Kashf al-Mahjub - about Hajj

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nur.nu
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Kashf al-Mahjub - about Hajj

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THE PILGRIMAGE

From: KASHF AL-MAHJUB
by ALI B. UTHAlAN AL-JULLAlU AL-HUJWIRI
transl. Nicholson


To enter the bodily station is to be secure from enemies
and their swords, tut to enter the spiritual station is to be
secure from separation (from God) and its consequences.

Muhammad b. al-Fadl says : " I wonder at those who seek
His temple in this world : why do not they seek contemplation
of Him in their hearts? The temple they sometimes attain
arid sometimes miss, but contemplation they might enjoy always.
If they are bound to visit a stone, which is looked at only once
a year, surely they are more bound to visit the temple of the
heart, where He may be seen three hundred and sixty times in
a day and night Hut the mystic s every step is a symbol of
the journey to Mecca, and when he reaches the sanctuary he
wins a robe of honour for every step." Abu Yazi d says : " If
anyone s recompense for worshipping God is deferred until
to-morrow he has not worshipped God aright to-day," for the
recompense of every moment of worship and mortification is
immediate. And Abu Yazi d also says : "On my firstjDil grim age
I saw only the temple ; the second time, I saw both the temple
and the Lord of the temple ; and the third time I saw the Lord
alone." In short, where mortification is, there is no sanctuary :
the sanctuary is where contemplation is. Unless the whole
universe is a man s trysting-place where he comes nigh unto
God and a retired chamber where he enjoys intimacy with God,
he is still a stranger to Divine love ; but when he has vision
the whole universe is his sanctuary.

" The darkest thing in the world is the Beloved s house witliout
the Beloved"

Accordingly, what is trulyi valuable is not the Ka ba, but
contemplation and annihilation in the abode of friendship, of
which things the sight of the Ka ba is indirectly a cause.
But we must recognize that every cause depends on the author
of causes (musabbib\ from whatever hidden place the providence
of God may appear, and whencesoever the desire of the
seeker may be fulfilled. The object of mystics (inarddri) in
traversing wildernesses and deserts is not the sanctuary itself,
for to a lover of God it is unlawful to look upon His sanctuary.
No ; their object is mortification in a longing that leayes_them
nq_rest, and eager dissolution in a love that has no end.
A certain man came to Junayd. Junayd asked him whence
he came. He replied : " I have been on the pilgrimage."
Junayd said : " From the time when you first journeyed from
your home have you also journeyed away from all sins ? "
Hejsaid: "No." "Then," said Junayd, "you have made no
journey. At every stage where you halted for the night did
you traverse a station on the way to God?" He said : "No."
" Then," said Junayd, " you have not trodden the road stage
by stage. When you put on the pilgrim s garb at the proper
place did you discard the attributes of humanity as you cast
off your ordinary clothes?" "No." "Then you have not
put on the pilgrim s garb. When you stood on Arafat did
you stand one instant in contemplation of God ? " " No."
" Then you have not stood on Arafat. When you went to
Muzdalifa and achieved your desire did you renounce all sensual
desires?" "No." " Then you have not gone to Muzdalifa. When
you circumambulated the Temple did you behold the immaterial
beauty of God in the abode of purification ? " " No." " Then
you have not circumambulated the Temple. When you ran
between Safa and Marwa did you attain to the rank of
purity (sofa) and virtue (inuruwwaf] ? " " No." " Then you
have not run. When you came to Mina did all your wishes
(munyatha) cease?" "No." "Then you have not yet visited
Mina. When you reached the slaughter-place and offered
sacrifice did you sacrifice the objects of sensual desire?"
" No." " Then you have not sacrificed. When you threw the
stones did you throw away whatever sensual thoughts were
accompanying you ? " " No." "Then you have not yet thrown
the stones, and you have not yet performed the pilgrimage.
Return and perform the pilgrimage in the manner which I have
described in order that you may arrive at the station of
Abraham." Fudayl b. lyad says : " I saw at Mount Arafat

a youth who stood silent with bowed head while all the people
were praying aloud, and I asked him why he did not pray
like them. He answered that he was in great distress, having
lost the spiritual state (waqti) which he formerly enjoyed,
and that he could by no means cry aloud unto God. I said :
Pray, in order that through the blessings of this multitude
God may accomplish thy desire. He was about to lift up
his hands and pray, when suddenly he uttered a shriek and
died on the spot." Dhu 1-Nun the Egyptian says : " At Mina
I saw a young man sitting quietly while the people were
engaged in the sacrifices. I looked at him to see what he
was doing. He cried : O God, all the people are offering
sacrifice. I wish to sacrifice my lower soul to Thee ; do Thou
accept it. Having spoken, he pointed with his forefinger to
his throat and fell dead may God have mercy on him ! "

Pilgrimages, then, are of two kinds : (i) in absence (from
God) and (2) in presence (of God). Anyone who is absent
from God at Mecca is in the same position as if he were absent
from God in his own house, and anyone who is present with
God in his own house is in the same position as if he were
present with God at Mecca. Pilgrimage is an act of mortifica
tion (inujdhadafy for the sake of obtaining contemplation
(inushdhadat\ and mortification does not become the direct
cause of contemplation, but is only a means to it. Therefore,
inasmuch as a means has no further effect on the reality of
things, the true object of pilgrimage is not to visit the Ka ba,
but to obtain contemplation of God.
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