Introduction to Truth
Review of The Universal Mystery Book by Anwar Shaikh
Part 2
Nicholas Ginex
nickginex@gmail.com
May 26, 2023
Truth Lighthouse Shines Upon the Dark and Cloudy Stormy Ocean
Review of The Universal Mystery by Anwar Shaikh - Part 2
Chapter 8. Christian Mysticism
Ginex: Anwar cites many examples that applies to a Christian mystic. He indicated that “a Christian mystic must follow in the path of Christ, which entails a dying to self; it means total self- denial and dedication to Christ (God) so that the divine love may pass through the devotee.” That is, a person cannot retain his self, which we call, "I" and "Me," and expect union with God. With this idea, Anwar wrote, “A person is not a Christian mystic unless he processes total asceticism because this is the only way that the Will of God can become the devotee's will.”
But what is the devotee’s will? In heaven residing with the will of God, is there any need for a devotee’s will? For the devotee achieves infinite peace and therefore has no need to make any choices based upon one’s will. In fact, with infinite peace, one needs to question if a will to discern and make choices is necessary in the imagined heaven. It appears that in heaven with an eternal life, it may be a foolish thought because a person no longer needs to do something with one’s life. In heaven, where all people have earned the honor to live in peace without fear, they no longer have a need to enhance their life or the lives of others. Being in God’s hands, the will people exercised on earth is no longer required.
In this chapter, Anwar Goes through a hypothetical reasoning to make the point,” Thus, to a Christian, God discloses Himself in Christ, who Himself ranks as God, because "being in Christ" automatically counts as "being in God."
It hard to believe a Christian as wanting to exist as “being in God.” This is a hypothetical thought, a conceived idea because nobody knows God.
8.1 Anwar: To a mystic, soul's union with God is the merriest of all experiences. Since erotic sensation or the feeling of being passionately in love is uniquely delightful, the mystics are always ready to declare that the union is a true marriage between God and the soul and cannot be broken. This is the reason that when a mystic solicits God or worships Him, he resorts to an erotic image and uses the language of a lover; through devotion and feeling of oneness, his approach appears to be sensual rather than sensuous. It is a unitive process and can be understood when one realizes that St. Catherine of Genoa lived an active life for twenty-two years without suffering loss of even momentary consciousness about the presence of God. An Indian yogi is yet another example of this fact: he can be buried for weeks and then dug up alive, yet he is free from the sense of self-mortification because he is fully absorbed in the consciousness of God.
Ginex: Anwar writes of the marriage between a mystic and God; a marriage that is an illusion conceived by the devotee. Those who achieve heaven with God, male and female, are imaging a hypothetical reverence for how can the union with God be sacred when it is neither physical, spiritual, or both? Who has the all-knowing intelligence to believe one must be divorced of senses when God created life to enjoy the beauty of a physical and spiritual union? It appears many philosophers of God and his devotees dismiss such a union and insist on asceticism. However, this ability to love is an attribute of life that gives life. To dismiss it either on earth or afterlife is to disown the greatest gift of creation that binds one to another. It is also fundamental, to the future of mankind for Jesus commanded us to “love one another.”
8.2 Anwar: To show that the basic principles of mysticism, despite several variations, are broadly the same throughout the world irrespective of religion the people of a land may profess to practice, I shall discuss the Islamic mysticism in the next chapter. It shows that mysticism inspired by the universal mystery is the natural religion of mankind.
Chapter 9. Mysticism, the Vedic Legacy - 1 of 2
9.1 Anwar: The man who had been brutally tortured, when eventually crucified in March, 922, boldly . . . declared: "Ana al Haqq" (I am the Truth i.e.,1. God).
Who was he? He is popularly known as Mansur, though his full name was Abu Al-Mughith Al-Hussayn Ibn Mansur Al Hallaj. He was born in 857 C.E. in the southern Iranian community of Tur in the province of Fars. As the tradition goes, his grandfather was a descendant of Abu Ayyub, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad.
He is considered a great Muslim by his admirers as he had learnt The Koran by heart, and had performed hajj twice. Yet he was put to death as a heretic, who challenged the authority of the Koran and Sunna. . .. he was a Sufi, a follower of what is called Tasawwuf or "Islamic Mysticism." It raises the question: "Is Mysticism really an Islamic practice or an imported discipline disguised as Islam."
9.2 Anwar: It may help to understand the issue if I add that the ninth century A.D. was a formative period for Sufism, and stood in sharp contrast with the Islamic principles, which lay down:
1. God is the creator, and the universe including man, is his creation.
2. Man has been created by God as a menial to serve Him.
3. Man must obey God's commands, which He reveals through His apostles, and must not indulge in metaphysical speculation or follow his own conscience.
4. Man's ultimate aim is to seek paradise which abounds in physical pleasure, and that is possible through faith and the Intercessory powers of the Prophet Muhammad only. Therefore, he must avoid asceticism and live a full life.
5. The faithful, must be friendly with one another but hate the Kafirs (infidels) and perpetually remain on a war footing with them.
6. There is no such thing as unity in diversity. God is independent of His creation, which is the product of His command: "Kun Faya Koon" that is, God orders a thing to be and it becomes.
7. The way to achieve salvation is through the observation of prescribed rituals such as praying, fasting, hajj, Jehad etc., and not by control and development of one's self.
8. A Momin i.e. a true Muslim needs no Waseela except that of the Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, the Sufi practice of Pir-and-Murid (the preceptor and follower), which makes the Muriad a seeker and the Pir, a guide, is un-Islamic.
9. The world is not an illusion; it exists because it has been created by God.
10. Music, like all other fine arts such as drama, dance, painting, etc., is forbidden because it is a devilish act.
9.3 Anwar: These basic precepts of Islam, received verbal reverence of the Sufis, but they practiced exactly the opposite, because their articles of faith, which constituted Sufism, were far-fetched and bore only a feigned resemblance with the Islamic principles. The Sufis hold the following articles of faith as the true Islam.
1. The Sufis believe in monism which negates the principle of a Creator God, and hold that God and the universe are one in essence.
This is confirmed by the universal Sufi tenet: HAMA OST (God is imminent in every-thing).. The Koranic belief of Allah is quite opposite, which declares Him Omnipresent.
2. The Sufi, who knows his lore well, believes that man is born with the highest dignity, and not as a slave, who must spiritually rise higher and higher.
3. A Sufi does believe that the Koran is a revealed book but his interpretation of it ranks as a blasphemy according to the accepted Islamic faith; he holds that the Sharia (Islamic law and practice) is like a mother; a person requires mother's care during childhood only; an adult does not need it. A Sufi, being a grown up, is immune from the authority of the Koranic law. Therefore, he seeks salvation through personal quest, which is the essence of Mysticism.
4. A true Sufi is not interested in social dominance or luxuries of life. Of course, he is not a celibate, but he is an ascetic, and exercises a strict control over his dietary and sexual affairs.
He thinks of God as a friend and not as a Master. Thus, he seeks union with God, and treats paradise just a similitude to describe a happy state of the mind, totally removed from physical pleasures.
Ginex: Many religions like Judaism, Christianity, Hindu and Sufi dismiss any wonderful feelings of physical and spiritual love that involves the senses. All believe that ascetism must be the norm both on earth and afterlife to have any union with God. To regard love and desire as evil is, for this author, a sin for credit must be given to the life-giving force that exists in the universe for all living entities.
5. Attitude towards the non-Muslims is another major difference between a Sufi and an ordinary Muslim. To a Sufi, philanthropy i.e., love of mankind is the best form of worship; discrimination on account of race, color or creed, is alien to him. . .. However, Islam preaches hatred against the unbelievers and advocates their destruction:
a. "Certainly, God is an enemy to unbelievers." (The Cow: 90)
b. "Oh ye who believe! Murder those of the disbelievers ... and let them find harshness in you. " (Repentance: 123)
c. Oh believers, do not treat your fathers and mothers as your friends, if they prefer unbelief to belief, whosoever of you takes them for friends, they are evil-doers." (Repentance: 20)
6. Belief in the unity of the universe is a fundamental concept of Sufism. It means that everything from a particle of dust to God himself, is exactly the same in essence. There is unity in diversity, and multeity is governed by the principle of oneness.
7. A Sufi may condone the prescribed rituals such as Namaz and Rowza, but his spiritual practices vary a good deal from those of the ordinary Muslims. His worship is less ritualistic and more meditative.
8. Of course, the Prophet Muhammad is treated as the Chief Guide, but in practice, it is a figurative acknowledgement because the practical source of guidance is the mentor-pupil relationship. The latter receives "light" from the former and pays him godly respect in words and deeds.
This mentor-pupil relationship, or the path (Tariqah) emerges when a person is accepted as the novice (Murid) by his mentor (Pir). He is made to repent, taught formulas of meditation, and required to take a view of abstinence, renunciation and poverty in accordance with the Prophet Muhammad's saying: "Poverty is my pride."
Through various stages such as gnosis or esoteric knowledge, the Tariqah culminates in Mahabbah, which implies a union of lover (the seeker) with the beloved (God). This is considered a process of complete self- effacement i.e. Saul's absorption into God. It is akin to a drop of water joining the ocean and becoming its integral part. Technically, it is called Fana i.e. annihilation, which acts as the source of Baqa, that is, eternity.
9. The Sufis have developed their own spiritual hierarchy which consists of forty Abdals (substitutes). It means that when one saint dies, another is elected from these Abdals by God himself. Then there are seven Awtads (props) in addition to three Nuqba (leaders) headed by the Qutb (axis).
Ginex: How does God elect an Abdal?
The Sufi, who becomes close to God, is called a Wali (saint). The one who has reached the stage of Haqiqah (reality), practically ranks as God-incarnate for losing his own personality and attaining Divine qualities. Such a Wali possesses his own seal; this marks the end of the process of sainthood the same way as prophethood reaches its culmination in Muhammad.
There is no evidence of such a process in the Koran.
10. The Sufis do not treat the phenomenal world as real. To them, it is an illusion, which serves as a cover to conceal the reality lurking behind it.
Ginex: The whole concept of reality of the world being an illusion is false.
11. Anwar: A True Sufi is a lover of music. All his spiritual sessions are attended by musical performance, and are called "SAMA.' This is a totally un-Islamic ritual but the Sufis justify it on the authority of a single hadith, which is considered apocryphal. . .. Sufism is undoubtedly a reflection of the Vedic doctrines, which became gnosis or esoteric principles of Islam owing to their depth and rationality.
To understand this truth, the reader ought to realize that the Sufi divines who founded their orders or fraternities as the Qadirya, Naqshbandya, Suhrawardiyah, etc., all came from those parts of the Muslim world, which practiced Buddhism before embracing Islam; Buddhism, an Indian doctrine, has a definite mystical discipline, which derives its rational ethos from the Vedic attitudes, despite Buddha's hostility to the Vedas. . .. the Indian culture, is rooted in the Vedic traditions. This fact equally applies to the Muslims of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh even today because of their Indian origin. Hard, very hard indeed, it is to separate one's self from one's cultural roots.
The truth is that the Sufi were considered heretics by the orthodox Muslims, who commanded the political power, and would have checked their migration into India as missionaries of Islam. These Sufi saints knew that India was the cradle of mysticism. Being not satisfied with the Islamic culture, and being driven by their mystical zeal, they thought of India as their natural home where they could learn more about this lore and practice it freely.
As a passing reference, I may state that historians have concluded that people of India, Italy and Greece are members of the same racial stock. As India is a much bigger and most populous country, it is reasonable to assume that emigration must have taken place from India to Italy and Greece and not the other way around. Also, all the social customs, religious beliefs and superstitions, which were once practiced in these countries, are still alive and kicking in India as they ever were. Again, the Indian civilization is much older than the Greek culture. The Greek age c.750- c.500 B.C. is termed as Archaic for its primitiveness, and the classical period, known for literary and philosophical excellence, follows it. The metaphysical and mystical ideas associated with Pythagoras and Orphism, have a good deal in common with the Indian thought, custom and religion.
However, the Western attitude must be noted in this context; they love to anti-date the Greek thought, and go out of the way to postdate the Indian cogitation. For example, first they claimed that the Rigveda was composed 500 B.C., but afterwards begrudgingly acknowledged its composition dating back to 1500 B.C. This is totally unfair because the Indus Valley Civilization is being dated 3000 B.C., which is an offshoot of the Vedic culture. Therefore, the Rigveda must have existed centuries earlier.
Ginex: Also, the Rigveda was handed down orally for perhaps one or two thousand years and only written around 1500 B.C.
9.4 Anwar: The Islamic Mysticism is considered an offshoot of the Greek thought for the following reasons:
a. Plato did not believe in a creator God. He stressed that this phenomenal world, which is illusory, was not created but molded by Him as an imitation of the eternal models of Forms that He had before Him; the subordinate gods were formed subsequently.
Parmenides (515 B.C.) another Greek philosopher, believed that the multiplicity of existing things, their changing forms and motions are nothing but an appearance of a single eternal reality (Being). This is how the principle of "all is one" arose to make the universe a monistic existence.
b. Plato propounded the Socratic principle: ''look into the self" by emphasizing moral development of personality in accordance with the requirements of rationality. It is this maturity of personality associated with the true scale or good, which is the key to human felicity. The cause of missing real happiness lies in the fact that people mistake apparent good for the real good. If they were sure of the truth, they would never pursue falsehood.
c. Since knowing is the only way of differentiating between the true and false, knowledge is all virtue.
d. Immortality of soul is yet another doctrine of Plato. After death, soul survives the body for being the divine element.
Not only that, soul has a succession of many lives. As in nature, winter is followed by spring, this cyclicity equally applies to death, which is inevitably accompanied by life. If this were not true, the process of death would put a complete stop to life.
Ginex: The succession of a soul through many lives is a hypothetical idea that mankind implores to extend life via continuous existence. But this is foolish because just as a star has an end so does all life associated with that star ends. Life, with or without the soul, is extended only by life on earth.
e. Plato's doctrine of Forms suggested that the physical phenomena i.e., the world around us is not real but an illusion. His judgement is based on his theory of Ideas or Forms. Simply stated, it means that everything which appears to exist, is in fact, a reflection of a single determinate and immutable reality which lurks behind it. Something appears to exit only because it temporarily partakes with the Idea or Form, the reality behind it. When we say that a flower is beautiful, it means that the flower is temporarily reflecting the Form beauty. When it cannot represent this Form, it ceases to be beautiful.
To understand this point, one ought to think of a pretty young lady looking at herself in a mirror. In this context, she is the Form i.e., real, but her reflection in the mirror is an illusion, which lasts only as long as the maiden looks at herself. When she stops looking at herself, her image (the illusion) vanishes because the communication between the two is no longer there.
This principle of illusory existence is known as Maya in the Indian thought.
f. In the platonic metaphysics, the goal of soul remains union with God, who is considered the eternal and supersonic beauty. This union is to be sought through eros i.e., desirous love. However, this love is between an older and a younger man. The former is the teacher and latter is the people.
Plotinus emphasized the Platonic doctrine of mystical union by declaring that once a person has completed his philosophical conversion to become Intellect, the One (God) manifests His presence through him continually.
Realizing that the issue under discussion is a serious one, I have stated the fundamental principles of Islam, and also described the doctrines of Tasawwuf i.e., Islamic Mysticism so that the reader can see the truth for himself. A person cannot be a Muslim if he believes that:
a. God is not the Creator, and the existence is monistic.
b. The purpose of life is union of soul with God, and not a search for paradise, abounding in physical pleasures.
c. The ultimate success depends on one's own deeds guided by one's inner light, and not on prophetic Intercession.
For further elucidation of the subject, I have also narrated the Greek point of view, and emphatically added that it is erroneous to think that the Islamic Mysticism is an offshoot of the Greek thought. It is essentially an extension of the Vedic doctrine, and therefore, Tasawwuf is a form of Hinduism and not Islam. However, this fact has been obscured by the dark clouds of history, and requires evincing argument to sift the truth from triviality.
I will deal with the issue in Chapter 10 of this article. However, for the sake of clarity, it will not be possible to maintain the same order of description in the concluding part, as observed in this section of the discussion.
Chapter 10. Mysticism, the Vedic Legacy - 2 of 2
Is Islamic Mysticism (Tasawwuf) really an extension of Hinduism? If the reader follows the ensuing argument sincerely, he will inevitably come to this conclusion.
The Rigveda, the oldest Scripture of mankind, is the first to declare that the entire universe has the same origin. It is called monism. This statement fundamentally distinguishes the Indian philosophy from the Christian and Semitic doctrine because both the Bible and the Koran advocate that this world is the work of a creator God, who is independent of creation.
Topic 1. Monism
Ginex: The philosophical idea that all of existence is unified in a type of oneness is monism. Only one supreme being exists, which may be conceived as a type of God. Monists would argue that all objects are all part of the same basic whole, which might be called God, the universe, nature, the source, the One, or something else.
Anwar:
Monism
1. The Vedic point of view is stated thus:
Then was not non-existent nor existent:
there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it.
What covered in, and where? and what gave shelter?
Was water there, unfathomed depth of water?
2. Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal:
no sign was there, the days' and nights' divider.
That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature:
apart from it was nothing whatsoever.
3. Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness
this All was indiscriminate chaos.
All that existed then was void and formless:
by the great power of Warmth was born that Unit.
4. Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning,
Desire, the primal seed and germ of Spirit.
5.
The Gods are later than this world's production.
Who knows then whence it first came into being?
6. He, the first Origin of this creation, whether
he formed it all or did not, whose eye controls
this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it,
or perhaps he knows not. (R.V.X - CXXIX)
Ginex: The view given by Anwar that in the beginning, the state was neither existence nor non-existence. There was indiscriminate chaos where all was void and formless so that nothing ranked as immortal (i.e., nothing was responsible (such as a creator God) for evolving things by giving them forms and properties).
1.2 Anwar: The world (to be) was one formless void which the power of Warmth started changing into being (Unit). The Hymn CXC of the Rigveda explains the nature of Warmth by adding: "From Fervor kindled in its height ETERNAL LAW and Truth were born. . .." Thus, Warmth means extreme heat. This statement about the beginning of the universe conforms to the modern scientific theory known as the Big Bang, which is held as the source of matter as well as the law that controls its shaping and qualities.
Ginex: Anwar and the Vedic point of view is very impressive. To initiate life there had to be warmth to initiate first water then the elements that followed, such as vegetation. The Big Bang is a good theory for an ancient culture that had a limited view of the universe. Modern man has a much larger view of the universe and it becomes obvious that there had to be a multiple number of Big Bangs to form the universe with its many galaxies. The universe is so vast that the Big Bang had occurred many times since energy exists throughout the universe. One Big Bang could not possibly populate the universe with an infinite number of galaxies that are many billions of years apart and some larger than 100 times the size of our own galaxy. Energy, in accordance with Nikola Tesla, stated, “Throughout space there is energy.” Refer to Section 1.3 of the book, Everything Has a Beginning, Even the Universe. It is hosted on the Iran Politics Club website and obtained with the link.
Everything has a Beginning – Even the Universe: Ginex Word Press
1.3 Anwar: Having said that (refer to 1.1 and 1.2 above), I may restate the salient points:
a. In the beginning prevailed chaos, which was gradually organized into being by the Eternal Law, and originally formed a part of it.
b. Since the universe originates from a common source i.e., the Chaos, the basic principle is Monism and not Monotheism.
He, the first origin of this universe" as described above makes it clear that "He" does not refer to God but to the origin of things. Therefore, "He" does not mean God, and this is especially so because the stanza 2 (2. above) states quite unambiguously that in the beginning nothing was immortal.
c. The Gods came into being after the primary chaos started shaping itself according to the Eternal Law. It means that spiritual development is a part of the physical evolution; if this were not true, gods would not have evolved later.
Ginex: As the universe formed in the beginning, does not mean spiritual development was a part of the physical evolution. Atoms, consisting of electrons, protons and neutrons could not have any spirit because atoms had to first form matter which later coalesced into numerous Big Balls that dispersed planets within galaxies. Much later, with the proper amount of heat from an associated star, life forms developed. This does not prove that spiritual development is a part of physical evolution. What did occur was the hypothetical development of a spirit by man. Just as he developed many types of gods to give solace and provide peace against his fears. The concepts of gods and spirits were constructed in the minds of intelligent men to control a large group of people via an organized set of moral rules.
1.4 Anwar: In a nutshell, the world is not the work of a Creator God; it has always existed, though in a chaotic state, and everything is essentially the same.
The theory of monism occupies a high position in the Vedic metaphysics. This is what led to the concept of Brahma. The Upanishad philosophy has dealt with this point in detail. According to the earlier theories, Brahma was a primal entity, which procreated the world, but having done so, "he entered it." (TAIT 2. 6) MUND. 2.2.11 states:
''Brahma, indeed, is this immortal. Brahma before, Brahma behind, to right and to left. Stretched forth below and above, Brahma, indeed, is the whole world, this widest extent."
The ATHARVA-Veda (10. 7. 32-34) states that the earth is the base of the highest Brahma, the air is his belly, the sky his head, the sun and moon his eyes, fire his mouth, the wind is his breath.
In fact, Brahma is the whole universe. This also happens to be the faith of a Sufi except that he calls it God. (Khuda).
Ginex: How the Sufi transformed a belief that the earth is the base of the highest Brahma who is immortal and procreated the world to being the creator of the whole universe is astounding. The Vedic point of view given in the six stanzas above appears to envision the universe and not simply the earth and its world. Yet, it appears the Sufi accept monism, a Hindu Rigveda belief, which applies to the whole universe with the immortal God, Brahma. As mankind gains knowledge, he applies this knowledge to the limits of existence, which is the unbounded universe.
Topic 2. MAYA – The World as an Illusion
2.1 Anwar: The theory of Maya, or the world as an illusion, is a Greek misunderstanding of the Vedic doctrine. According to Plato, everything being a reflection of an individual prototype, which is real, ranks as unreal. Through sheer ignorance, this theory came to be associated with the Hindus. The Muslims of India seem to be the major cause of it.
The Vedic point of view of monism stated above in CXXIX above, mentions “He, the first origin of this creation.” Thus, the Rigveda does not acknowledge a Creator God, but points to a common Origin of procreation. Everything, emerges from the same Origin, and therefore, it is essentially the same as the origin itself.
The Bhagavadgita in Chapter IX, 6-10, shows how things come forth from the Origin, and eventually return to it, and then re-emanate, and this cycle of evolution-devolution and re- evolution goes on indefinitely. This is the modern scientific theory, which was enunciated by the Vedic seers thousands of years ago.
Ginex: There is some clarification to the idea, “things come forth from the Origin, and eventually return to it, and then re-emanate.” After an explosion by a black hole or Big Bang, energy, particles and matter are expelled out into the universe. Yes, the cycle of evolution begins again. However, due to energy in space, new Origins appear. As stated by Nikola Tesla, from energy matter is created to form electrons, protons and neutrons which form atoms. Multiple atoms combine to form higher forms of matter that coalesce into galaxies that initiate other Big Bangs. So, the universe is also capable of generating galaxies that enlarge the universe.
Topic 3. Union with God
3.1 Anwar: It should be the pride of every Indian to realize that as a rational concept, the idea of life-after-death first arose in India:
"(AGNI) Master of present and of future life, the maiden's lover and the matrons." (R.V.I. LXVI: IV)
It automatically raises the question that what is the goal of future life? According to the Indian Scriptures, it is union of the human soul with God. This purpose is quite compatible with the monistic nature of the universe. It is because man is the highest being in the universe, only next to God; he is in fact a god for being the kinsman of gods:
"Ye, O ye Gods, are verily our kinsmen; as such be kind to me who now implore you."
(R.V.2, XXIX: IV)
"The friendship of the gods have we devoutly sought." (R.V.I - LXXXVIII: 2)
Since man is of the same essence as God Himself, the purpose of his future life is to become a part of God by uniting with him as a drop joins a sea to become a sea itself.
Union of soul with God is a major point of excellence in the Indian philosophy. This, too, has been claimed as a Platonic idea though it was propounded centuries earlier in the Upanishads.
3.2 Anwar. The Rigvedic idea of Purusa, the universal soul, I have already mentioned. We find in CHAND 5.11-18, a dialogue which gives view of five learned householders about Atman, the world soul, which is best referred to as one's self. Simply slated, the world is conceived as a Universal soul and a person's self is considered its miniature. Thus, man receives the status of a microcosm compared to the universe, which is held as macrocosm. This idea has also been ascribed to Socrates! However, the truth is revealed by BRIH. 1.4.7:
"One's self (Atman), for therein all these become one. That same thing, namely, this self, is the trace of this All; for by it one knows this all. Just as, truly, one may be traced by one's footprint."
Here man is treated as self (microcosm) whose destiny is to seek absorption in the macrocosm, the universal soul. This principle is further explained in SVET. 2.15:
When with the nature of the self, as with a lamp, a practicer of yoga beholds here the nature of Brahma (the world soul). Brahma as the World Soul is classified by BRIH. 3.4.1:
"Explain to me him who is the Soul in all things."
Union of soul with God or of self with the Universal Soul is a part of the Indian philosophy borrowed by the Islamic Mysticism under the Greek cloak. Why all this eulogy for Greece, and none for India, the originator of philosophy? The reason is that the Arabs learnt their metaphysics without realizing that the Greek practiced the Indian culture. I have not made up this story. It is generally agreed by the historians of the early 20th century that people of India, Greece and Italy are members of the same racial stock.
Obviously, as emigration started from India, these people took their Vedic culture with them. This is the reason that there is a good deal of semblance between the philosophy and mythology of India and Greece. As I have discussed this issue in my unpublished book "The Wonders of the Rigveda," I need not go into details here. However, I ought to mention that Plato was born c. 428 B.C. His family was related to the celebrated early law-maker Solon, and traced its ancestry to Dropides, a well-known Indian name.
Topic 4. Look into Thyself
4.1 Anwar: The above title is a particularly Indian doctrine and is a part of the basic Hindu philosophy of Karma, which simply means that one reaps what one sows. A major tenet of the Sufi saints, it is totally opposed to the fundamental Islamic teaching, which seeks salvation through faith and the Intercessory powers of the Prophet Muhammad.
The self is the uniting link between man and God, equating the former with the latter when he has accomplished unity. Just see the following quotations from the Upanishads to realize the truth for yourself.
"This whole world is Brahma.. This soul of mine within the heart .." (CHAND. 3. 14.1,3)
''He is the world-protector. He is the world sovereign. He is the Lord of all. He is myself." (BRIH. 1.4.10)
One should adore the thought "I am the world-all." (CHAND. 2.21.4)
"I alone am this whole world." (CHAND. 7.25.1)
"Whoever thus knows 'I am Brahma' (the World-Soul) becomes this All (Brahma); even
the gods do not have power to prevent his becoming thus, for he becomes the self." (BRIH. 1.4.10)
The only way of uniting with God is through one's self. This is the Vedic philosophy, propounded by various seers, according to their caliber and vision. It was stated some 500 years before the birth of Plato.
When they crucified Mansur Al Hallaj, he was in a mood, which assured him unity with God. This is why that, despite extreme persecution, he repeatedly declared:
"I am the Truth i.e., God."
All Sufis believe in this Hindu tenet. Mansur was no exception.
Topic 5. Love
5.1 Sufi ideal as stated earlier, is founded on the love of mankind, but it is the exact opposite of Islam, which is based on the hatred of non-Muslims:
"Oh ye who believe! the non-Muslim are unclean." (Repentance: 17)
"Oh ye who believe! Murder those of the disbelievers .... and let them find harshness in you." (Repentance: 123)
"Certainly God is an enemy to unbelievers." (The Cow, 90)
Contempt of the unbelievers and persecuting them form the major subject of the Koran. Therefore, it cannot be the source of Tasawwuf (Islamic Mysticism)
The Almighty claims to have created him for no purpose but to worship Him (L. QAF 155). One must remember that worship is the lowest form of self-humiliation that a person can show to his superior with a view to gaining his pleasure.
Since Islam is the preacher of cruelty against the non-Muslims, it cannot be the fountain of Mysticism. Does then, a Sufi get his inspiration for love from the Hindu Scriptures? Yes, he does. Just look at the following quotations from the Bhagavad Gita:
"He who is free from malice towards all beings, who is friendly as well as compassionate .... that devotee of Mine (God) is dear to me." (12. 13 -14)
Again, "He who is not a source of annoyance to the world, and who never feels offended with the world ... he is dear to Me (God)." (12.15)
It is evident from the two quotations that a person does not have to belong to any particular faith because if he wishes well to all beings and not just the Hindus, he automatically qualifies as the devotee of God: he must not be a source of annoyance to the world! On the contrary, the Koran prescribes torture of non-Muslims until they accept Islam or surrender to the Muslims and pay (servility) tax. To encourage the Muslims to be aggressive, the Koran sanctifies murder, rape and pillage of the unbelievers through Jehad. This is the highest form of worship in Islam!
Topic 6. Eroticism
6.1 Anwar: In X. CXXIX: IV, the Rigveda states,
"Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire, the primal seed and germ of Spirit."
This Desire, has been personified as Kama, variously known as the cosmic desire or the creative impulse. This is the first-Born of the chaos that prevailed in the beginning and served as the source of all the following creation.
At a later stage, Kama was represented as a handsome youth, attended by heavenly nymphs. He is shown carrying a bow, which is a sugar cane, and his bow is a string of bees. Kama uses love-producing arrows of flowers. Once a person is struck by Kama, he is bound to fall in love. In fact, Kama, the Vedic god of love is the messenger of sweet pleasure, whose purpose is to create and soothe the pains of frustration.
This Vedic Kama appears as Eros in Greece and Cupid in Rome. Even in these countries, he is equipped with a bow and arrows for inducing love. The chivalrous or courtly love that prevailed in the medieval Europe may be considered an extension of Kama, as understood in India. This shows priority of the Indian philosophy and culture over Greece and Rome. However, the word "love" assumed a different meaning in these two countries, especially Greece, which was to act as the fountain of Western culture and philosophy. Though it is claimed that it was a heterosexual love, it also implies homosexual love. This is what Platonic love means; Plato has used for illustration the cohabitation of Socrates and Alcibiades, a beautiful youth, who later took part in the Athenian politics. Citing them as the model of erotic love, Plato claims that it can lead to true love, illumining the hearts of both the lover and the loved. During the times of Socrates, the wise man, homosexuality was a part of the Greek culture. The law did not approve of it but the custom did. As I have discussed in 'The Wonders of the Rigveda," the Greek Chief God, Zeus, was a replica of the Indian Chief God Indra except that the former, who had Ganymede, a beautiful young lad, as his cup-bearer, indulged in homosexuality whereas the latter, though erotically promiscuous, was heterosexual.
Though Kama is the fountain of the Greek mystical love, the concept of beautiful youths, who radiate divine affection through association with an older man, acting as the teacher, is the Greek contribution to Mysticism. This practice gained extreme popularity in the Persian poetry. To give it legitimacy, the Sufis quote a hadith: "I saw my Lord (Allah) in the form of a youth with a cap tilted."
Topic 7. Monasticism
7.1 Anwar: A Sufi saint is usually poorly dressed and requires just about enough food and water to keep his body and soul together. In fact, the word Sufi is derived from SUF, meaning wool.
The Sufis practice monastic life, which is against the tenets of Islam:
"And monasticism they invented – We did
not prescribe it for them – only seeking the
good pleasure of God; but they observed it
not as it should be observed. So, we gave
those of them who believed their wage; and
many of them are ungodly." (LVII -IRON: 25)
Obviously, Islam holds monasticism as an ungodly way of life, which goes against the grain of the Prophet, who had nine wives, two concubines and about thirty household servants. However, the Sufis claim that he lived a life of extreme poverty and wore mended clothes. They do so to justify their monastic style of living. Is having nine wives, and the rest, a life of poverty?
However, all Hindu saints do not practice celibacy. Many of them have wives and children. A Sadhu is a Sadhu because he leads a meditative life based on abstinence. This is how a Sufi lives.
Topic 8. Mystical Concert or Sama
8.1 Anwar: Islam does not allow indulgence in music. This is the reason that we do not hear of any great Muslim musician, but a musical concert or Sama has become an integral part of Sufism. Sama is considered the vehicle for expressing the restlessness of soul for union with the beloved. In all musically sung poems the beloved happens to be a male. This tradition, which became a feature of the Persian poetry, has penetrated the poetry of every Islam-dominated country in the world, and is quite evident in Urdu as well as other languages of the Indian sub-continent.
Though love of boys was given a fillip (boost or stimulus) by the Persian poetry, especially Ar-Rumi, the ritual of starting mystical sessions with the introduction of music and erotic poems is said to have started in Baghdad during the mid-9th century. The purpose of music and singing is to induce ecstasy among the listeners. Jalal-ud-Din-ar-Rumi inspired the organization of whirling dervishes, who danced to melodious music for gaining spiritual bliss.
Islam does not tolerate music and dance. Treating it as a part of divine worship is unthinkable to any true Muslim scholar, yet the Sufis justify it on the authority of a single hadith, which is probably apocryphal (fictitious) because it does not conform to the Prophetic Model.
Music and dance are part of the Hindu temple- worship, and this is the source of the Sufi Sama.
Topic 9. Pir and Murid
9.1 Anwar: According to the Islamic tradition, a faithful needs no Waseela or Divine Medium other than that of the Prophet Muhammad; the Koran is his perfect teacher. All Sufi Orders such as Qadiriya, Suhrawardiya, etc., are founded on an initiation ceremony called "Bayat:" the novice places his hand in the master's hand and swears allegiance to him. The master or Pir is treated like god by the novice (Murid) because he seeks divine union through the former.
This is the imitation of the Hindu model of Guru- Chaila. It incorporates most yoga principles and practices, which even Pythagoras took back to Greece when he visited India.
Topic 10. Dhikr
10. Ginex: Dhikr a form of devotion, associated chiefly with Sufism, in which the worshiper is absorbed in the rhythmic repetition of the name of God or his attributes.
Dhikr is a form of Islamic meditation in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly chanted in order to remember God. It plays a central role in Sufi Islam, and each Sufi order has usually adopted a specific dhikr, typically accompanied by specific posture, breathing, and movement. In Sufi Islam, dhikr refers to both the act of this remembrance as well as the prayers used in these acts of remembrance. Dhikr can be performed in solitude or as a collective group. It can be counted on a set of prayer beads or through the fingers of the hand. A person who recites the Dhikr is called a Dhakir, literally "he who remembers." The content of the prayers includes the names of God, or a dua taken from the hadiths or the Quran.
10.1 Anwar: Finally, I may draw the reader's attention to Dhikr i.e. recitation of Isme Azam i.e. "Allah Hoo (God is)" which is the imitation of the Jaap of Om (divine chant) or Ramnam.
Ginex: Om is a sacred sound, syllable, mantra, or an invocation in Hinduism. Om is the prime symbol of Hinduism. It is variously said to be the essence of the supreme Absolute, consciousness, Ātman, Brahman, or the cosmic world. In Indic traditions, Om serves as a sonic representation of the divine, a standard of Vedic authority and a central aspect of soteriological (doctrine of salvation) doctrines and practices. The syllable is often found at the beginning and the end of chapters in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Hindu texts.
OM certainly is sacred for a devoted Hindu. However, throughout many countries, regardless of the religion one was born into, Amen is used to emphasize a point or strong belief. In the Old and New Testament, and every biblical document deemed sacred, Amen is used not necessarily at the beginning but at the end to verify its holiness. This author believes that it may be considered the name of God that has been passed on to us from the Egyptian religion.
10.2 Anwar: There are several other Vedic features which have been incorporated in Tasawwuf but I think that I have said enough to make the point. This is what renders Tasawwuf, the Islamic doctrine. The reason is the terror of the orthodox mullah, who has always been politically ascendant for enabling the Muslim rulers to wage holy wars against the infidels, and has thus acted as the royal tool of power. The Sufi, who was looked down upon suspiciously, found it necessary to exaggerate the spiritual grandeur of Muhammad. Again, being a lover of humanity, he had no use for the rulers except praying for them in their hour of need. The fate of Dara Shakoh, the Sufi brother of Auranzeb, who was declared a heretic and executed at the instigation of the orthodox mullahs, serves as a good example of this truth. Finally, poetry is more a matter of the heart and less of the brain. As Sufism became its major subject, it affected masses through its erotic appeal and the lure of easy salvation through the agency of the PIR, whose own entry into paradise depended on Muhammad, further exaggerated his magnificence.
Ginex: A very significant point that Anwar would agree with is that the Qur’an has its believers believe that their religion is the only true religion. It is the real cause for Muslims causing the deaths of people that have other religious beliefs.
Chapter 11. Significant Beliefs of the Sufi-Hindu Religion
The Universal Mystery by Anwar Shaikh has provided an impressive understanding of the Sufi-Hindu religion. He has provided a view of how mankind developed a religion based on Hindu text orally preserved 1,500 to 3,500 years before being written down as the Rig Veda between 1500 and 200 BCE. Hopefully, this author’s desire to share significant highlights of this religion will give the reader a deeper understanding of Indian religious beliefs.
1. Exercise Free Will. Evolution of humanity is not possible without the proper use of free will. Morality is its most significant and greatest ingredient for mankind how to act voluntarily in relation to others and also maintain dignity as a human (Anwar).
2. The Mystical Love of God. India stands out as the true home of mysticism because in the Vedas, the Indian scriptures, it is man who woos God being inspired by the fear, reverence and wonder of nature. The other religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam have exactly the opposite approach. In these faiths, it is God who contacts man (Anwar).
Semitic religions hold that it is God who reveals Himself to man because He wants to be worshipped and desires to guide man; people who believe in Him are guided and saved but the unbelievers are thrown into hell. This philosophy clearly shows that:
* The relationship between God and man is not that of love because He forces himself on man through revelation.
* Man is not a lover but a slave who is required by divine command to obey and worship the Almighty.
3. Root of the Vedic Religion. The Veda is considered eternal. It is not subject to revelation (Anwar).
4. Vedic Quest for Reality. This quest is initiated by man of his own free will. It gives him the status of a lover and bestows on God the honor of being the beloved, seeking union with Him. And this has been the fundamental principle of mysticism since inception of civilization. Therefore, it is only Hinduism which rises as the source of mysticism whereby it is man who seeks God voluntarily (Anwar).
5. Mysticism as Described by Rig Veda. This is the most sacred and oldest book of Hinduism. It unmistakably shows the following features (Anwar):
* Mysticism is not a revealed religion but inspired by the mysterious nature of the universe. It is described in hymn CXXXIX of creation.
* Originally there was neither being nor nonbeing; nor air, nor sky. There was total darkness, and this All was concealed in chaos.
* There was only a void and formlessness, and it was the great power of Warmth which led to the birth of unit (i.e., primitive order).
* There were mighty forces and their action on "the energy up yonder" which brought order to chaos and gave it form.
6. God is in All. The Self or Atman (soul) or everything is a part of God. It is shared by us and everything else; the undivided Self of things, which happens to be omnipresent, is identical with Brahman, who is neuter and above all human attributes, desire and ends.
7. The Organized Priesthood. Primitive man, out of fear, started worship-ping the imaginary gods and goddesses. As time went on, there arose the idea of organized priesthood. Clever men, who wanted to dominate their frightened fellow-beings invented not only "sacred" writings but also symbolism, that is, idols of different gods and goddesses as well as a host of rites, ceremonies, taboos and spiritual manners (Anwar).
8. Pir and Murid. All Sufi Orders such as Qadiriya, Suhrawardiya, etc., are founded on an initiation ceremony called "Bayat:" the novice places his hand in the master's hand and swears allegiance to him. The master or Pir is treated like god by the novice (Murid) because he seeks divine union through the former. All other religions employ prophets and messiahs who claim they are the messengers of God (Anwar).
As shown in the Holy scriptures of Egypt, Old and New Testament, and The Qur’an, prophets and messiahs provide contact with the Almighty through their revelations. The oldest books of the Rig Veda do not provide commands from a creator God and instead, it promotes the use of free will. Morality is its most significant and greatest ingredient for mankind how to act voluntarily in relation to others and also maintain dignity as a human (Ginex).
9. Religion and Mysticism. The difference between them is that religion is founded on one man's desire to topple other gods to raise himself as the God of all times. Whereas, however, an ordinary or revealed religion is divorced from reason and is founded on faith (Anwar).
10. Mythology a Tool to Dominate Man. To raise certain individuals and their families above the rest many dynasties claimed they were children of God. They were endowed with divine rights to rule their fellow beings. One has only to look at the histories of Egypt, China, Babylon and Inca empires. India and Arabia provide us with even more amazing examples (Anwar).
11. Mysticism is the Product of India. To summarize, Mysticism originated in India and then mingled with other creeds of the world to rank as the true religion of mankind (Anwar).
Ginex: Unlike the major religions of Egypt, Judaism, Catholicism and Islam, the oldest scripture, the Rig Veda does not exhibit commands given by the revered gods for people to live their lives. The reader may refer to the link
Legacy of a Father Book
This text verifies that all the major religions have commands received from gods to conduct their lives. This approach in not found in the Rig Veda and reveals that the Sufi-Hindu religion relies on mysticism that provides an expression of the divine philosophy which encourages thinking, reasoning and probing. It is the property of the thinking mind that searches for truth regarding the beginning of the universe.
The key word is Truth. Of all the major religions mentioned, you will find that it is within the Egyptian religion that Truth and righteousness were highly revered attributes. It is to be emphasized that the morality of the Egyptian was imbued with a high regard for righteousness and truth. These attributes of the human spirit were formed and reinforced with their beliefs in their local god. It is true that the Egyptians had multiple gods that they worshipped but it does not take away the sensibility they developed for fairness, kindness and truth.
To give the reader a sense of the level of righteousness that was revered by the Egyptian during the Old Kingdom (2980-2475 BCE), a few quotes are furnished below. One noble of the 27th century BCE left the following record of his upright life:
I gave bread to all the hungry of the Cerastes-Mountain (his domain); I clothed him who was naked therein. I filled its shores with large cattle and its [lowlands] with small cattle. I satisfied the wolves of the mountain and the fowl of the sky with [flesh] of small cattle…. I never oppressed one in possession of his property so that he complained of me because of it to the god of my city; [but] I spake and told that which was good. Never was there one fearing because of one stronger than he, so that he complained because of it to the god…..I was a benefactor to it (his domain) in the folds of the cattle, in the settlements of the fowlers…. I speak no lie, for I was one beloved of his father, praised of his mother, excellent in character to his brother, and amiable to [his sister].
During this same century, the Grand Vizier Ptahhotep of Memphis had stated:
Established is the man whose standard is righteousness, who walketh according to its way.
And one last quote by the Eloquent Peasant of Heracleopolis, 23rd century BCE:
Righteousness is for eternity. It descendeth with him that doeth it into the grave, . . . his name is not effaced on earth, but he is remembered because of right.
This author emphasizes the morality of the Egyptian was structured with a high regard for righteousness and truth. These attributes of the human spirit are emphasized because the future of mankind, presented in the book that follows (prior to the 2024 Presential Election), will depend on truth and righteousness.
Many civilizations have had their multiple gods so that we should not fault the Egyptians for their worship of many gods but recognize that they, like many other cultures, were evolving. As time advanced, their consciousness and interpretation of the world around them became more sophisticated. Eventually, a higher image or concept of God evolved to keep pace with their understanding of the world. This developmental process is similar to the advancement of technology and the sciences for we learn from previous failures and improvements until a more ideal state is reached.
The nature of the Egyptian for kindness towards his fellow men, the desire to lead a righteous life, and a high respect for truth must be acknowledged. Little of this knowledge has been imparted to many people in their education.
To end this discourse, I leave the reader to reflect on the highest attribute that should be taught in all
religions and educational institutions, the use of Truth. Presented as Figure 3, it is provided for our readers to remember as the reader begins to envision the book that will follow. We must live by and constantly seek Truth in order for mankind to attain the next level of growth and be accepted by intelligent entities in the universe.
Note for Figure 3: James H. Breasted in his book, A History of Egypt, provides Figure 154 which indicates the ankh represents the Symbol of Truth. As shown on the following Page, many people have misinterpreted the ankh as the Symbol of Life. ‘Truth’ was the most highly esteemed quality of the Egyptians. A Pharaoh would not require ‘Life’ since he is guaranteed eternity, but he would nevertheless require ‘Truth’ to guide him during his reign.
Figure 3a. Anubis Presents to the Pharaoh Amenhotep II the Ankh Symbol of Truth.
Figure 3b. Anubis Presents to the Pharaoh Amenhotep II the Ankh Symbol of Truth.
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