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In today's sitting, come let us ponder life and the nature of
its demands. It is a daily observation that life proceeds along a chain of
demands. Needs arise within us and we fulfil them. When we feel hungry, we seek
food to eliminate the hunger. When we feel thirsty, we look for water. We eat
food, and we drink water. In other words, we fulfil the demands that arise
within us. This gives us satisfaction and we become content.
If we ignore a demand, our mind remains perplexed by it, and it
keeps reminding us that the need has not yet been met. This causes unrest
within us. Worry and anxiety take hold of us. We are not able to do anything
with focus and concentration. Our attention becomes more and more distracted.
This is true of all needs and demands. To eat and drink, to by
happy, to love, to earn a living, to raise and educate one's children to
exhibit selflessness and love, to help others, in short, every action of life,
is the result of one need or the other. These needs arise within every
individual of this world, and each individual, somehow or the other, at some
point or the other, sooner or later, fulfils these needs and gains contentment.
Just like demands of the body, human spirit also has its
demands. The demands of the spirit prod human consciousness in a similar
fashion: to awaken the realization that these needs should also be met.
Spiritual demands and their fulfilment are much more important and tar more
consequential than the fulfilment of physical demands. Their consequences are
far more momentous than physical demands, and their fulfilment brings about
much greater peace and contentment such that one reaches a point where one
forgets all worries. A feeling of blissfulness and pleasant intoxication permed
one's mind. One is surrounded by happiness and the elements of happiness, which
drive away all worry and grief.
Of these spiritual demands, the most important and the most
basic demand that arises within man is one that brings about the realization
within man that he must contact his Allah, and that he must attain that joy and
happiness which is certain to result from this nearness. Human spirit pines to
achieve this happiness and joy. Alas, man has thrown into the recesses of his
soul that [frame of] mind which informs him of these demands and the importance
of their fulfilment Man considers his all, the temporary demands of this
material life which is but of a few days. The body is mortal and the joys and
sorrows related to the body are also temporary. Everything connected with the
material body will die when the body dies. But spirit is everlasting. Thus all
that is related to the spirit contains within it the aspect of eternal life.
The happiness that arises by the fulfilment of spiritual demand assures
everlasting comfort and joy.
But the tragedy is, as we have said, man has forgotten the
importance of all this and has moved away from his spirit and has become
oblivious towards the fulfilment of spiritual needs. His spirit, however, still
attempts to bring his anent' towards the fulfilment of these needs. Man may
give a whatever meaning he wishes, he may accept it with whatever interpretation
he may, but its existence cannot be denied. When, even upon the continual
warning of the spirit, we fail to fulfil [its demands], the reaction of the
demand becomes apparent. This is the same reaction which also arises when
physical demands are not met.
The condition of this reaction is much more severe than that of
the prior reaction that has just been mentioned. At times one reaction as
mental chaos, and at times one processes it as dissatisfaction and lack of
peace. At other times, one yes it as a feeling of insecurity. But all of these
are the fleets of an unfulfilled spiritual need. And that need consists of the
human desire to draw near to Allah the Exalted attain his true status which he
had rejected in the past, is he protected from all worry and grief.
Thus it is necessary for all of us to carry out the practical
step, is of meditation [‘Muraqabah’] in order to fulfill our spiritual needs.
May Allah the Exalted guide us! Ameen
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
Science has made immense progress, yet many believe that, even with all of the modern tools at our disposal, human beings function at no more than 10% of their mental capacity. This leads to the question of what exactly it is that comprises the remaining 90%. Yet another question that arises is this: If it has taken man four and a half billion years to be able to apply only 10% of his ability, how long will it take for him to make use of the remaining 90%?
