According to the teachings of Sufism, Allah said, “Neither my heavens nor my earth can contain Me. Only the heart of my beloved can contain Me.” The “heart” mentioned in this traditional saying is not the physical heart, but a metaphorical heart that is located in the body from the throat down to the solar plexus. Other traditions call this the “heart chakra” area. This metaphorical heart contains many layers or “worlds”. These worlds correspond to the main levels of the Stations. These layers are called The Nafs (or Mulk), The Heart (or Malakut), The Soul (or Jabarut) and The Secret (or Lahut).
Most people live their entire lives identifying only with the outermost world of the heart called the Nafs, the Ego, the Dunya or Mulk. This world is made up of everything we perceive through our 5 senses. All that you see with your eyes, hear with your ears, feel through your touch, etc. It is about our body, our mind, and our insatiable desires. Its focus is me, me, me. Its question is, “What do I want?” This is the most dense layer of the heart. This is where much of our wounding resides. In the Christian Lord’s prayer this is the World of the Kingdom. Even people who have reached the lower levels of enlightenment or God Realization will, at times, have their humanity glaring out for all to see. It can take a long time to clean the Nafs completely.
Once people begin to walk the path to God Realization, they may occasionally reach the next world of the heart called Malakut, or simply the heart of the heart. This layer is about our relationships to others. It is less dense and less veiled from the Truth. This layer has a desire for good and purity, capability, will, and knowledge. Its question is, “What feeds my heart?” Other traditions call this the Astral Plane or Spirit World. Here you can find angels, spirit guides, and jinn. Many stop with their walking here because this world is very beautiful, a paradise. Other things associated with Malakut are pre-eternity, sacred geometry, archetypes, and the World of Dominion. This layer also contains many wounds.
Those that have a deep longing to know God can eventually experience the third world of the heart called Soul or Jabarut. This is the I-Thou relationship. It is very subtle, often experienced as vast unlimited space where you are face to face with God. It is a quiet stillness that is full of energy and pure. Its question is, “What is my Life’s purpose?” The Divine Qualities are found in this layer. This is the level of saints, prophets, and archangels. It is the World of Omnipotence. It is infinite eternal power and possibility. The wounding here is very subtle often genetic, family of origin wounds passed through the DNA.
The fourth world of the heart is called the Secret or Lahut. It is very subtle. This is the level of God Realization or enlightenment. It is Holy. This is where you are no longer face to face with God, you disappear back into the ocean of God. All the veils are removed from your heart, you are pure of heart. This is where the Holy Spirit or Prophetic Light emanates. In the Lord’s Prayer this is the World of Power. Here you see everything as the face or essence of God.
We can be in any of these worlds of the heart momentarily as a state. As you do your walking you will be able to stay in deeper worlds of the heart longer as a station. There are many ways to clean your heart (do the walking) 1. Remembrance 2. Al Wird (the watering hole) 3. Write the stations 4. Pray 5 times a day (Salat) 5. Write the Wazifa 6. Get healings or go to “How to Walk” for more suggestions.
Doing the walking is not easy. In Music of the Soul the chapter titled, “Washing with the Truth” Sidi says, “In the beginning everything is difficult because you live in your body. You feel the difficulties and you feel tired. But if you leave your body outside and change everything to be inside, then you find that everything becomes very beautiful. But know that there is no difference between the severity (al-jalal) and the beauty (al-jamal) when you are complete. … When you are complete, you are special for God. If you are special for God, what do you want after that? … All the secrets are in the heart of the soul. Everything is inside you. You have many hearts, yet all these are one. When I say many hearts, I mean many stations of the heart. In every station, there is a garden with a quality. … You can “be” the holy word if you know everything that I see inside you. You are very holy. Know this!”
Finally, I want to conclude with a short chapter from Music of the Soul that moves me deeply called “The Love”.
The Love
bismi’llah ir-rahman ir-rahim In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
When you find the love, you find yourself. The secret is in the love. You are the love, not another. Everything is in the love, and everyone needs the love. If you find this, what more could you want? When you know, what could you want? When you have the knowledge of the love, you feel peace in your heart. The jewels are inside you. This is the holy meaning. When you understand, then you are the meaning,the holy meaning. But look and reach so that you find every meaning and do no hesitate because inside every meaning is the quality of love. The love has seven qualities and this love knows no differences. If the Muslims, Jews, Christians, and the people of any other religion, knew their religion well, there would only be one religion, the religion of love and peace and mercy.
Leave everything outside that is not useful and give everything to God to live inside His garden of love. Remember the name of God at every waking moment, and you will find Him beside you, to help you to walk in the way. Be courteous with everyone you meet. Give them mercy to help them to know the meaning of this love. Give and listen to everyone who speaks to you. Listen with the ear of your heart because this is the voice of God speaking to you, trying to help you to know Him. If you hear another voice, it is wrong. Open your heart to God and He will give you everything. Then your heart will feel quiet and you will only see the love, only the love.
You are the reflection of God. There is nothing, only He. Where is another? Give everything to God and you will begin to know yourself. When God made you, He made beauty. Live with the people on the outside, but hear only your God. Those who live in the outside world are like jewels that need cleaning. They need the fire to burn away all their imperfections so that the jewel may reflect its inner beauty. If you are not clean, how can you find the love. The Sufi way is the straight way – walking a straight path to God, letting nothing on either side block the vision of the straight way. I will ask God to send mercy and peace to everyone because He is the Peace.
If you want God, remember that He gives you what you want. Don’t be afraid. God will not give to you anything that is not good. We must see God in the face of every human being. When you walk and when you sleep, remember the name of God because He knows no time. When you pray to God, pray only to love Him. Do not pray for Him to put you in the garden. God throws out a net, and when He catches you in this net, then you are in the garden. Every student needs God.
When He helps you to find Him, then pray, and when you look into another’s eyes, see the reflection of God looking at you. Understand that inside every word is a message or a sign from God. See the picture of God in every person that you meet.
All the troubles in the world are necessary. If there was no darkness, how could there be light? If you did not see sadness, how could you see happiness? Be courteous to everyone and see the face of God in every person, but know that the people on the outside carry two faces. On the inside they carry the face of God, but on the outside, the face of the shaitan. Be polite with both faces, and when you see someone angry or shouting, know Who speaks with you. Everyone has put himself in his place and this is the station for that person. Be polite with him and give him mercy. Be with God all the time and do not speak with anyone from the outside unless it is necessary.
Give your time for God and He will change you from station to station, cleaning your heart of everything that is not good. This is the message of the prophets. It is a difficult way and at the same time a very easy way. When anyone wants to know God, He will help anyone to walk the straight way.
Follow one guide to take you by the hand, to guide you from the darkness to the light. He will make the walking easy for you and then you can rest. If you go from here to there, you lose time. The student of the family of God rests because he lives in the garden. When anyone knows why he lives and walks in this created world, then he begins to know himself. We are here only to know Him. Live all the time in the garden of love. When you heart feels love, then everything around you is quiet and at peace. This is from the message, but not all the message. Live to love and to know God.
Allah