ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY

Simple living means limiting one’s worldly requirements to the minimum, assiduously avoiding comfort and luxury. the wire is connected to the powerhouse, electricity is produced, and the place is lit up. In this way, spirituality is the result of the connection to the power house of God. Human nature is like an inflammable element. When an inflammable substance like petrol comes near a fire, it is ignited. Similarly, human nature is awakened when it comes in contact with God. This finds expression in the Quran in these words: God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The metaphor of His light is that of a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp inside a glass, the glass like a brilliant star, lit by a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would well-nigh glow forth even though fire did not touch it. Light upon light! God guides to His light whom He wills. And God sets forth parables to men, and God has knowledge of all things. (24: 35) This is a compound simile. ‘Light’ here means the guidance of Almighty, ‘niche’ means the human heart and ‘lamp’ denotes the capability to receive divine inspiration. Glass and oil elaborate upon this receptivity. ‘Glass’ shows that this receptivity has been lodged in the human heart; protected from outside influences, and clear oil indicates that this receptivity is very strong and is eagerly waiting to receive inspiration. This verse makes it clear that, on the one hand, is God, the source of inspiration, and on the other, is the consciousness of spirituality (Godconsciousness) with which man is born. In this way when these two things come together, Islamic spirituality comes into existence. This is indeed another name for the awakening of God-consciousness. When it reaches its highest stage, the believer’s realization of God comes to that point where he begins to feel consciously in his worship that he is seeing God and if he is unable to come to this stage then he consciously feels that God is seeing him. If the first type of experience is called direct spiritual experience, the second type may be termed indirect spiritual experience. As the Quran tells us, “Prostrate yourself and draw near” (96: 19). For God is always close to us—closer than the life-blood in the jugular vein (50: 16). By total surrender to God, the soul can realize nearness to God.