most difficult for him.
For this reason, the teachers of humanity have
taught man faith as the first lesson in religion.
Those are forgiven the sins of their whole life, who
have always believed that any moment death
might come and have safeguarded themselves
against doing anything that does not meet with the
pleasure of their Lord, and whenever, owing to
human imperfection, they have failed in doing
right, they most earnestly have asked forgiveness.
VI.
“There is one brotherhood, the human
brotherhood, which unites the children of earth
indiscriminately in the Fatherhood of God."
The Sufi understands that the one life
emanating from the inner Being is manifested on
the surface as the life of variety, and in this world
of variety man is the finest manifestation, who can
realise in his evolution the oneness of the inner
being even in the external existence of variety. But
he evolves to this ideal, which is the only purpose
of his coming on earth, by uniting himself with
another.
Man unites with others in the family tie, which
is the first step in his evolution, and yet families in
the past have fought with each other, and have
taken vengeance upon one another for
generations, each considering, at the time, his to
be the only true and righteous cause. To-day, man

shows his evolution in uniting with his
neighbours, fellow-citizens, and even developing
within himself the spirit of patriotism for his
nation. He is greater in this respect than those in
the past, and yet men so united nationally have
caused the catastrophe of the Great War—one
which will be regarded by the coming generations
in the same light in which the family feuds of the
past are regarded by us now.
There are racial bonds which widen the circle
of unity still more, but it has always happened that
one race has looked down on the other.
The religious bond shows a still higher ideal.
But it has caused diverse sects, which have
opposed and despised each other for thousands of
years, and have caused endless splits and divisions
among men. The germ of separation exists even in
such a wide scope for brotherhood, and however
widespread the brotherhood may be, it cannot be
a perfect one as long as it separates man from
man.
The Sufi, realising this, frees himself from
national, racial, and religious boundaries, uniting
himself in the human brotherhood, which is void
of the differences and distinctions of class, caste,
creed, race, nation, or religion, and unites
mankind in the universal brotherhood. The Sufi
welcomes all as his brothers, and is open to be the
brother of all.
QUESTIONS ARISING UNDER THIS SECTION.

(a) Is Sufism a community? It should be now
clear that Sufism does not add another community
to the numbers of castes and creeds which already
exist. Any person can study Sufism, and make use
of it for guidance in daily life, without discarding
his existing associations with other communities.
As he perceives the underlying wisdom, he
perceives also that he is related to every other
community, and is at one with them in the path of
love and light.
The Sufi. Movement is composed of truth-
seeking people of different faiths and beliefs, for
to whatever extent any of these persons is a
sincere seeker after truth, to that extent is he
already a member of the Movement, whether he
be aware of this or not. It is not intended that all
members of the Movement should label
themselves followers of a certain faith; they may
keep whatever faith or belief they have. It is not
even required of them that they should all call
themselves Sufi.
Hence it is clear that it is not accurate to think
of Sufism as a community. The members of the
Sufi Order are guided, for a certain time, by the
Murshid; and during that time all who are so
guided are to that extent associated. After that
time is passed, each has his own path and is
master of his path. The perfect disciple places
himself unreservedly in the care of his teacher,
and the reward for such implicit trust is his greater

rapidity of progress. After that, if his work has
been good, he will find himself master of his walk
in life. It is just as in a school, where the pupils are
gathered together for a certain time, but, after
that, each pursues his own work. He does not stay
in the school all his life. Yet, during the time he is
part of the school, he might be looked upon as
belonging to a community if one wished to express
the matter that way, and with clear knowledge of
the limited interpretation of the word in this case.
VII.
“There is one moral, the love which springs

forth from self-denial and blooms in deeds of
beneficence."
There are moral principles taught to mankind
by various teachers, by many traditions, one
differing from the other, which are as separate
drops coming out of the fountain. But when we
look at the stream, we find there is but one stream,
albeit that it turns into several drops on falling.
There are many moral principles, as many drops
fall from one fountain; but there is one stream that
is at the root of all, and that is love. It is love that
gives birth to hope, patience, endurance,
forgiveness, tolerance, and to all moral principles.
All deeds of kindness and beneficence take root in
the soil of the loving heart. Generosity, charity,

adaptability, an accommodating nature, even
renunciation, are the offspring of love alone. The
great, rare and chosen beings, who for ages have
been looked up to as ideal in the world, are the
possessors of hearts kindled with love. All evil and
sin come from the lack of love.
People call love blind, but love in reality is the
light of the sight. The eye can only see the surface;
love can see much deeper. All ignorance is the lack
of love, as fire when not kindled gives only smoke,
but when kindled, the illuminating flame springs
forth. So it is with love; it is blind when
undeveloped, but when its fire is kindled, the
flame that lights the path of the traveller from
mortality to everlasting life springs forth, and the
secrets of earth and heaven are revealed to the
possessor of the loving heart, and the lover has
gained the mastery over himself and others, and
he not only communes with God but unites with
Him.
Rumi says: “Hail to thee, then, O love, sweet
madness! Thou who healest all our infirmities!
Who art the physician of our pride and self-
conceit! Who art our Plato and our Galen! "
VIII.
“There is one Object of Praise, the beauty
which uplifts the heart of its worshippers through
all aspects from the seen to the unseen."
The Koran says: “God is beautiful, and He
loves beauty."
This expresses the truth that man, who
inherits the Spirit of God, has beauty in him, and
loves beauty, although that which is beautiful to
one is not beautiful to another. Man cultivates the
sense of beauty as he evolves, and prefers the
higher aspect of beauty to the lower. But when he
has observed the highest vision of beauty in the
unseen by a gradual evolution, from praising the
beauty in the seen world, then the whole existence
becomes to him one single vision of beauty.
Man has worshipped God, beholding the
beauty of sun, moon, stars, and planets; he has
worshipped God in plants, in animals; he has
recognised God in the beautiful merits of man,
and he has with his perfect view of beauty found
the source of all beauty in the unseen, from
whence all this springs, and in whom all is merged.
The Sufi, realising this, worships beauty in all
its aspects, and sees the face of the Beloved in all
that is seen, and the Beloved's spirit in the unseen.
So, wherever he looks, his ideal of worship is
before him, “Everywhere I look, I see Thy winning
face." “Everywhere I go, I arrive at Thy dwelling

place."
IX.
“There is One Truth, the true Knowledge of
our being, within and without, which is the
essence of all wisdom."
Hazrat Ali says: “Know thyself, and thou wilt
know God."
It is the knowledge of self which blooms into
the knowledge of God. Self-knowledge answers
such problems as:
From whence have I come?
Did I exist before I became conscious of my
present existence?
If I existed, as what did I exist? As an
individual such as I now am, or as a multitude, or
as an insect, bird, animal, spirit, Jinn, or Angel?
What happens at death, the change to which
every creature is subject?
Why do I tarry here awhile? What purpose
have I to accomplish here? What is my duty in life?
In what does my happiness consist, and what
is it that makes my life miserable?
Such are the questions which those ponder
over whose hearts have been kindled by the light
from above. Those, whose souls are already
illumined by the knowledge of the self, understand
them. It is these who give to individuals, or to
multitudes, the benefit of their knowledge, so that

even men whose hearts are not yet kindled, and
whose souls are not illuminated, may be able to
walk on the right path that leads to perfection.
This is why it is that people are taught in various
languages, in various forms of worship, in various
tenets in different parts of the world. It is one and
the same truth; it is only seen in diverse aspects
appropriate to the people and the time.
It is only those who do not understand this
who can mock at the faith of another, condemning
those to hell or destruction who do not consider
their faith to be the only true faith.
The Sufi recognises the knowledge of self as
the essence of all religions; he traces it in every
religion; he sees the same truth in each; and
Therefore, he regards all as one. Hence, he can
realise the saying of Jesus, “I and my Father are
one." The difference between creature and Creator
remains on his lips, not in his soul. This is what is
meant by union with God; it is in reality the
dissolving of the false self in the knowledge of the
true self, which is divine, eternal, and all-
pervading.
“He who attaineth union with God, his very
self must lose." (Amir.)
The knowledge of the self within is the topic of
what is called “Esotericism." The questions which
arise under the present section are Therefore,
answered when this branch of knowledge is
enquired into. A few references are given in Part
III. Others are scattered through the pages of the

publications of the Movement. The chief answers
are obtained through personal instruction by the
Murshid.
The question of “the purpose in life” is referred
to on page 61 of this guide-book.
X.
“There is one path, the annihilation of the false
ego in the real, which raises the mortal to
immortality, in which resides all perfection."
“I passed away into nothingness—I vanished;
and lo! I was all living."
All who have realised the secret of life
understand that life is one, but that it exists in two
aspects. First, as immortal, all-pervading and
silent; and secondly, as mortal, active, and
manifest in variety. The soul, being the first
aspect, becomes deluded, helpless, and captive by
experiencing life in contact with the mind and
body, which is of the next aspect.
The gratification of the desires of the body and
the fancies of the mind, does not suffice for the
purpose of the soul, which is undoubtedly the
experience of its own phenomena in the Seen and
the Unseen, but its inclination is to be itself and
not anything else. When delusion makes it feel
that, it is helpless, mortal and captive, it finds
itself out of place. This is the tragedy of life, which
keeps the strong and the weak, the rich and poor,
all dissatisfied, constantly looking for something
they do not know. The Sufi, realising this, takes
the path of annihilation, and, by the guidance of a
teacher on the path, finds at the end of this journey
that the destination was himself.
“I wandered in the pursuit of my own self; I
was the traveller; and I am the destination."
(Ekbal.)
There are several questions possibly arising
out of this section, but they only find their answer
in Experience. Of all aspects of enquiry taken up
in Sufism, this is the one in which knowledge is
essentially above representation in writing.
“Annihilation” is a special term, equivalent to
“losing the false self," which, again, is equivalent
to the phrase, “eternal life." A certain insight into
this is afforded by what is written on page 305 of
“In an Eastern Rose-Garden." It is also referred to
in the book called “Hindustani Lyrics," poems vi.
and xvi., as well as in many other examples of Sufi
poetry.
The Sufi is the student of two worlds: the world

within and the world without. The world within is
equivalent to what is popularly named “the next
world," because of the wide-spread belief that time
is the all-important factor; that we have a life now,
and another life at another time.
The Sufi knows differently. The world without

has two aspects: the social world in which we are
placed, and the greater world which is the topic of
history, past, present, or prophetic. The world
within can be entered only by the student himself,
though he may learn about it as “Esotericism "—a
subject which also has two aspects: that of the
forces of the mind, and that of the Divine Light.
The latter is the real goal of the Sufi's enquiry; it is
his Shekinah; it is his Holy of Holies.
PART III.
SOME TOPICS PRESENTED IN SUFIC

TERMS.
SOME TOPICS PRESENTED IN SUFIC
TERMS.
Contents: (1) Purpose in Life. (2) How is a

person to live in the world? (3) Vocations. (4) Nur-
Zahur. (5) Intellect and Wisdom. (6) Certain
terms belonging to Esotericism. (7) Alif. (8)
Communion with God. (9) Poems. (10) Suma, The
Music of the Sufis.
(1) PURPOSE IN LIFE.

Every soul at times asks itself, “Why am I
here?” This question arises in accordance with the
development of one's intelligence. A man may say,
“I am here to eat, drink and to make merry," but
this even the animals do; Therefore, what more
has he accomplished by being human? Another
might affirm that the attainment of power and
position is important, but he must know that both
of these are transitory. Power of any kind has its
fall as well as its rise. All things we possess are
taken from others, and others in their turn await
with outstretched hands to seize them.
A man may say:—-”We are here to gain
honour." In this case someone has to be humbled
in order to give him the honour he seeks, but he in
his turn may have to be humbled by a still more

ardent honour-seeking personality. We may think
that being loved is all important, but we should
know that the beauty in ourselves which makes
another love us is transient. Furthermore, the
beauty we possess may pale in comparison with
the beauty of another. When we seek the love of
another, we are not only dependent upon their
love, but are ourselves void of love. If we think that
it is desirable to love someone who deserves our
love, we are mistaken, for we are always liable to
be disappointed in the object of our love, who may
perhaps never prove to be our ideal. One is led to
suppose and believe that that virtue is the only
thing that matters in life, but it will be found that
the greater number of sufferers from moral
hallucination are to be met with among the self-
righteous.
Then the only purpose of our life here on earth,
if there be any, is the successful attainment of life's
demands. It may seem strange at first sight that all
which life demands should be allowable and
worthwhile attaining, but on a closer study of life
we see that the demands of our external self are
the only ones we know, and we are ignorant of the
demands of the true self, our inner life. For
instance, we know that we want good food and
nice clothes, comfort of living and every
convenience for moving about, honour,
possessions, and all necessary means for the
satisfaction of our vanity, all of which for the
moment appear to us as our life's only demands,

but neither they nor their joy remain with us
constantly. We then come to think that what we
had was but a little and that perhaps more would
satisfy us, and still more would suffice our need,
but this is not so. Even if the whole universe were
within our grasp it would be impossible fully to
satisfy our life's demands. This shows that our true
life has quite different demands from those with
which we are familiar. It does not want the joy
experienced by this individual self only, it desires
joy from all around. It does not wish for a
momentary peace, but for one that is everlasting.
It does not desire to love a beloved held in the
arms of mortality. It needs a beloved to be always
before it. It does not want to be loved only for to-
day and perhaps not to-morrow. It wishes to float
in the ocean of love.
It is therefore that the Sufi, seeks God as his
love, lover and beloved, his treasure, his
possession, his honour, his joy, his peace, and this
attainment, in its perfection, alone suffices all
demands of life for the here and the hereafter.
Then, again, it may be said: There is a purpose
over each purpose, and there is again a purpose
under each purpose, and yet beyond and beneath
all purposes there is no purpose. The creation is,
because it is.
Life is a journey from one pole to another, and
the perfection of the conscious life is the final
destiny of the imperfect life. In other words, every

aspect of life in this world of variety gradually
evolves from imperfection to perfection, and if
life's evolution were not so in its nature, there
would have been no difference between life and
death, for life on the surface is nothing but the
phenomena of contrast. This is, then, another way
of expressing what is the purpose of life.
(2) How is A PERSON TO LIVE IN THE WORLD?

One may try to see from the point of view of
another, as well as from one's own, and so give
freedom of thought to everybody, because one
demands it oneself. One may try to appreciate
what is good in another, and overlook what one
considers bad. If anyone behaves selfishly to one,
one may take it naturally, because it is human
nature to be selfish, and so one is not disappointed
with it. But if one oneself appears to be selfish, one
should take oneself to task and try to improve.
There is not anything one should not be ready to
tolerate, and there is nobody whom one should
not forgive. Never doubt those whom you trust;
never hate those whom you love; never cast down
those whom you once raise in your estimation.
Wish to make friends with everyone you meet;
make an effort to gain the friendship of those you
find difficult; become indifferent to them only if
you cannot succeed in your effort. Never wish to
break the friendship once made. If anyone causes
harm, one should try to think it is because one has

deserved it in some way, or else it is that the one
who harms knows no better. Remember that every
soul that raises its head in life gets much
opposition from the world. It has been so with all
the prophets, saints and sages, so one cannot
expect to be exempt. In this is the law of nature,
and also God's plan working and preparing
something desirable. No one is either higher or
lower than oneself. In all sources that suffice one's
need, one may see one source, God, the only
Source, and, in admiring and in bowing before and
in loving anyone, one may consider one is doing it
to God. In sorrow one may look to God, and in joy
one may thank Him. One does not bemoan the
past, nor worry about the future; one tries only to
make the best of to-day. One should know no
failure, for even in a fall there is a stepping-stone
to rise; but to the Sufi, the rise and fall matters but
little. One does not repent for what one has done,
since one thinks, says, and does what one means.
One does not fear the consequences of performing
one's wish in life, for what will be, will be.
(3) VOCATIONS.
Every being has a definite vocation, and his
vocation is the light which illuminates his life. The
man, who disregards his vocation, is a lamp unlit.
He who with sincerity seeks his real purpose in

life is himself sought by that purpose. As he
concentrates on that search a light begins to clear
his confusion—call it revelation, call it inspiration,
call it what you will.
It is mistrust that misleads. Sincerity leads
straight to the goal.
Each one has his circle of influence, large or
small; within his sphere so many souls and minds
are involved—with his rise, they rise; with his fall,
they fall.
The size of a man's sphere corresponds to the
extent of his sympathy, or we may say, to the size
of his heart. His sympathy holds his sphere
together. As his heart grows, his sphere grows —as
his sympathy is withdrawn or lessened, so his
sphere breaks up and scatters.
If he harms those who live and move within his
sphere (those dependent upon him or upon his
affection), he of necessity harms himself. His
house or his palace, or his cottage—his satisfaction
or his disgust in his environment are the creation
of his own thought. Acting upon his thoughts, and
also part of his own thoughts, are the thoughts of
those near to him—others depress him and
destroy him, or they encourage and support him,
in proportion as he repels those around him by his
coldness, or attracts them by his sympathy.
Each individual composes the music of his own
life—if he injures another, he brings disharmony.
When his sphere is disturbed, he is disturbed

himself, and there is a discord in the melody of his
life. If he can quicken the feeling of another to joy,
or to gratitude—by that much he adds to his own
life; he becomes himself by that much more alive.
Whether conscious of it or not, his thought is
affected for the better by the joy or gratitude of
another, and his power and vitality increase
thereby, and the music of his life grows more in
harmony.
(4) NUR-ZAHUR.
A. Nur-Zahur means “Divine manifestation."
To the view of a Sufi this universe is nothing
but a manifestation of the Divine Being The
supreme God from His existence as a single as the
only Being has journeyed so to speak as far as He
could toward the surface By His activity and His
will behind it He has manifested on the surface
from the heavens He descended earth. From the
most unconscious state of existence, blind,
unaware of His being, as is the rock, He has
gradually awakened to consciousness of the
surroundings on the surface. “The world was
created out of darkness "—Koran. A gradual
progress of the journey brings the Inner Being to
the condition of a plant, flower and fruit, then to
the state of worm, germ, and animal, until He
manifests as man, Ashraful Makhlukat, the ruler
of this universe and the controller of the Heavens.
In man He reaches the final goal of His destiny,

when He realises Himself as the whole being,
which He has not done hitherto. “In Our own
image We have created man "—Koran.
B. The Light of Guidance. “The secret of God
can be studied in His nature "—Ali. Every traveller
on foot, as a rule, lights his torch at the approach
of night. So also this heavenly traveller. Seeing
darkness overwhelming in the lower spheres on
His path, He lights a torch. It is the light of this
torch, which is called in Koranic term, Nuri
Muhammed, that has carried Him to the surface,
whence He could clearly discern and find His path
back. “I have made thee of My light and of thy light
have I created this whole universe "—Koran. To
the knower's eye, this Nur, this light, is the real
Muhammed. This light it is which has beamed
forth through all the Masters of humanity.
It is the nature of every luminous object to
shed light all around and yet a particular beam of
light coming out of it has more illumination than
the light spread all around. This may be seen in the
light of the sun. The souls which happen to be in
the zone of that beam of the light of guidance,
whether by intention or accident, have been
known to the world as the chosen ones of God.
They saw God sooner, they heard Him more
quickly than others, they have been nearer to Him
than others. They may be called the elect of God:
Before the righteous soul,

Servant of God, even the angels bend;
His lotus feet the long-desired goal
Where weary pilgrims find their journey's end
In pardon for their sin.
Thus, as the saint, God comes, and man is
healed,
And fortunate that happy one, within
Whose heart the mystic vision is revealed.
All souls since the creation of man who have
been in this light have been Masters, coming one
after the other connected in the link of the one
current which first springs from the innermost
being and broadens and expands in this universe.
The saints, sages, and mystics, who fare forth
from the highest spheres are attracted by this light
and they seek refuge in it from life's dark clouds.
The invisible ones who floated in this light, even
before man was created, were the angels.
C. The Divine Light in the Lower Creation.
This light has shone upon the mineral and
vegetable kingdoms, and upon the animal
kingdom; and there, too, it has shown its
phenomena, although its full radiance was
reached only in man. It can be seen in the
developed intelligence, and this can be observed
in the cosmic system as well as in the mineral and
vegetable kingdoms. It is the light of the sun which
shines upon the moon and the planets; each star
is but a reflection of the same light; thus the whole
cosmic system is illuminated by the sun alone. In

the vegetable kingdom we see one little plant, a
fruit or flower, spreading its influence around it,
covering that part of the forest, in time, with the
same sweet fruit or with the same fragrant flower.
When we watch the animal kingdom closely, we
see the especial gift of intelligence in some
animals. We find that among all birds there is a
leader for every flock. Among the elephants of the
forest especially, there is the wise elephant who
walks in front of the herd, carefully carrying the
stem of a tree with his trunk. He uses it as a stick,
and examines with it the path he walks upon to
discover whether there are any pits on that way,
for his own safety as well as that of his followers.
In the jungle a troop of monkeys can be seen
following the command of one among them; after
he has jumped, they all jump. The foxes and dogs
in the jungle have among them someone who is
most wary, who gives the alarm before every
coming danger. In a flock of birds, one wise and
courageous bird leads the whole flock. And this is
the case with many other birds and beasts also.
This faculty of guidance, with the maturity of
intelligence, fulfils the purpose of manifestation in
the evolution of man.
“Man was destined to be the Khalif of all
beings"—Koran. This Surah can be rightly
understood when we see that all beings in the
world are employed for man, being controlled and
ruled by him, obeying his command. All the secret
of their nature is disclosed to him, that he may

utilise them for the purpose for which they are
meant. Moreover, it is man who may rightly be
called the seed of God, for in him alone
intelligence develops so perfectly that he not only
appreciates God's works and worships Him, but
he is even enabled to attain self-sufficience and
all-pervading consciousness with the everlasting
life of Allah. “Man realises his perfection in Allah,
and Allah realises His perfection in man."
D. The Spirit of Prophecy. We see this
tendency of guidance:
(1) in a small degree in Parents, who, whatever
their own life may have been, yet wish their
children to be benefited by their experience, that
the children may live aright.
(2) There are some people to be found, in this
world of selfishness, who warn their friends
against going astray.
(3) We find a leader in a community who sacrifices
his own life and welfare for the benefit of his
fellowmen, uniting them in the bond of love and
harmony.
(4) The same attribute of self-sacrifice, in its
higher grade of evolution, is seen among the
Masters of humanity, who act as officials of the
infinite government and are known in the world as
messengers. Among them are holy beings of
different grades, designated by Sufis as Wali,
Ghous, Kutub, Nabi, and Rasoul. They differ one

from the other in degree, according to (a) the
depth to which they penetrate into the world
unseen, and to (b) the breadth of the space they
occupy in the Universal Consciousness, and also
according to (c) the width of the circle of humanity
that is placed in their charge for its guidance. Nabi
is the guide of a community, Rasoul has a message
for the whole of humanity, and each has a certain
cycle of time for his message.
This can be seen by an intelligent study of the
cosmos. The laws of nature teach us and prove to
the knower the influence of each planet upon
souls, both individually and collectively, as
families, nations, and races, and even upon the
whole world, the condition of each and all being in
accordance with the nature of the planet under
whose influence they are- Over birth, death, and
every rise and fall, and over all life's affairs the
planet acts as ruler. If planets, the reflections of
the sun, have power upon the external affairs of
humanity, how much greater must be the power of
the God-conscious, the reflections of the divine
light, of which the sun is merely a shadow! These
are the Awatads, whom the Hindus call Avatars,
who are not only in power, as the earthly kings are,
for the time of their life on earth, but remain in
power even after they have passed from this
earthly plane. The knower, therefore, sees in the
Masters of humanity, not only the deliverers of the
divine message, but also the spiritual sovereigns,

controllers of the universe during their cycles.
The Cycles. Every aspect of the life of an

individual and the life of the world has its cycle. -
In the life of an individual, the period from his
birth to his death is the first part, and from death
to assimilation in the Infinite the second part. The
sub-cycles in man's life are from infancy to youth,
where ends one part, and from youth to old age,
where is the close. There are again under-cycles:
infancy, childhood, youth, maturity, senility; and
there are the cycles of man's rise and fall.
So there is a cycle of the life of the world, and
the cycle of the creation of man and his
destruction, the cycles of the reign of races and
nations, and cycles of time, such as a year, a
month, week, day, and hour.
The nature of each of these cycles has three
aspects—the beginning, the culmination and the
end, which are named Uruj, Kamal and Zaval, as,
for example, new moon, full moon, and waning
moon—sunrise, zenith and sunset. These cycles,
sub-cycles and under-cycles, and the three aspects
of their nature are divided and distinguished by
the nature and course of light, and as the light of
the sun and moon and of the planets plays the
most important part in the life of the world,
individually and collectively, so the light of the
spirit of guidance also divides time into cycles, and
each cycle therein has been under the influence of

a certain Master with so many controllers of the
whole world under him working as the spiritual
hierarchy for the control of affairs, mainly of those
concerning the inward spiritual condition of the
world. The Masters have been numberless, since
the creation of man; they have appeared with
different names and forms; but He alone was
disguised in them Who is the only Master of
eternity.
Rejection of the stranger and belief in that one
only, whom he has once acknowledged, has kept
man in darkness for ages. If he believed one
message he would not accept the succeeding
message, brought by another Master, who was,
perhaps, a stranger to him. This has caused many
troubles in the lives of all the Masters. Man
refused to believe the Masters and their teachings,
whether of the past or future, if their names were
not written in the particular tradition he believed,
or if he had not heard their names in the legends
handed down for ages among his people.
Therefore, the people of that part of the world who
have acknowledged the Hebrew prophets do not
recognise the Avatars, such as Rama, Vishnu,
Shiva, and Krishna, only because they cannot find
these names in their scriptures. The same thing
occurs in the other parts of humanity, which does
not count Abraham, Moses or Jesus among its
Devatas, as it does not find those names written in
the legends with which it is familiar. Even if it were
true that Brahma was the same Devata whom the

Hebrews called Abraham, and if Christ was the
same Master whom the Hindus have called Kresht
or Krishna, yet man would not recognise as one
those whom he has distinguished as different one
from the other, having a higher opinion of one of
them and a lower opinion of the other.
E. The Unity of the Masters, If the Masters

were not the same in their mortal garb, yet in spirit
they were one; if it were not so, how could one and
the same truth be disclosed by them all?
The Masters of humanity have been the older
brothers who guided the younger ones out of their
brotherly love, and owing to their love in the
Father. It is humane to sympathise with one's
fellowman when he is striving for something and
cannot gain it, and to help him to the attainment
of the ideal object for which he strives.
This is very well illustrated by the myth of Ram
Chundra. It is said in the Purana that once Sita,
the consort of Ram Chundra, was staying in the
guardianship of Washita Rushi with her sons. The
younger son, Lahu, one day went to see the
neighbouring town. He saw Kalanki, a most
beautiful horse, running throughout the city
without a rider. When he enquired whose the
horse was, people told him that this horse had
been let loose so that whoever would be able to
catch it should be made the king of that kingdom.
This tempted the youth, and he ran after the horse
in order to catch it. He continued running a long

time, and met with nothing but disappointments.
Every time he came close to the horse, thinking
now he would catch it, it slipped from his hand.
When he reached the point of utter
disappointment, he saw his brother coming in
search of him, sent by his mother, and told him
that he would not come back till he caught the
horse. The brother said, “That is not the way to
catch the horse; in this way you will perhaps run
for ever and will not be able to catch it. Therefore,
instead of running after the horse, run to meet it."
This caused the younger brother to succeed in a
moment's time. Then both brothers were taken to
the presence of Ram Chundra, their father, who
embraced both, acknowledging the guidance of
the one and the achievement of the other.
All the teachers who had come before declared
for what community or group of people they were
born and prophesied the coming of the next
teacher, foreseeing the possibility and the
necessity of the continuation of the message until
its fulfilment.
That the messengers came successively did not
mean that they were to give different messages,
but that they should correct the corruptions made
in the message of the past by the followers, and
also to revive principles in order to suit the
evolution of the period and to recall the same truth
to the human mind which had been taught by the
past Masters but had become lost from memory.
It was not their personal message, but the divine

message. They were obliged to correct the errors
which had been made by the misinterpretation of
the religions, thereby renewing the same truth
given by the past Masters, which had been
changed from its real character owing to the lapse
of time. Man has ignorantly quarrelled about the
names and forms of Masters, traditions,
principles, and their limited groups, forgetting
that they are one in that which unites them.
Their messages differ from one another in
their outer appearance, each message being given
in accordance with the age of man's evolution, and
also in order to add a particular part in the course
of divine wisdom. Certain laws and principles
were prescribed by them to suit the country where
the message was given, the climate, the period,
customs, manners and requirements.
It was most necessary for the messengers to
claim some exceptional position which might
attract humanity to receive the message they had
to give. Some were called Avatars, incarnations of
Brahma, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Rama, and
Krishna, while others were called Paghumbar,
prophet, intercessor. Their followers have had
foolish disputes, admiring and hating according to
their personal liking, about the greatness of their
assumption; or about what they did and taught, or
the sort of life they led.
The divine message had always been sent

through those fitly endowed. For instance, when
wealth was esteemed, the message was delivered
by King Solomon; when beauty was worshipped,
Joseph, the most handsome, gave the message;
when music was regarded as celestial, David gave
his message in song; when there was a curiosity
for miracles, Moses brought his message; when
sacrifice was highly esteemed, Abraham gave the
message; when heredity was recognised, Christ
gave his message as the Son of God; and when
democracy was necessary, Muhammed gave his
message as the servant of God, one like all and
among all, which put an end to the necessity for
more prophets, because of the democratic nature
of his proclamation and message. He proclaimed
La Elaha el Allah, None exists but God; God
constitutes the whole being, singly, individually
and collectively, and every soul has the source of
the divine message within itself. This is the reason
why there is no more necessity for mediation, for
a third person as a saviour between man and God,
as soon as man has evolved enough to conceive the
idea of God being all and all being God, and as
soon as man has become tolerant enough to
believe in the divine message given by one like
himself, who is liable to birth, death, joy, and
sorrow, and all the natural vicissitudes of life.
F. The Embodiment of the Masters. All

Masters from the time of Adam till the time of
Muhammed have been the one embodiment of the

Master-ideal. When Christ is represented as
saying “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
the end," it is not meant that either the name or
the visible person of Jesus Christ is the Alpha and
Omega, but the Master-spirit within. It was this
spirit which proclaimed this, moved by its
realisation of past, present, and future life,
confident of its eternity. It is the same spirit which
spoke through Krishna, saying “We appear on
earth when Dharma (religion) is corrupted,"
which was perhaps long before the coming of
Christ. During his divine absorption, Muhammed
said “I existed even before this creation and shall
remain after its assimilation." In the holy
traditions, it is said, “We have created thee of Our
light and from thy light We have created the
universe." This is not said of the external person
of Muhammed as known by this name. It refers to
the Spirit which spoke through all the blessed
tongues and yet remained formless, nameless,
birthless and deathless.
But the blind world, taken up by its
phenomena and impressed by a certain name and
form, has clung to the name, forgetting the true
being. It is this ignorance which has divided the
children of men into so many divisions, separated
one from the other by their own delusions;
whereas in reality there exists One religion, a
single Master, the Only God. Man has considered
his steadfastness to the Master, in whom he
believed, his true religion; and to believe in the

next teacher he considered a breach of faith, which
is pictured in the following story.
G. The Allegory of the Spirit of Prophecy.

There was a man living with his wife and
children in a little village. He was called away by
the inner voice of his soul, and he renounced his
life with his wife and children and went to the
wilderness, on a mountain called Sinai, taking
with him his eldest son, the only one of his
children who was grown up. The children, having
a faint remembrance of their father, wondered at
times where he was, and longed at times to see
him, and were told at times by their mother, “He
went long ago, and perhaps, so people say, has
passed from this earth"; at times, in answer to
their longing, she would say,” perhaps he will
come or send word, for so he promised before his
departure." Sometimes the children grieved at
their father's absence, their father's silence, and
whenever they felt the need for him to be among
them they would comfort themselves with the
hope “as he has promised, perhaps someday he
will be with us."
After some time had passed, the mother also
passed away, and the children were left with
guardians, who were entrusted with their care,
together with the care of the wealth left by their
parents.
After a few years, when their brother's smooth

face had become bearded and when his cheerful
look had given place to a serious expression, and
his fair skin, now in the strong sun for years, had
turned brown, he came home. He went with his
father in grandeur; he returns in poverty, and
knocks at the door. The servants do not recognise
him, and do not allow him to enter. His language
is altered, the long stay in a foreign country has
made him forget all. He says to the children,
“Come, 0 brothers, ye are my father's children; I
have come from my father, who is perfectly
peaceful and happy in his retirement in the
wilderness, and has sent me to bring you his love
and his message, that your life may become
worthwhile, and that you may have the great
happiness of meeting your father, who loved you
so greatly." They answered, “How can it be that
thou comest from our father who has been gone so
long, and has given us no sign?” He said, "If ye
cannot understand, ask your mother. She will be
able to tell you." But the mother had already
passed away; only her grave was left, which could
never tell. He said, “Then consult your guardians.
Perhaps they will be able to tell you from the signs
of the past which they may recollect; or things that
our mother may have said to them might bring to
their memory the words of our father about my
coming." The guardians had grown careless,
indifferent, blind, quite happy in the possession of
all the wealth, and enjoying the treasured gold left
in their charge, and using their undisputed power

and complete hold upon all the children.
Their first thought on hearing he had come
was of annoyance; but when they saw him they
were quite heedless, for they found in him no trace
of what he had been like before, and as they saw
he was without power or wealth, and was altered
in looks, in dress, in everything, they cared not for
him. They said, “By what authority claimest thou
to be the son of our father, of our master, who has
long since passed away, and may perhaps be
dwelling in the heavens by now?” He then said to
the children, “I love you, 0 children of my father,
although you cannot recognise me, and even if you
do not acknowledge me as your brother, take my
word for your welfare, for your father's word, and
do good in life and avoid evil, for every work has
its reward like unto it."
The older ones, who were hardened in their
ways, paid no heed, and the little ones were too
young to understand, but the middle ones, who
hearkened to his words, followed him quietly, won
by his magnetism and charmed by his loving
personality.
The guardians became alarmed at the thought
that the children in their charge were tempted and
carried off. They thought, “Someday even the
remaining ones may be charmed by his magic and
our control over them, with the possession of their
wealth and our comfort in their home, and our
importance and honour in their eyes, will all be

lost if we let this go on any longer." They made up
their minds to kill him and incited the remaining
brothers against him, declaring before them the
pity of their dear brothers being led astray and
carried away from their home and comfort and
how unfounded was the claim he made.
They came up to this man, and arrested him,
and bound his arms and legs, and threw him into
the sea. But those children who had looked upon
him as their guide and brother grieved and
lamented at this. The brother consoled them,
saying, “I will come to you again, O children of my
father. Do not give up hope, and the things that
you have not understood, being young, will be
taught to you fully, and as these people have
behaved so harshly towards me, it will be shown
them what it is to be heedless of our father's
message brought by his own son, and you will be
enlightened, O children of my father, with the
same light with which I came to help you."
This man was a master swimmer. The sea had
no power to drown him. He seemed to them to
have sunk, but then he drew his hands and feet out
of the knots, rose upon the water and began to
swim in a masterly way, as he had been taught. He
goes to the father in the wilderness and tells all his
experience on his long journey, and shows his love
and desire to obey his father's will and fulfil all his
commandments, and to go to the children of his
father again with renewed strength and power, in
order to bring them to that ideal which was the

only desire of the father.
A bearer of the message of their father appears
again after a few years, not insistent in proving
himself to be the son of their father, and yet to
guide them and to help them towards the ideal set
for them by their father. The guardians, disturbed
already by one who came and went, insult him,
stone him, and drive him out of their sight, but he,
renewed in his power, strength, and courage and
coming fresh from the mighty influence of his
father, withstands it courageously with sword and
shield, and seeks refuge among those of the
brothers who responded to him and sympathised
with him on his last coming. They say, “Surely he
who came before was from our father, whom our
brothers did not recognise and have sunk in the
sea, but we are awaiting his coming, for he
promised us that he would come." He answers, “It
is myself who promised, and went to our father,
and now I have come, for the promise given to you
was of two natures: ' I will come again ' was said to
those who could recognise me in a different garb,
suited to the time and the situation, and ' I will
send another,' or ' Another will come ' was said to
those who were likely to be confused by the
external garb. It was said to them so that they
might not refuse the word of guidance sent by our
most loving father." They understood his word
better, but refused to acknowledge him to be the
same as the first, whom they had formerly seen

and now expected.
He spoke, and he showed in his works the signs
of their father, but they clung to the person whom
they had seen at first, forgetting his word and their
father.
But the little ones, who had not known him
before felt the tie of the blood relationship, for
neither were their hearts hardened nor were they
set strongly in their ideas. They loved him, they
recognised him more than had ever been his
experience at his former coming, while the other
brothers, under the influence of the guardians,
fought and rebelled against all that this man did.
But, in spite of all their resistance and the
suffering caused to him, he guided the children of
his father, as many as he could, until the name of
his father was again glorified and his brothers
were guided, directly or indirectly, through the
puzzles of the world and the secrets of the
Heavens.
This story gives the illustration of what has
happened in the lives of the messengers, especially
of Christ and Muhammed, though the terms
Father, Son, Brother, are merely metaphorical.
There has been one Teacher only, and he alone will
be. All the names which the world has fought over
are His names, and all the physical forms that
have won the adoration of the truthseeking world
are His forms. Therefore, though the foolish reject
the message, there are wise ones who accept it.
(5) INTELLECT AND WISDOM.

There are two aspects of intelligence, intellect
and wisdom.
Intellect shows in an infant from its birth when
he begins to be curious about all he sees; then by
storing in his mind the various forms and figures
he sees, he recognises them as an addition to his
knowledge of variety. Man, thus gathers the
knowledge of numberless forms of the whole
world in his mind, and holds them; some of them
stand out luminously and predominate over, and
cover others. He also retains those forms which
interest him. The nature of forms is to overpower
one another in proportion to their material
concreteness. The more concrete they are, the
more luminous they appear, so the intellectual
person takes an interest in their variety and law of
change, and as knowledge is the food of the soul,
he at least becomes increasingly interested in the
knowledge of names and forms, and calls that
“learning." This becomes his world, although
neither does it give him a sense of unchanging
comfort, nor does he thereby gain an everlasting
peace.
Wisdom is contrary to the above-named
knowledge; it comes with maturity of soul, and
opens up the sight to view the similarity between
all things and beings as well as unity in names and
forms. The wise man sees through the spirit of all
things; he sees the human in the male and female,

and the racial origin which unites nations, and he
sees the human in all people and the Divine
Immanence in all things in the universe, until the
vision of the whole being becomes to him the
vision of the One Alone, the most beautiful and
beloved God.
(6) CERTAIN TERMS BELONGING TO ESOTERICISM.

Consciousness is the wakeful state of the
knowing faculty.
Knowledge is that of which the Consciousness
is conscious.
Conscience is a sense which is born when
Consciousness holds before itself in a scale—on
the one side an action, and on the other side ideal.
Intelligence is the grasping faculty of
Consciousness, which, by every means,
recognises, distinguishes, perceives, and
conceives all that is round and about it.
Wisdom is the knowledge which is illumined
by the Light within.
Intellect is the knowledge of names and forms,
their character and nature, which is gathered from
the external world.
Ignorance is the state of mind when it is in
darkness.
When mental vibrations flow into the Astral
Plane, without conscious direction, it is called
“imagination "; when they do so under conscious

direction, it is called “thought." When the
imagination is experienced during sleep it is called
a “dream."
Impression is a feeling which rises as a
reaction on receiving a reflection coming from the
external world (physical, mental, or astral).
Intuition is an inner message, given in the
nature of warning or guidance, perceived by the
mind independently of any external source.
Inspiration is the rising of a stream from the
depth of the heart of the genius and manifests in
the realm of poetry, music, painting, sculpture, or
art.
Vision is a spiritual dream which is witnessed
either when awake or asleep. It is called a dream
because the radiance of the vision brings about a
semi-sleep to the seer, even when awake.
Revelation is the disclosing of the inner self.
The consciousness throughout manifestation,
facing toward the surface turns its back to the
world within, the sight of which is Therefore, lost
to it. But when it begins to look within, the world
unseen is disclosed, and Choudatabak, the
fourteen planes, consisting of the seven heavens
and the seven earths, are revealed. “The veil shall
be lifted from thine eyes and thy sight shall be
keen "—Koran.
Does the remainder of man's being which is
still attached to his soul after death fade away in
time, or does it take some form on its dispersing?

The answer is, the remaining part of man's being,
when dispersing, may separate itself into two
parts, ten, a hundred, or a thousand parts, or it
may crumble into a million or a billion parts.
Therefore, there is no trace of the lower
personality remaining, even if we take for granted
that the remaining part of man's being is
remoulded.
(7) ALIF.
In the life of Bullah Shah, the great saint of

Punjab, one reads the most instructive account of
his early training when he was sent to school with
boys of his own age. The teacher taught him Alif,
the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. The other
boys in his class finished the whole alphabet while
he was mastering the same letter. When weeks
had passed, and the teacher saw that the child did
not advance any further than the first letter Alif,
he thought that he must be deficient and sent him
home to his parents, saying: “Your boy is deficient,
I cannot teach him."
The parents did all in their power for him,
placing him under the tuition of various teachers,
but he made no progress. They were disappointed,
and the boy in the end escaped from home, so that
he should no longer be a burden to his own people.
He then lived in the forest and saw the
manifestation of Alif which has taken form in the
forest as the grass, the leaf, the tree, branch, fruit,

and flower, and the same Alif manifested as the
mountain and hill, the stones and rocks, and
witnessed the same as a germ, insect, bird and
beast, and the same Alif in himself and others. He
thought of one, saw one, felt one, realised one and
none else besides. After mastering this lesson
thoroughly, he returned to pay his respects to his
old teacher who had expelled him from school.
The teacher, absorbed in the vision of variety had
long ago forgotten him, but Bullah Shah could not
forget his old teacher who had taught him his first
and most inspiring lesson which had occupied
almost all his life. He bowed most humbly before
the teacher and said: “I have prepared the lesson
you so kindly taught me, will you teach me
anything more there may be to learn?” The teacher
laughed at him and thought to himself, “After all
this time this simpleton has remembered me."
Bullah Shah asked permission to write the lesson,
and the teacher replied in jest: “Write on this
wall." He then made the sign of Alif on the wall,
and it divided into two parts. The teacher was
astounded at this wonderful miracle and said:
“Thou art my teacher, that which thou hast learnt
in the one letter Alif, I have not been able to
master with all my learning." Bullah Shah sang
this song:
Oh! friend now quit thy learning,

One Alif is all thou dost need,
By learning thou hast loaded thy mind

With books thou hast filled up thy room,
But the true knowledge was lost by pursuing the
false,
So quit now, oh friend, the pursuit of thy
learning."
Every form seems to be derived from another,

all figures being derived from Alif, which is
originally derived from a dot, and represents zero,
nothingness. It is that nothingness which creates
the first form Alif. It is natural for every person
when writing to make a dot as soon as the pen
touches the paper, and the figures proceeding
from the words hides the origin; in like manner
the origin of the One Being is hidden in His
manifestation. That is why Allah, Whose name
comes from Alif, is hidden under His own mazing
manifestation. The same form of Alif is the figure
one in English, and in both aspects this form
reveals its meaning. The meaning, in its various
forms, is seen in all aspects of nature.
“A hair perhaps divides the false and true;

Yes; and a single Alif were the clue,
Could you but find it—to the treasure house,
And, peradventure, to the Master too.
“My soul said, 'I desire the mystic knowledge:

Teach me if it be in thy power.'
I said, 'Alif.' She answered, 'Say no more;
If one is at home, a single letter is enough.' "
(8) COMMUNION WITH GOD.

It is the lover of God whose heart is filled with
devotion, who can commune with God, not the
one who makes an effort with his intellect in
analysing God; in other words, it is the lover of
God who can commune with him, not the student
of his nature. It is the “I” and “you” that divides,
and yet it is “I” and “you” which are the necessary
conditions of love. Although “I” and “you” divide
the one life into two, it is love that connects them
by the current which it established between them,
and it is this current which is called communion,
which runs between man and God. To the
question “What is God?” and “What is man?" the
answer is that the soul, conscious of its limited
existence, is “man," and the soul reflected by the
vision of the unlimited, is “God." Plainly speaking,
man's self-consciousness is man, and man's
consciousness of his highest ideal is God. By
communion between these two, in time both
become one, as in reality they are already one. And
vet the joy of communion is even greater than the
joy of at-one-ment, for all joy of life lies in the
thought of “I” and “you."
All that man considers beautiful, precious and
good, is not necessarily in the thing or the being;
it is in his ideal; the thing or being causes him to

create the beauty, value and goodness in his own
mind. Man believes in God by making Him an
ideal of his worship, so that he can commune with
some One Whom he can look up to, in Whom he
can lay his absolute trust, believing Him to be
above the unreliable world, on Whose mercy he
can depend, seeing selfishness all round him. It is
this ideal when made of a stone, and placed in a
shrine, which is called an idol of God; and when
the same ideal is raised to the higher plane and
placed in the shrine of the heart, it becomes the
ideal of God with Whom the believer communes
and in Whose vision he lives most happily, as
happily as he could be in the company of the
sovereign of the whole universe.
When this ideal is raised still higher it breaks
itself into the real, and the real light manifests to
the godly; the one who was once a believer now
becomes the realiser of God.
(9) POEMS.
The Man and the Gentleman.
While man mocks at and makes fun of another,
The gentleman is unmoved, serious and quiet.
While man complains of the faults of his
fellowman,
The gentleman understands and weighs man in
his mind.
While man lays bare the weakness of another,

The gentleman covers it with the veil of his
graciousness.
While man does not mind causing disturbance to
another,
The gentleman takes care lest he may hurt any
man.
While man tries to take all comfort for himself,
The gentleman thinks first of his neighbour.
While man has done some great thing and boasts
of it with pride,
The gentleman covers it beneath the mantle of
his modesty.
While man takes offence at the slightest cause,
The gentleman is polite in every situation in life.
The Man and the Wise Man.

While man falls back through his follies in life,
The wise man becomes more wide awake at every
fall.
While man expresses his opinion heedlessly,
The wise man first thinks what effect it will have
upon another.
While man judges another from his own moral
standard,
The wise man looks also at the point of view of
another.
While man rejoices over his rise and sorrows over

his fall,
The wise man takes both as the natural
consequences of life.
While man blames another for causing him harm,
The wise man first takes himself to task.
While man bemoans his most miserable past,
The wise man endeavours to better his present
and future.
While man collects a fortune that he must one day
relinquish,
The wise man collects such a treasure as will last
with him forever.
The Man and the Holy Man.

While man worries and cares about to-morrow,
The holy man lays his trust in Providence.
While man becomes disturbed and confused over
misfortune,
The holy man is calm and resigned to the will of
God.
While man gives in to the temptations of evil,
The holy man keeps steady on his path.
While man is vexed and bitter with another,
The holy man is tolerant and forgives all men,
While man considers one superior and another

inferior,
The holy man recognises and respects the divine
spirit in all.
While man takes to himself the credit for the good,
he has done,
The holy man attributes all the good to God.
While man is in pursuit of the passing joys of life,
The holy man strives after everlasting bliss.
The Man and the Superman.

While man reasons out the happenings of life.
The Superman touches the cause of each cause.
While man looks at the outside of things,
The Superman knows the secret of their nature.
While man sees form and feature in another,
The Superman sees through the soul of man.
While man depends solely upon external sources,
The Superman works with the power of his will.
While man cannot manage his own affairs
properly,
The Superman masters the affairs of the world.
While man gets the reward and punishment for
his deeds,
The Superman rises above heaven and hell.
While man becomes subject and surrendered to

mortality,
The Superman lives forever, unconquered by
death.
To the Beloved.
My Beloved! The beauty of the flowers fades
away,
And the brightness of the moon becomes dim,
The colour of the face of the fair ones pales,
When I behold the beauty of Thy Countenance.
The cares of life are forgotten,
The fear of death is felt no more,
Each moment brings to me new hope, new life,
new joy,
When my heart reflects Thy Divine Light.
The riches of the earth cannot allure,

Nor can the power of the world enslave me, my
King!
With Thy riches am I enriched, in Thy Strength I
am strong,
In Thy thought, my eternal Beloved, I live, and
shall live evermore.
(The original poetry is in Persian; the above are

literal renderings into English prose.)
(10) SUMA, THE MUSIC OF THE SUFIS.

It is very well known to all, who have any
knowledge about Sufis and Sufism, that music
plays a great part in their spiritual attainment. The
Chistis, a particular school of Sufis, take a special
interest in music. They call it “Gizai-ruh," the food
of the soul, and they listen to the Kawali, the
special songs sung at their Suma, the
contemplative musical assembly. It seems as if
some potent life were there which is rarely met
with elsewhere. The atmosphere is charged with
magnetism, harmony, and peace, which are
emitted by the illuminated souls present. The
Shaikh, the teacher, sits in the midst, and the
other Sufis sit round him, and invoke one after the
other the sacred names of God, and repeat suras
of the Koran turn by turn. This is an introduction
which tunes the hearts of each one present to its
proper pitch, the hearts that are already prepared
by Zikar, the esoteric contemplation.
Their way of contemplation sets the heart to
rhythm, which makes even the circulation of the
blood regular, and the pulsation and the whole
mechanism of the body becomes rhythmic. When
the mind is also set to rhythm with its awakened
response to tone, the Sufi's whole being becomes
musical. This is why the Sufi can harmonise with
each and all. Music makes all things in the world
living to him and makes him alive to all things,
when he begins to realise how life is dead to many

in the world, and how many are dead to life.
There are different grades of progress, and the
verses that are sung by the Kawals are also of
different kinds. Some verses are in the praise of
the beauty of the ideal which Sufis in the grade of
“Fana-fi-Shaikh” enjoy.
In this grade are those who see the Divine
Immanence in the ideal, walking on earth. There
are verses which speak about the high merits of
the personality of the ideal-in-name-and-not-
inform, which appeals to those who are in the
grade of “Fana-fi-Rasul."
These have not seen the ideal, neither have
they heard his voice, but they have known and
loved that ideal which alone exists as far as they
know.
Then there are verses which speak of the ideal
beyond name and form. To these verses, those
respond who are in the grade of “Fana-fi-Allah";
these are conscious of their ideal as beyond name
and form, qualities and merits, Who cannot even
be confined in knowledge, being beyond all
limitations. Sometimes the coming of the ideal is
pictured in the verses which describe the
sweetness of voice, the beauty of countenance, the
grace of movement, the praise, the merits, the
qualities, and the winning ways of the Ideal. There
are verses also in which are pictured the lover in
love, his agony in separation, his caution in the
presence of the beloved, his humility, his envy and

rivalry, and all the natural vicissitudes of a lover.
It is poetry, music, and art combined. It is not
a simple song; it creates the whole vision in the
realm of music before the mind of a Sufi which is
capable of visualising it against positive
environments. In other words the Sufi, produces
his ideal vision in his imagination, by the help of
music.
In the Kawali the nature of love, lover, and
beloved is expressed. In this the poetry of the Sufi
excels the love poems known to the world, for in it
is revealed the secret of love, lover and beloved,
the three in one.
Apart from the philosophy of the whole being,
one can see the delicacy and complexity of their
poems, rich with conventions and adorned with
metaphor.
Hafiz, Rumi, Jami, and many others among
the Sufi poets, have expressed the secret of the
inner and outer being in the terminology of love.
The Kawals, the singers, sing these verses
distinctly, so that every word may become clear to
the hearers, that the music may not hide the
poetry, and the Tabla players who accompany the
singers emphasise the accents and keep the
rhythm even, so that the being of the Sufi already
set to music joins with the rhythm and the
harmony of the music. At this meeting, the
condition of the Sufi becomes different, his
emotional nature at that time has its full play, his

joy and feeling cannot be explained, language is
inadequate to express them. This state is termed
“Hal” or “Wajad," the sacred ecstasy, and is
regarded with respect by all present in the
assembly. Wajad means “presence," Hal means
“condition."
This state of ecstasy is not different from the
natural condition of man when touched on
hearing a kind word spoken, or moved to tears
either on separation from the one he loves, or on
the departure of his object of love, or when
overjoyed on the arrival of his long-expected
beloved.
In the case of a Sufi the same feeling becomes
sacred, his Ideal being higher.
A pilgrimage is the same as an ordinary
journey, the only difference being in the aim; in a
journey the aim is earthly, whereas the pilgrimage
is made for a sacred purpose. Sometimes on
hearing music, the Sufi is seen to be deeply
touched, sometimes his feeling finds vent in tears,
sometimes his whole being, filled with music and
joy, expresses itself in motion, which in Sufic
terms is called “Rakhs."
When man analyses the objective world and
realises the inner being, what he learns first and
last is that this whole vision of life is created of
love; love itself being the life, all will, in time, be
absorbed in it.
PART IV.
INITIATION INTO THE SUFI

ORDER.
INITIATION INTO THE SUFI
ORDER.
A. The following indications show whether one

should consider the question of being initiated
into the Sufi Order, or not.
1. The feeling that one is inclined to know
something different to what is taught in the world.
One feels a seeking for something though one
knows not what. One feels that the opposites —
good and evil, right and wrong, friend and foe —
are not so far apart as one used to think.
At the same time the heart is felt to be more
sympathetic than ever before, and the sense of
justice makes one wish to judge oneself before
judging others.
This all shows that one may look for a Guide
through these unknown paths.
2. The feeling, especially after reading the
preceding parts of this guide-book, that one is
after all really a Sufi., that one is at one with the
circle of Sufis. One may now feel drawn to the
Spirit of the Teacher from whose hand initiation
may be taken.
3. The feeling, after reading the preceding
parts of this guide-book, or after reading the books
published by the movement, or after speaking
with the Pir-o-Murshid, that the message is
genuine.
B. The next question which arises is: What is

meant by Initiation?
Initiation, or, in Sufic terms, “Bayat," first of
all has to do with the relationship between the
pupil and the Murshid. The Murshid is
understood to be the Counsellor on the spiritual
path. He does not give anything to or teach the
pupil, the “mureed," for he cannot give what the
latter already has; he cannot teach what his soul
has always known. What he does in the life of the
mureed is to show him how he should clear his
path toward the Light within by his own self. This
is the only purpose of man's life on earth.
One may attain the purpose of life without a
personal guide, but to try to do so is to be as a ship
traversing the ocean without a compass.
To take initiation, then, means entrusting
oneself, in regard to spiritual matters, to a
spiritual guide.
C. The next thing to be decided is, “if I must
have a personal guide, whom shall I take as
guide?"
There is no stamp of spirituality, or seal of
perfection marked upon any man's forehead,
which enables one to say “This is the man from
whose hand to take the bayat." Neither his
appearance nor his words can be relied on as
evidence of his worth. The only thing, that has any
reliance in it, is the appeal of his soul in your heart.
INITIATION INTO THE SUFI ORDER 107
Even so, you must satisfy yourself whether it is evil

appealing to the devil, or God to the goodwill.
There are three ways in which people trust.
One is not to trust a person until he proves in time
to be trustworthy. To those who trust in this way
there will be no satisfactory gain in this path, for
they will go on, like a spy, trying and testing the
Murshid with their eyes focused downward.
Hence they can only see the imperfect self of the
teacher, and will never be able to see the beauty of
the perfect self, above and beyond the limits of
their view.
The second way of trusting is to trust, and to
continue until the person is proved unworthy of
trust. Those who trust in this way are better suited
than the first, for if their trust will make their sight
keen, perhaps they will have every prospect of
development, provided that intelligence guides
them all the way.
But the third way of trusting a person is to have
an absolute trust, and to continue until it be
proved to be true. This is the trust of devotees. It
is these mureeds who make the Murshid. It is such
worshippers who make God. “By faith, a tongue is
produced from the rock, and it speaks to us as
God, but when faith is lacking, even God, the
Eternal Being, is as dead as a rock." The word of
the Murshid is as useless to the doubting mind as
a remedy to the unbelieving patient.
D. To become an Initiate in the Sufi. Order

Therefore, implies:
1. A willingness to agree with its teachings and
objects.
2. A willingness to cease to attach importance
to the differences of the principles of the world's
various faiths, and see in all the Masters only one
embodiment of the divine Spirit.
3. That one is not already following another
course of spiritual training. In such a case, why go
to another kind of teacher as well? It would be like
travelling in two boats, one foot in one, and the
other in the other. When each boat goes its own
way, although in the end they meet at the same
goal, yet the traveller will sink in the sea. No one
could seek guidance under two teachers except out
of lack of patience with the one or lack of
confidence in the other, making him still cling to
the first.
E. With what objects should one take
Initiation under the Murshid?
1. To realise the self within and without,
2. To know and communicate with God, whom
the world only worships,
3. To kindle the fire of Divine Love, which
alone is worthwhile,
4. To be able to read nature's manuscript and
to be able to see into the world unseen,
5. To learn how to control oneself,
6. To light the torch of the soul and to kindle
the fire of the heart,
7. To journey through this positive existence

and arrive in this life at the goal at which every
soul is bound in the end to arrive. It is better to
arrive in the light than to be only transported
through the dark. “Who is blind here will be blind
in the hereafter."
Therefore,, one does not take Initiation (a) for
the sake of curiosity to see what is going on in a
secret “Order. Such an one will certainly not be
able to see what he wishes to, for only the eye of
sincerity can see. The eye of curiosity has the
cataract of doubt, and is blind already.
(b) For the sake of gaining some material
advantage in one's occupation. Initiation is not a
scientist's process, or an engineer's invention; or a
business enterprise; it is not something that can
be stolen, nor anything to be bought. It is
revelation, which has at every moment a new
offspring, which can never be stolen by a thief. The
only process for gaining it is righteousness, and
when its light is covered under a bushel, even the
Jam of mystery stolen from Jamashyd will serve
no better than an earthen bowl.
(c) For the sake of attaining happiness. It is
true that one cannot attain wisdom without
deriving a certain advantage from it, as it is more
advantage to be knowing than ignorant. But it is
not for this that the journey is entered upon.
However, as he progresses on the spiritual path,
the Sufi becomes aware of a wonderful peace,
which is inevitable from the possession of the

constant presence of God.
Many people of various beliefs and faiths have
written about the practice of the presence of God,
and all speak of the happiness they receive from
being in His presence. So it is no wonder if the Sufi
also, should he wish to speak of it, should testify
to similar happiness. He does not claim to a
greater happiness than his fellow-men, owing to
his being a human being and subject to all the
shortcomings of mankind. But at the same time,
others can decide about his happiness better even
than his words can tell it. The happiness, which is
experienced in God, has no like in anything in the
world, however precious it may be, and everyone
who experiences it will realise the same.
(d) If one has set before himself certain
principles he does not wish to abandon. He might
find that the foundation he has built does not
correspond with the building now to be erected on
it. Such is the person who goes from one teacher
to another, from one method to another, and
never able to gain that which is only to be obtained
through steadfastness. Those who have a desire to
teach while coming to learn should not pose as
disciples; they must come as teachers.
F. Are there any Conditions imposed on a
would-be initiate? No one need fear taking
initiation out of an idea that he undertakes
something he may not be able to fulfil. If he does
not wish to progress beyond a certain point, that

is only for himself to say.
The only thing that happens, when a person is
initiated, is, that from the hour of initiation, one is
1. The brother of all in the Sufi movement,
2. The brother of all other Sufis outside of our
organisation,
3. The brother of all knowers of truth, whether
they call themselves Sufi or not,
4. The brother of every human being, without
distinction of caste, creed, race, nation, or
religion,
5. The companion of the illuminated souls of
the Sufis living on earth and those who have
passed to the other side of life. He is linked with
the chain of Murshids and Prophets, and is so
enabled to receive the light running through this
current through the chain of the Masters.
6. The confidant of the Murshid and of the
Order. Therefore, he takes a vow in his heart to
make use of all he receives from the Sufi teaching
and practices to the best of his ability, not using
any parts for selfish purposes. These teachings
have been kept secret for thousands of years, so
why should they go out of the order without the
Pir-o-Murshid's authorisation?
To the question, why is there any secrecy about
the teaching? if true, why should it not be
scattered broadcast? an answer has been given
already (p. 17). It may also be said: every school
which gives special personal instruction trusts
that respect shall be paid to that which it teaches.

All teaching can be misconstrued, and perverted
and made to appear ridiculous. To do this with
Sufi, teachings, consciously or inadvertently, will
not help the pupil. A certain medicine may be good
for a sick person at a certain time, but this does not
mean it should be used by every sick person in the
world. Nor would it be any advantage to anyone, if
the exact medicine were to be published
broadcast. If there should arise need to say what it
was, the doctor would not withhold the
information.
So, too, where there is a need to explain the
Sufi, teachings, the Murshid will explain them.
The books published by the Society set forth many
of the teachings, so that it cannot be said that they
are kept rigidly secret. But the very intimate
thoughts, which the Sufi is accustomed to, are
naturally not uttered indiscriminately, any more
than an ordinary person will speak of his private
affairs to a stranger.
The fruit must be of a certain degree of
ripeness before its taste becomes sweet. So the
soul must be of a certain development before it
will handle wisdom with wisdom. The developed
soul shows his fragrance in his atmosphere,
colour, in the expression of his countenance, and
sweetness in his personality, as flower spreads its
fragrance around, and. a fruit when ripe changes
its colour and becomes sweet.
The question, why do the awakened ones not

awaken people in the world from the sleep of
confusion? is answered thus:
It is not to be advised that little children,
whose only happiness is slumber, should be
awakened. Their growth depends on their sleep. If
they are kept up late they become ill, and are not
so useful in the affairs of life as are grown-up
people. Childhood needs more sleep, and the
children must sleep. Such is the nature of
immature souls. They are children, however old
their bodies may appear. Their fancies, their joys,
their delights are for unimportant things in life, as
the life of children is absorbed in sweets and toys.
Therefore, those who are awakened walk slowly
and gently, lest their footsteps may disturb the
slumber of the sleeping ones. They only awaken on
their way those whom they find changing sides.
They are the ones to whom the travellers on the
spiritual path give their hand quietly. It is for this
reason that the spiritual path is called the mystical
way. It is not unkind to awaken a few and to let
many sleep, but on the other hand it is great
kindness to let those slumber who require sleep.
G. Having decided to take initiation, and to
take it from the Murshid; and now at length
having taken this initiation, there are certain
means by which the pupil will find himself making
easier and more rapid progress. During his
pupilage, he should AVOID.
1. Wonder-working, claiming to know or

possess something not common to one's fellow-
men. 2. Casting out devils. 3. Communicating with
spirits. 4. Telling people's character. 5. Fortune-
telling. 6. Showing over-wise in conversation with
others about spiritual things, and looking to
others for approbation. 7. Sanctimoniousness,
over-righteousness, and teaching and advising
others before having learnt one's own self. This is
as dangerous as giving the same medicine to
another that the doctor has prescribed for oneself.
H. During Discipleship, the following habits
should be adopted:
I. Discipline, which makes the ideal mureed.
Self-denial is the chief religion, and this can only
be learnt by discipline. It is as necessary in the
path of discipleship as for a soldier on the
battlefield. In the absence of it, one holds fast the
same thing which he wishes to crush by taking the
initiation. “Mastery is in service, and it is the
servant who alone can be master."
2. Respectful attitude to the Murshid. It is
not to raise the honour of the teacher in his own
eyes, or in the eyes of others. It is to learn the
respectful attitude, first by having it towards one
who deserves it. The mureed may then be able to
develop in his nature the same for all, as a little girl
by playing with the doll learns the lesson of
motherhood. To respect another means to deduct
that much vanity from ourselves, the vanity which
only is the veil between man and God.
3. During the period of mureedship, sobriety,

an equable mind, a serious habit, regularity in all
things, diligence, a desire for solitude, a reserved
demeanour, an unassuming manner, a pure life,
uninterrupted every day's spiritual meditations,
are desirable.
SUFI INVOCATION.
PRAISE be to Thee, 0 Hidden One and

Manifested One. PRAISE be to Thy Glory, to Thy
Might, to Thy Power, and to Thy great Skill.
O ALLAH, to Thee all greatness belongs. 0
THOU who possessest the Power and Beauty and
Perfection, Thou art the Spirit of All.
PRAISE be to Thee, O Sovereign of all
Monarchs; to Thee, O Master of all affairs; to
Thee, O Controller of all things; to Thee, Ruler of
all Beings.
THOU ART free from death, free from birth
and free from all limitations. 0 Thou Eternal One,
Thou art free from all conditions, pure from all
things. O ALLAH, Thou art the God of Souls on
earth; Thou art the Lord of Hosts in the Heavens.

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THE WAY

BEING COMPILED MAINLY FROM

Made and Printed in Great Britain by

In the view of the Sufi, however, every age of

THE HISTORY OF THE SUFI MOVEMENT

same with that of the great Sufis of history, and yet

relationship between all beliefs, and the wider

THE CHARACTER AND WORK OF THE SUFI

teacher is he who brought the Movement into

The Mureed follows the path of meditation, the

is naturally “secret "; it is a personal matter; the

arduous labours in others' service bring little real

THE EXTERNAL WORK OF THE SUFI MOVEMENT.

Sufism, discover the great gain which it proves in

his own, that is the reason for adhering to it; if not,

THE PRINCIPAL SUFI THOUGHTS.

There are ten principal Sufi thoughts, which

religious belief, but also the highest ideal the

blessings from the Heavens, and God speaks

world, and is ready to learn from young and old,

but the spirit of guidance is found among few

QUESTIONS RELEVANT TO THIS SECTION.

(a) What is the Sufi's belief regarding the

those who do not believe that any teacher or

conception of Christ—Prophet, Priest, King,

To the eye of the seer every leaf of the tree is a

and does not compare the principles of others with

(a) Is Sufism a religion? It should be clear from

philosophy; hence it can not really be described as

(b) Is Sufism a belief? What do we mean by the

disbelieve, he would never learn to speak. All

belief, which is preserved as a virtue, becomes the

rises, it would break through and scatter the

"Truth is that which cannot be fully spoken,

Christian mystics evidence the intensity of their

every individual soul. The Murshid's work is to

possession, command, birth, or rank. It seems a

The questions which may arise under this

external life. Do not act against your ideal, for it

evil in comparison with the greater evil would

The difference between sin and virtue is as the

that it was really his virtue, and that it is only to

moment to believe in Divine Mercy? The simplest

be the only true and righteous cause. To-day, man

QUESTIONS ARISING UNDER THIS SECTION.

and the reward for such implicit trust is his greater

“There is one moral, the love which springs

the soil of the loving heart. Generosity, charity,

face." “Everywhere I go, I arrive at Thy dwelling

multitudes, the benefit of their knowledge, so that

III. Others are scattered through the pages of the

The Sufi is the student of two worlds: the world

The Sufi knows differently. The world without

SOME TOPICS PRESENTED IN SUFIC

Contents: (1) Purpose in Life. (2) How is a

(1) PURPOSE IN LIFE.

his turn may have to be humbled by a still more

moment appear to us as our life's only demands,

destiny of the imperfect life. In other words, every

(2) How is A PERSON TO LIVE IN THE WORLD?

harm, one should try to think it is because one has

He who with sincerity seeks his real purpose in

When his sphere is disturbed, he is disturbed