Lecture E
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
THE RELATION OF THE SOUL WITH THE LIFE IN THE GRAVE
The relation of the human soul with nafs during the life in the grave is not cut off fully. When needed it becomes with nafs and returns to its known post known as the TRUMPET OF ISRAFEL (peace be upon him). This coming back and forth happens very fast. It is faster then the speed of the light and only Allah Taala knows its reality. As per the latest scientific knowledge, a speed faster than the speed of light has not been identified yet.
A noble verse in the Qur’an decrees.
“Allah takes away souls at the time of their death (the temporary death of sleep), and those who do not die during their sleep He withholds that upon which He has decreed death, but turns lose the other till a stated term. Surely, there are signs in this for a nation who contemplate.” ( Surah az Zumar , 39/42)
The similarity between sleep and the inevitable –physical- death is notified with definite lines.
The soul leaves the body and the nafs accompanying the body in both cases. When the person awakes, the soul returns and life continues. It is very impressive that the returning of the souls of billions of people instantly without messing up with each other. One thing we should make clear that the knowledge we have about DEATH, THE LIFE AFTER DEATH are the things beyond physical laws and explanations. The second thing each soul returns to its body at the same speed and without mixing with one another.
“It is He who makes you to die by night, knowing what you have gained by day, and then resurrects you so that an ordained term is realized. To Him you shall return, and He will tell you of what you have been doing.” (Surah al An’am- 6/60)”
Its third feature is it informs us about the truth of the death. The humans die every time they sleep and then awaken after the sleep until their last dieing.
The human body works in slow mode during the sleep and dreaming. Even though we accept the soul leaves the body during the sleep, what is the reason for it’s not getting affected from the images that we see as being conscious?
Allah knows better, but probably the soul returns to the body while are dreaming just like it happens when we awake and it is affected by the image; it also hears the words, it sees and speaks. Another thing getting our attention in the concept of dreams is seeing, hearing and speaking in dreams do not happen with our physical eyes, hears and tongue. These are the powers of the soul. Seeing, hearing and speaking happen through the soul with the creation of Allah, i.e. without the related sense, without any instruments.
Imam Suyuti (may Allah be pleased with him) says in his explanation of this matter:
“ This matter gained certainty with the firm information in our religion that the soul may be in anywhere, illiyyoun, or in the paradise, or, in the sky, while it may be still in contact with its body, it performs prayers, recites the Qur’an. One does not obscure the other. The realities of the life in the grave and the afterlife are completely different from the ones in the world we are familiar with. It is said that the ability of speedy movement is so big that it can go from the grave to the sky in less than a second, faster than the twinkling of an eye. This is noticed by the soul in the sleep. As a matter of fact, a hadith says.
The soul of the sleeping person raises, goes through the seven layers of the sky, and prostrates before Allah in the Almighty throne (Arsh), and returns to its body and this travel happens in very little time span.
The Encyclopedia of Hadith, Vol 14, pp-154, Dr. Ibrahim Canan
Ibnu Hacer quotes the following hadith related to this topic:
“Allah Taala ordered the angel Israfel to get the trumpet. Then all souls gathered in the trumpet. Then Allah Taala breathes into the bodies and each soul enters its body”.
According to this hadith, attribution of the breathing to the horn is the reality, while attribution from the bodies to the horn is an allegory.
Ibnu Hacer-The Encyclopedia of Hadith, Vol 14, pp-158
The commentary of the Qur’an – RUH’UL BEYAN, Vol 5, pp- 44 says “as the awakening replaces the sleeping, which is similar to death…...”
ABOUT ACB UZ ZANAB AND NAFS NATIQAH
As per the hadith acb uz zanab is the smallest bone of the body. It is located in the sacrum and bears the NUCLEUS AND SEED of the humans. The truth of this is known only by Allah Taala.
A verse in the Qur’an decrees:
“It is He who originates the creation, and then brings it back again, that is easier for Him. For Him is the Highest Example in the heavens and earth He is the Almighty, the Wise.” (surah al Rum, 30/27)
This is one of the clearest verses in the Qur’an relating to the issue. It is accepted by Islamic teachings that people will resurrect with the same attributes of his at the time of death, and ACB UZ ZANAB is the seed of this resurrection which does not spoil and keeps its liveliness in the grave until the resurrection. Undoubtedly Allah Taala has the power to do anything. His power is an absolute one, and free from any limits and restrictions. We say only WE BELIEVED AND AFFIRMED for the aforementioned fact.
However, there is a point that captures attentions. It is the situation of the nafs natiqah and the following and the like details: What would be the state of nafs natiqah in the grave? What is its relation with ACB UZ ZANAB? What is its relation with the soul?
As it is mentioned in the section of the reality of the nafs, its essence and origin is THE LIGHT OF THE ATTRIBUTES SPECIAL TO the venerable unity of existence. It emanated from the degree of La Taayyun (indefiniteness) and it deigned to the world after passing through degrees for billions of years and settled in the grave with death. While it came from the realm of dreams it stayed in fire. Likewise, the world was a part of the sun and broke away it and its heat lowered as time passed and turned to a place where living beings can survive. This is for sure and certain as per the positive science of our time and the Qur’an point out so.
The Qur’an decrees:
“Have the unbelievers not seen that the heavens and the earth were (once) a single entity, which we then parted asunder…” (Surah Al Anbiya, 21/30)
The translation of the Qur’an by the foundation of the Turkish Religious Affairs directorate in page 323 explains this as follows:
“… The matters in the space were a mass of gas. As time passed very large pieces in shapes of globe broke away from this single mass and flew off the cavity of space. Likewise our world, too, came off the Sun, a mass of gas, and then cooled and formed a crust.”
This fact was mentioned by the Qur’an 1400 years ago while the positive science has seen this reality recently, i.e. 1400 years after the Qur’an. The explanations of the saints and wises are the sufistic commentary on the Qur’an. They, too, expressed this reality centuries ago. For instance, a couplet by Niyazi Misri (may Allah be please with him) as follows:
I became a cloud and ascended to the sky
I became the rain, and descended to the ground
I became the Sun, and rose sometimes
To the earth and the skies
The poet, as a human being, mentions the eras and the degrees his essence has gone through. The places his nafs, a light then, stopped by before coming to the world, he clearly says his essence also called by the SUN. Stopping by the sun is the proof of its staying in colossal heat for a long time. Our essence, or if I may put in this way our seed did not lose its liveliness and preserved it.
Actually, the fire does not burn the light, more correctly it can not burn it. The fire only burns the living beings in the world and kills their animal spirit, and alters them chemically.
As per the sixth verse of the Surah at Takweer “When the seas are set boiling,” (81/6), we are informed that the seas will be boiled on the Judgment Day. The great Doomsday will eradicate physical life of all creatures.
The truth of nafs stayed within the fire both before it came to the world and after it came to the world as per the Qur’anic evidences above. During its stay within the fire neither elapses of time nor did awaiting affected its essence, and not destroy or kill it. Our subject is ACB UZ ZANAB, our seed which does not decompose in the grave and when Israfel blows the trumpet we resurrect out of it. If this seed had had a material structure, it would have been subject to chemical changes and finally have been destroyed and lost its liveliness due to the effects of the air, moisture and fire. Therefore its structure is beyond material properties. As the soul does not stay in the grave and stays in a place called the trumpet of Israfel (peace be upon him), and as nafs natiqah stays in the grave, it may be supposed that allegorically ACB UZ ZANAB may come to mean nafs natiqah, because it is not affected by the destroying conditions of the world.
May be the resurrection will happen from the DNA molecules at which no chemical and physical reactions occur.
Mr. Taşkın TUNA says the following in his explanation regarding the DNA:
The smallest building stone is the cells in the living beings. At the centre of the cells is a nucleus and within the nucleus are chromosomes. There are protein and the groups of DNA molecules within the chromosomes.
All the knowledge coming from the parents regarding heredity is kept within the DNA.
Uzay ve Ötesi, pp-122-123
A cell is defined by its three basic functions: renewing itself, repairing itself, and keeping its liveliness.
The same book, pp-120
Even though it is enough to say Allah knows better and he has the power to do anything, our going into the details emanates from our curiosity feature. If curiosity is to understand the ART AND PERFECTION of Allah, it is something good and not against Islamic decency.
The noble Qur’an says:
“And (remember) when Abraham said: 'Show me, Lord, how You raise the dead,' He replied: 'Have you not believed?' 'Rather,' said Abraham, 'in order that my heart be satisfied.' 'Take four birds,' said He, 'draw them to you, then set a part of them on every hill, then call them, they will come swiftly to you” ( Surah Al Baqarah, 2/ 260)
Upon the Venerable Abraham (Pbuh) asked how Allah resurrected the dead, Allah Taala answered his question by displaying it. This story shows us that it is permissible to investigate the religious topics to understand the way the excellence and greatness of Allah becomes apparent.
resurrection will be as our physical body in the world:
“We created you from it (the earth), and to it We shall restore you; and from it We will bring you forth yet a second time.” (Surah at Taha, 20/55)
It is for sure that the first creation of the body is made out of the synthesis of the FOUR ELEMENTS, that is SOIL, WATER, AIR AND FIRE. As per the noble verse, the resurrection will be made in the same material body we have now. Then the question of whether the conditions of this world required for life exist in the afterlife comes to the mind.
While we dream, the material life continues, however, sight, hearing and speaking are not made by physical organs. Secondly, human beings are not only consists of material structure. He/she also has an inner side, and immaterial organs as subtle matters. He has a soul, a heart, intellect, consciousness, memory, imagination and all faculties of the soul, and above all a NAFS NATIQAH. These last ones dominate the whole synthesis structure. Sovereignty, dominion and ruling belong to our interior structure.
According to the venerable Visali, contrary the synthesis in the world, in the afterlife, our interior side comes off and our exterior structure in the world turns into inside. Since more condensed bodily structure is inside and covered by subtle interior structure, it is hoped that there will be no material secretions and no need to go to the lavatory. Allah knows the truth.
A hadith clarifies:
“Praise is due to Allah who makes us die and then resurrects us. Our return is to Him.”
Resurrection and the revealing of the secrets in the haSHr (the great crowd for last judgment)
“Say: 'Shall I tell you who will receive a worse recompense from Allah than that? Those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He is angry, and made some of them apes and swine, and those who worship the devil. The place of these is worse, and they have strayed further from the Right Path.” (Surah al Ma’idah, 5 /60)
The 60th verse of the Surah al Ma’idah clearly expresses that those whom Allah cursed and whom he is angry with and those who have gone astray will resurrect in the form of animals. In the last verse of the Surah al Fatihah, which we recite at each cycle of the prayer, the believers pray for not being one of those WHO ARE CONDEMNED BY ALLAH and those who go astray. This also involves not resurrecting as animals.
“On the Day when all secrets will be laid bare, when he will be helpless, with no supporter.”
(Surah At Tariq, 86/9-10)
While interpreting the revealing of all secrets mentioned in this verse, the men of tasawwuf accept that the interior side of the people will turn into exterior during his resurrection and according to his spiritual formation and spiritual level in his lifetime in the world; he will be put in certain form and transferred to the place of gathering for the last judgment. As per the hadith that “humans die as they live and resurrect as they died”, the spiritual level of humans at their living, their stay in the grave and their resurrection is the same.
“People will resurrect in ten different groupings, some of whom as apes, some of them as snakes…” This hadith expresses that people will take a form as per their level after their resurrection and that form will turn into a body. Those who are at the level of NAFS AMMARAH (nafs that urges evil) will turn into wild animals as it requires. As the eulogy mentions, that day is the day of tubla (the day secrets will be laid bare), each meaning wears a form and some become plants, some animals, some humans.
Niyazi Mısri, Mısri Divanı Şerhi, M. Sadedddin Bilginer, pp.47
The deeds of every one wear a form in the gathering place for the last judgment. If he/she has done good deeds, he/she takes the shape of a houri, or immortal youths, trees, fruits, birds etc. If the person had committed bad deeds, he/she keeps wearing the shapes of apes, snakes, scorpions, pigs, dogs and the like. When the secrets will be laid bare, that is when the inner side is turned to outer side, there is no way or any supporters to get out of the shape you wore at that moment.
Seyid M. Nur, the same book
The Anthology of Seyyid Nizamoglu, the eulogy of the blaming bad morality says:
After death, the person raises up his head in the grave
And sees its great gathering for the last judgment, all people are astonished
Whatever attribute you have here, you will have it in the afterlife
In that way humans are known, understand this talking
If you incline your heart to what is forbidden, your interior becomes a pig
Envy is not good; you take the shape of a worm,
If you die as hypocrite, you turn into apes
If you are like that, repent and become a real muslim
Quit inclination to the world, or you become a dog definitely
Those who beat the people by his teeth become a snake or a centipede
Those who eat, drink and sleep (those who are doing nothing) are becomes either a buffalo or rabbit
Surrender yourself and your tongue to a perfect spiritual guide
If you want to be a human o Seyid Nizamoglu
Seyyid Nizamoglu, His Life and Anthology,
Published by Adil Ali Atalay, pp-227
Even though in terms of outer appearance he may look like a human being, in his inner side- spiritual structure he may have some animal characteristics and dies with these properties and when he resurrects, he will be in the shape of the animal whose attribute he had in his lifetime. His inside and consciousness will be a human being, but his outside will be in the shape of an animal and like this he is transferred to the place of gathering for the last judgment. Those who commit adultery and eat what is unlawful will be in the shape of pigs, hypocrites will be resurrected as apes, those who commit sins with his tongue will be snakes, the envious people will be in the shape of worms and in their new shapes they will go to the gathering place for reckoning. Nizamoglu (may Allah be pleased with him) explains these and tells us that the only way for being saved from this condition and spiritual illnesses is to surrender oneself to a spiritual guide. We will go into the details of this issue in the chapter of the spiritual guide and the journey of ascend.
An incident that took place in the time of our venerable spiritual leader Hasan Hüsamettin Ussaki (may Allah exalt his mystery) sheds light to our subject.
As per quoted to us, a guest came to the dervish convent of the Ussaki brotherhood who was against the faith understanding of the community of sunnah. He started to behave in a manner that would spoil the faiths of the brothers. The situation was told to the venerable spiritual leader. The person was given some advices a couple of times, but he continued to spread corruption. Then the venerable spiritual leader prayed and the person took the shape of a donkey. AT INNER SIDE HE WAS A HUMAN, AT OUTER APPEARANCE HE WAS A DONKEY. The brothers took this wicked person to the market place and sold to some people from the palace. As the daughter of Murat the third, the ottoman sultan at the time, liked the donkey very much, he was saddled up and dressed up with some stuff. He was also given water and fodder.
But he did not eat and drink and the people are surprised that the donkey was listening to what they talked about. … Finally the donkey escaped from the palace and returned to the dervish convent and asked forgiveness crying. Then he repented and prayed for forgiveness and as a result of the favour of the venerable sheikh, he reverts to the shape of a human… The saddle and other stuff were given back to the palace.
This is a miracle-like deed emanated fro our spiritual leader. As per the belief of the the community of the Sunnah, it is true that the saints can show miracle-like deeds (with the leave of Allah) . Allah Taala has the power to do anything. The esteemed spiritual leader prayed for it and Allah transformed him back to his previous shape.
If we look at the universe and the things in it carefully, similar kind of things always occurs. For instance, for a fig to ripen hundreds of flies come out of the male fig and they make the pollination. This is a miracle. Animals’ getting out of a plant is a work of the divine power. Likewise, if many seeds are not used in time, maggots come out of them. They are complete creatures with their eyes, feet, digestive system, and reproductive system. Even though humans dislike it, from a plant, a more developed creature is created. It is a proof of the glory and existence of Allah for those who look at them in order to draw moral from them.
As per Şehbenderzade Ahmet Hilmi Bey (a scholar of the constitutional era of the Ottoman Empire) says:
Life means eating and sexuality for the ignorant people
For the wises who look to TAKE LESSON it means watching wonders
A noble hadith says:
“One hour reflection on the greatness of Allah is better and blessed than 70 years worshipping hım (ıt ıs better than only not oblıgatory ones).”
A verse says:
“Take lesson, those who have eyes (to see)” (Surah Al Hasr/2)
Another incident related to the subject as follows:
In 1959 in the month Moharram we went together to visit a grave of a person whom we believed to belonged to the Perfect community and people thereon thought so. We prayed near the grave and returning though a narrow footpath. Suddenly a mole appeared in front of us and coming towards us quite fast, it looked as if the animal was interested in us. The oldest one in our group pushed the mole away the footpath with his walking stick, then we kept walking.
After three to five months later we were traveling by bus with our spiritual guide the venerable Bekir Sıdkı Visali. The incident of the MOLE was stuck to my heart and my mind. I was not able to sort the problem out by myself, because as all animals, moles, too, run away from the humans, even if they had no ability to see, they feel a foreigner or an enemy by their other senses. Why did he not run away and why did he stop for a while in that later afternoon, in front of us as if he was a conscious being? For those who explains everything by reference to Allah and observes the existence of Allah through the names of him, the incident of the mole meant a lot.
I told the issue to the venerable Visali as I wrote just above and asked the real truth behind it?
He said “the person you visited could not free from the level of being an animal”.
Those who experienced the incident saw the mole by their physical eyes; all of them passed away except me the writer of the commentary by the way as 39 years passed since then. However, the venerable Visali, the perfect person, saw the mole by his spiritual eyes, that is through the camera of the invisible realms and he was informed of the real truth behind the incident.
We together went to the grave to apply to his help for our spiritual problems being solved. May be the person in the grave was asking our help to free him from the situation he was in.
It is terrifying to know, externally being in the shape of an animal even though the person’s intellect, consciousness and all other human properties exist in his inner side.
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We tried to express the subject with details due to its importance. Let us not forget that humans are born by having BAD MORALITY for some reason. Some bad moral properties like SHAMEFUL ACTS (i.e. adultery), RAGE, ANGER, GREEDINESS AND AVARICE (dedicating the whole life only to earn the worldly possessions), TUUL AL AMAL (THE PROMISE OF HOPE that causes to go to the afterlife as a complete loser after wasting the capital of life in this world, HAUGHTINESS AND EGOISM (supposing existence at oneself), ENVY that prefers seeking defects in the divine order of the God and even worse the bad moralıty that are not visible in childhood, a period in which the material and spiritual structure of the human is not perfect yet, come up when the material structure of humans reach to the age of 15 and their intellects matured. If the orders of Islam are not applied fully, the above-mentioned bad morality captivates the human and directs him until his death…. What a pity for such people.