FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE

How does one achieve this marifah? The journey begins with the acceptance that there is a God and finishes with one discovering the true Creator. The individual must first of all become a seeker and later become a finder. It is this order of the journey of marifah which applies to a common man as well as to a prophet. The following Arabic saying brings out the above understanding with clarity, “[Acknowledging that] I do not know, is half of knowledge”. First, an individual has to discover his own ignorance, and then a spirit of enquiry is born within. The greater the acknowledgement of his own ignorance, the greater is his spiritual and intellectual learning. It is a natural rule to which there is no exception. Marifah or the discovery and realization of God is not something to be inherited, that a father may give to a son and the grandson may receive from his forebears. It is of a personal nature. Whenever anyone attains to God-realization, it will happen only as a result of personal effort. Without personal effort, no one can ever achieve marifah. Whatever one receives without personal struggle will be just a kind of traditional belief rather than a living marifah. Marifah relates to the entire personality of the human being. It is initially achieved at an intellectual level. Subsequently through a natural process, it pervades his whole personality. The attainment of God-realization for anyone colours his whole personality in its hue. No aspect of his life will remain unaffected by its influence. The journey of marifah is indeed one of discovery. This discovery continues during the whole of one’s life. One who thinks that he has achieved perfect marifah would in effect, never have discovered it at all. o Marifah or the discovery and realization of God is not something to be inherited, that a father may give to a son and the grandson may receive from his forebears. It is of a personal nature.