Chapter VIII: Self-Examination and Self-Accounting
The great saint Sulaiman was asked by a man: Give me - instruction. He said: When you commit sin in a lonely place, think then that Allah sees you. If you think in a great sinful act that Allah does not see you, you will become an infidel. The great saint Sufiyan said: Think of One from whom you cannot hide anything. Hope for One who can fulfil His promise. Be careful of One who is the Lord of punishment. The saint Abdullah-b-Dinar said: One day I accompanied Caliph Omar-b-Abdul Aziz to Mecca. On the way, he asked a shepherd to sell a goat to him and he said: I am merely a servant. Hazrat Omar said to him: Tell your master that a tiger has eaten your goat. The servant said: Where is God? At this Omar began to weep. The next morning Omar went • to his master, purchased him and set him free and said: This word of yours has set you free and I hope this will give you salvation in the next world.
STAGES AND KNOWLEDGE OF MEDITATION
What is meditation? It is to keep the mind towards Him who keeps watch and to keep all thoughts engaged to Him. Meditation is a state of mind which gives fruit named Marfat and that state of mind raises an action on bodily limbs and heart. Meditation therefore means a state of mind and Marfat. The state of mind means turning of heart towards the great Watcher and to keep it engaged in His thoughts and attributes. Marfat is the fruit of this state of mind. The meaning of Marfat is the knowledge that God watches the state of mind, knows its secrets, sees the actions of man and well know what each man does. People see outward actions but God sees inward thoughts and outward actions. This becomes powerful in mind which it turns into a sure faith. There are many knowledges free from doubt which do not become powerful in mind, just as the knowledge of death. Those who have firm belief in this knowledge are the near ones of God.
They are of two classes - Siddiqs, who are owners of good fortune. The meditation of a Siddiq or a great truthful man is about His honour and glory. He is immersed in these thoughts of Allah. When mind is engaged in divine thoughts, the bodily limbs also follow it and do divine service and take trouble for divine pleasure. He who reaches such a stage, keeps himself aloof from society, does not even see those who are present before him and does not even hear them. Take for instance the servants of a
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king. They are immerged in his service in such a way that they don't see whathappens in his Darbar.