What is Mysticism

Similarly the entire body of aurad-o-wadhaif is innovation (bid‘a) adopted by sufis of later times. A method not taught by the Prophet can never be a means of the realization of God. All such new methods place obstacles to the realization of God, these can never be stepping stones to it. This is a fact that the prevalent methods of additional devotions are not established from the traditions of the Prophet. Furthermore, all these are physical exercises and such physical exercises can never lead to spiritual progress. Physical action can produce physical results. It is impossible for a spiritual attribute to be produced from physical action. From the Islamic viewpoint man’s existence has two levels to it. One is man’s visible body which is in need of a number of material things. Without providing the material things like food, water, clothes, home etc, physical body cannot survive. The other aspect of human personality is that in it there is an invisible being called soul. The soul too requires certain things, but these are not of material nature. These are entirely of non-material nature, hence its requirements too was to be fulfilled. According to this division, since man possesses a double personality, two types of provision are to be constantly supplied for him to survive. One being physical provision, the other being spiritual provision. The centre of the acquisition of physical provision, according to the Qur’an, is this earth (14:32) and the centre of the acquisition of spiritual provision is the Being of God. That is why this provision is called ‘Lord’s sustenance’ (20:131) or ‘spiritual provision’ is in actual fact, the result of a contact with the external source of sustenance (that is, God). This goal is achieved entirely through mental action. This mental activity is called tazakkur and tafakkur (remembrance of God, thoughts of God) in the Qur’an. When man takes his mind away from the external world to the internal world, when he diverts his attention from the material aspects of thing to their hidden reality then he is introduced to a whole new world. He experiences finer realities. This experience increases his realization and in this way provides him the sustenance to live a spiritual life. Man is a creature who wants no boundaries, sticking to limits is akin to his intellectual death. It is an indication of his deprivation from divine sustenance. It is because the intellectual journey of a recipient of spiritual sustenance will always continue is indicative of the fact that he has been deprived of spiritual sustenance. For