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The Way of Illumination: The Sufi Message: Volume One
The Sufi Teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan, in a friendly and conversational manner, provide the reader not only a deep understanding of Sufi thought and practice, but melds the traditions of East and West – Judaism–Hinduism–Christianity–Buddhism – in a way demonstrating our profound interrelationship.
255 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 2001
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About the author
Hazrat Inayat Khan
304 books264 followersHazrat Inayat Khan (Urdu: عنایت خان ) (July 5, 1882 – February 5, 1927) was an exemplar of Universal Sufism and founder of the "Sufi Order in the West" in 1914 (London). Later, in 1923, the Sufi Order of the London period was dissolved into a new organization formed under Swiss law and called the "International Sufi Movement". He initially came to the West as a representative of classical Indian music, having received the title Tansen from the Nizam of Hyderabad but soon turned to the introduction and transmission of Sufi thought and practice. His universal message of divine unity (Tawhid) focused on the themes of love, harmony and beauty. He taught that blind adherence to any book rendered any religion void of spirit.
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March 3, 2022
“The word "Sufi." Although some scholars assert that this word is derived from a Persian word meaning "wool," to denote that Sufis wear woollen garments, it is considered in the Sufi Movement that, while possibly there may be connection with the Arabic "saf" meaning "pure" (i.e. pure from differences and distinctions), the word more probably has relationship with the Greek word "sophia" (wisdom), so that the word "Sufism" may convey the idea of "that state in which there is pursuit of divine wisdom." The European historian of Sufism sometimes traces its history by noticing the actual occurrence of the word in literature, and therefore refers only to those schools of thought which have definitely wished to be known by this name. Some scholars find the origin of its philosophy in the teaching of Mohammed, some trace the marked influence upon the Sufi writers of the Neoplatonists, some refer back to Zarathustra, or Abraham, or the schools of Egypt.
In the view of the Sufi, however, every age of the world carries with it the presence of awakened souls, so that wisdom cannot rightly be limited to one particular period or place. Hence it is impossible to assign a date to the origin of Sufism. Sufism is to be understood as conterminous with the true wisdom of all times. That which the illuminated souls of all times have uttered, whatever faith they exhibited, whatever language they used, it has always been Sufism; for the wisdom underlying all different faiths is that which unites them all, despite their external difference of aspect” (p. 11 - 12)
“He must first create peace in himself who desires to see peace in the world at large. The most arduous labours in others' service bring little real result without first the possession of that peace within which one desires to see without. The true peace comes from a knowledge of the self, and from an understanding of the whole law of creation. The distinction between the false self (the ego) and the true Self is gradually perceived inwardly, practically rather than merely theoretically. He who holds the reins of self in his hand has the mastery of his own life. The ideal of the Sufi, which he holds constantly in his mind, is describable by the words: " Union," " At-one-ment," " Self-realisation," " Salvation," " the attainment of Unity."” (p. 19)
" There is One God, the Eternal, the Only Being ; none exists save He."
“The God of the Sufi is the God of every creed, and the God of all. Names make no difference to him—Allah, God, Gott, Dieu, Khurda, Brahma, or Bhagwan. All these names and more are the names of his God, and yet to him God is beyond the limitation of name. He sees his God in the sun, in the fire, in the idol which diverse sects worship, and he recognises Him in all forms of the universe, yet knowing Him to be beyond all form. God in all, and all in God, He being the Seen and the Unseen, the Only Being. God, to the Sufi, is not only a religious belief, but also the highest ideal the human mind can conceive. The Sufi, forgetting the self, and aiming at the attainment of the Divine Ideal, walks constantly all through life in the path of love and light. In God the Sufi sees the perfection of all that is in the reach of man's perception, and yet knows Him to be above human reach. He looks to Him as the lover to his beloved, and takes all things in life as coming from Him, with perfect resignation. The sacred Name of God is to him as medicine to the patient; the divine thought is the compass by which he steers the ship to the shores of immortality. The God Ideal is to a Sufi as a lift by which he raises himself to the eternal goal, the attainment of which is the only purpose of his life. ” (p. 25 - 26)
" There is One Master, the Guiding Spirit of all Souls, Who constantly leads His followers towards the light." (p. 26)
“The Sufi understands that, although God is the source of all knowledge, inspiration, and guidance, yet man is the medium through whom God chooses to impart His knowledge to the world. He imparts it through one who is a man in the eyes of the world, but God in his consciousness. It is the mature soul that draws blessings from the Heavens, and God speaks through that soul. Although the tongue of God is busy speaking through all things, yet in order to speak to the deaf ears of many among us, it is necessary for Him to speak through the lips of man. He has done this all through the history of man, every great teacher of the past having been this Guiding Spirit living the life of God in human guise. In other words, their human guises are the various coats worn by the same person, who appeared to be different in each. Shiva, Buddha, Rama, Krishna on the one side, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed on the other ; and many more, known or unknown to history—always one and the same person.
Those who saw the person and knew Him recognised Him in whatever form or guise; those who could only see the coat, went astray, To the Sufi, therefore, there is only one teacher, however differently he be named at different periods of history, and He comes constantly to awaken humanity from the slumber of this life of illusion, and to guide man onwards towards divine perfection. As the Sufi, progresses in this view, he recognises his Master, not only in the Holy Ones, but in the wise, in the foolish, in the saint and in the sinner, and has never allowed the Master Who is One alone, and the only One Who can be and Who ever will be, to disappear from his sight.” (p. 26 - 27)
“This Spirit has always existed, and must always exist; and in this way from time to time the message of God has been given.” (p. 29)
“What is the Sufi's belief regarding the coming of a world teacher, or, as some speak of it, the Second Coming of Christ ? The Sufi is free from beliefs and disbeliefs, and yet gives every liberty to people to have their own opinion. There is no doubt that if an individual or a multitude believe that a teacher or a reformer will come, he will surely come to them. Similarly, in the case of those who do not believe that any teacher or reformer will come, to them he will not come. To those who expect the teacher to be a man, a man will bring the message, to those who expect the teacher to be a woman, a woman must deliver it. To those who call on God, God comes. To those who knock at the door of Satan, Satan answers. There is an answer to every call.
To a Sufi the teacher is never absent, whether he comes in one form or a thousand forms. He is always one to him, and the same One he recognises to be in all, and all teachers he sees in his one teacher alone. For a Sufi, the self within, the self without, the kingdom of the earth, the kingdom of heaven—the whole being is his teacher, and his every moment is engaged in acquiring knowledge. For some, the teacher has already come and gone, for others the teacher may still come, but for a Sufi, the teacher has always been and will remain with him for ever.” (p. 29 - 30)
“All the names and functions which have been placed upon the conception of Christ—Prophet, Priest, King, Saviour, Bridegroom, Beloved—all these are understood by the Sufi. By constant meditation he realises all these aspects of the One, and, beyond that—Allah or God !” (p. 31)
“"There is one holy book, the sacred manuscript of nature, the only scripture which can enlighten the reader." The belief is almost universal in the West that the sacred books are certain books or scrolls written by the hand of man, and carefully preserved as holy, to be handed down to posterity as divine revelation. Men have fought and disputed over the authenticity of these books, have refused to accept any other book of similar character, and, clinging thus to the book and losing the sense of it, have formed diverse sects. The Sufi, has in all ages respected all such books, and has traced in the Vedanta, Zendavasta, Kabala, Bible, Koran, and all other sacred scriptures, the same truth which he reads in the incorruptible manuscript of nature, the only holy book, the perfect and living model that teaches the inner law of life ; all scriptures before nature's manuscript are as little pools of water before the ocean.
To the eye of the seer every leaf of the tree is a page of the holy book that contains Divine Revelation, and he is inspired every moment of his life by constantly reading and understanding the holy script of Nature. When man writes, he inscribes characters upon rock, leaf, paper, wood, steel; when God writes, the characters He writes are living creatures ! It is when the eye of the soul is opened and the sight is keen that the Sufi can read the divine law in the manuscript of nature, and that which the teachers of humanity have taught to their followers was derived by them from the same source ; they expressed what little it is possible to express in words, and so they preserved the inner truth when they themselves were no longer there to reveal it. ” (p. 31 - 32)
“All religions convey to him (the Sufi) the religion of his soul.“ (p. 33)
“Disbelief often darkens the soul, but sometimes it illuminates it. There is a Persian saying, " Until belief has changed to disbelief, and, again, the disbelief into a belief, a man does not become a real Mussulman." But when disbelief becomes a wall and stands against the further penetration of mind into life, then it darkens the soul, for there is no chance of further progress, and man's pride and satisfaction in what he knows limits the scope of his vision.
[...]
The optimistic temperament is the temperament of the believer, and pessimism is as a rule the nature of the unbeliever. The prophets have always promised a reward for the believer, and have threatened the unbeliever with punishment, because the chance for spiritual enlightenment was only in the life of the believer, for the unbeliever covers his soul by his own disbelief.“ (p. 35 -36)
“Sufis have no set belief or disbelief. Divine Light is the only sustenance of their soul, and through this light they see their path clear, and what they see in this light they believe, and what they do not see they do not blindly believe. Yet they do not interfere with another person's belief or disbelief, thinking that perhaps a greater portion of light has kindled his heart, and so he sees and believes what we cannot see or believe. Or, perhaps a lesser portion of light has kept his sight dim and he cannot see and believe as we believe. Therefore Sufis leave the belief and disbelief to the grade of evolution of every individual soul. The Murshid's work is to kindle the fire of the heart, and to light the torch of the soul of his Mureed, and to let the Mureed believe and disbelieve as he chooses, while journeying through the path of evolution. But in the end all culminates in one belief, "Huma man am" that is, "I am all that exists," all other beliefs being preparatory for this final conviction, which is called Hakul Iman in the Sufic terminology.” (p. 40)
“People call love blind, but love in reality is the light of the sight. The eye can only see the surface ; love can see much deeper. All ignorance is the lack of love, as fire when not kindled gives only smoke, but when kindled, the illuminating flame springs forth. So it is with love ; it is blind when undeveloped, but when its fire is kindled, the flame that lights the path of the traveller from mortality to everlasting life springs forth, and the secrets of earth and heaven are revealed to the possessor of the loving heart, and the lover has gained the mastery over himself and others, and he not only communes with God but unites with Him. Rumi says : " Hail to thee, then, O love, sweet madness ! Thou who healest all our infirmities ! Who art the physician of our pride and self-conceit! Who art our Plato and our Galen ! "” (p. 51)
“"God is beautiful, and He loves beauty." The Sufi worships beauty in all its aspects, and sees the face of the Beloved in all that is seen, and the Beloved's spirit in the unseen. So, wherever he looks, his ideal of worship is before him.” (p. 52)
“Know thyself, and thou wilt know God. It is the knowledge of self which blooms into the knowledge of God.” (p. 53)
“The Sufi recognises the knowledge of self as the essence of all religions ; he traces it in every religion ; he sees the same truth in each; and therefore he regards all as one. Hence he can realise the saying of Jesus, " I and my Father are one." The difference between creature and Creator remains on his lips, not in his soul. This is what is meant by union with God ; it is in reality the dissolving of the false self in the knowledge of the true self, which is divine, eternal, and all-pervading.” (p. 54)
“Every being has a definite vocation, and his vocation is the light which illuminates his life. The man, who disregards his vocation, is a lamp unlit.” (p. 65)
“"Man was destined to be the Khalif of all beings"—Koran. This Surah can be rightly understood when we see that all beings in the world are employed for man, being controlled. and ruled by him, obeying his command. All the secret of their nature is disclosed to him, that he may utilise them for the purpose for which they are meant. Moreover, it is man who may rightly be called the seed of God, for in him alone intelligence develops so perfectly that he not only appreciates God's works and worships Him, but he is even enabled to attain self-sufficience and all-pervading consciousness with the everlasting life of Allah. " Man realises his perfection in Allah, and Allah realises His perfection in man."” (p. 70 - 71)
“The Masters have been numberless, since the creation of man ; they have appeared with different names and forms ; but He alone was disguised in them Who is the only Master of eternity.” (p. 74)
“The Unity of the Masters. If the Masters were not the same in their mortal garb, yet in spirit they were one ; if it were not so, how could one and the same truth be disclosed by them all ? The Masters of humanity have been the older brothers who guided the younger ones out of their brotherly love, and owing to their love in the Father. It is humane to sympathise with one's fellowman when he is striving for something and cannot gain it, and to help him to the attainment of the ideal object for which he strives.” (p. 75)
“To the question " What is God ? " and " What is man ? " the answer is that the soul, conscious of its limited existence, is " man," and the soul reflected by the vision of the unlimited, is " God." Plainly speaking, man's self-consciousness is man, and man's consciousness of his highest ideal is God. By communion between these two, in time both become one, as in reality they are already one. And yet the joy of communion is even greater than the joy of at-one-ment, for all joy of life lies in the thought of " I " and " you."” (p. 92)
“Man believes in God by making Him an ideal of his worship, so that he can commune with some One Whom he can look up to, in Whom he can lay his absolute trust, believing Him to be above the unreliable world, on Whose mercy he can depend, seeing selfishness all round him. It is this ideal when made of a stone, and placed in a shrine, which is called an idol of God ; and when the same ideal is raised to the higher plane and placed in the shrine of the heart, it becomes the ideal of God with Whom the believer communes and in Whose vision he lives most happily, as happily as he could be in the company of the sovereign of the whole universe. When this ideal is raised still higher it breaks itself into the real, and the real light manifests to the godly ; the one who was once a believer now becomes the realiser of God.” (p. 93)
“All the Masters are only one embodiment of the Divine Spirit.” (p. 108)
When a person is initiated, he is “The companion of the illuminated souls of the Sufis living on earth and those who have passed to the other side of life. He is linked with the chain of Murshids and Prophets, and is so enabled to receive the Light running through this current through the chain of the Masters.” (p. 111)
“The question, why do the awakened ones not awaken people in the world from the sleep of confusion ? is answered thus: It is not to be advised that little children, whose only happiness is slumber, should be awakened. Their growth depends on their sleep. If they are kept up late they become ill, and are not so useful in the affairs of life as are grown-up people. Childhood needs more sleep, and the children must sleep. Such is the nature of immature souls. They are children, however old their bodies may appear. Their fancies, their joys, their delights are for unimportant things in life, as the life of children is absorbed in sweets and toys. Therefore those who are awakened walk slowly and gently, lest their footsteps may disturb the slumber of the sleeping ones. They only awaken on their way those whom they find changing sides. They are the ones to whom the travellers on the spiritual path give their hand quietly. It is for this reason that the spiritual path is called the mystical way. It is not unkind to awaken a few and to let many sleep, but on the other hand it is great kindness to let those slumber who require sleep.” (p. 113)
“Mastery is in service, and it is the servant who alone can be master.” (p. 114)
SUFI INVOCATION
“PRAISE be to Thee, O Hidden One and Manifested One. PRAISE be to Thy Glory, to Thy Might, to Thy Power, and to Thy great Skill. O ALLAH, to Thee all greatness belongs. O THOU who possessest the Power and Beauty and Perfection, Thou art the Spirit of All. PRAISE be to Thee, O Sovereign of all Monarchs; to Thee, O Master of all affairs; to Thee, O Controller of all things; to Thee, Ruler of all Beings. THOU ART free from death, free from birth and free from all limitations. O Thou Eternal One, Thou art free from all conditions, pure from all things. O ALLAH, Thou art the God of Souls on earth; Thou art the Lord of Hosts in the Heavens.” (p. 116)
― Hazrat Inayat Khan, The Way of Illumination
In the view of the Sufi, however, every age of the world carries with it the presence of awakened souls, so that wisdom cannot rightly be limited to one particular period or place. Hence it is impossible to assign a date to the origin of Sufism. Sufism is to be understood as conterminous with the true wisdom of all times. That which the illuminated souls of all times have uttered, whatever faith they exhibited, whatever language they used, it has always been Sufism; for the wisdom underlying all different faiths is that which unites them all, despite their external difference of aspect” (p. 11 - 12)
“He must first create peace in himself who desires to see peace in the world at large. The most arduous labours in others' service bring little real result without first the possession of that peace within which one desires to see without. The true peace comes from a knowledge of the self, and from an understanding of the whole law of creation. The distinction between the false self (the ego) and the true Self is gradually perceived inwardly, practically rather than merely theoretically. He who holds the reins of self in his hand has the mastery of his own life. The ideal of the Sufi, which he holds constantly in his mind, is describable by the words: " Union," " At-one-ment," " Self-realisation," " Salvation," " the attainment of Unity."” (p. 19)
" There is One God, the Eternal, the Only Being ; none exists save He."
“The God of the Sufi is the God of every creed, and the God of all. Names make no difference to him—Allah, God, Gott, Dieu, Khurda, Brahma, or Bhagwan. All these names and more are the names of his God, and yet to him God is beyond the limitation of name. He sees his God in the sun, in the fire, in the idol which diverse sects worship, and he recognises Him in all forms of the universe, yet knowing Him to be beyond all form. God in all, and all in God, He being the Seen and the Unseen, the Only Being. God, to the Sufi, is not only a religious belief, but also the highest ideal the human mind can conceive. The Sufi, forgetting the self, and aiming at the attainment of the Divine Ideal, walks constantly all through life in the path of love and light. In God the Sufi sees the perfection of all that is in the reach of man's perception, and yet knows Him to be above human reach. He looks to Him as the lover to his beloved, and takes all things in life as coming from Him, with perfect resignation. The sacred Name of God is to him as medicine to the patient; the divine thought is the compass by which he steers the ship to the shores of immortality. The God Ideal is to a Sufi as a lift by which he raises himself to the eternal goal, the attainment of which is the only purpose of his life. ” (p. 25 - 26)
" There is One Master, the Guiding Spirit of all Souls, Who constantly leads His followers towards the light." (p. 26)
“The Sufi understands that, although God is the source of all knowledge, inspiration, and guidance, yet man is the medium through whom God chooses to impart His knowledge to the world. He imparts it through one who is a man in the eyes of the world, but God in his consciousness. It is the mature soul that draws blessings from the Heavens, and God speaks through that soul. Although the tongue of God is busy speaking through all things, yet in order to speak to the deaf ears of many among us, it is necessary for Him to speak through the lips of man. He has done this all through the history of man, every great teacher of the past having been this Guiding Spirit living the life of God in human guise. In other words, their human guises are the various coats worn by the same person, who appeared to be different in each. Shiva, Buddha, Rama, Krishna on the one side, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed on the other ; and many more, known or unknown to history—always one and the same person.
Those who saw the person and knew Him recognised Him in whatever form or guise; those who could only see the coat, went astray, To the Sufi, therefore, there is only one teacher, however differently he be named at different periods of history, and He comes constantly to awaken humanity from the slumber of this life of illusion, and to guide man onwards towards divine perfection. As the Sufi, progresses in this view, he recognises his Master, not only in the Holy Ones, but in the wise, in the foolish, in the saint and in the sinner, and has never allowed the Master Who is One alone, and the only One Who can be and Who ever will be, to disappear from his sight.” (p. 26 - 27)
“This Spirit has always existed, and must always exist; and in this way from time to time the message of God has been given.” (p. 29)
“What is the Sufi's belief regarding the coming of a world teacher, or, as some speak of it, the Second Coming of Christ ? The Sufi is free from beliefs and disbeliefs, and yet gives every liberty to people to have their own opinion. There is no doubt that if an individual or a multitude believe that a teacher or a reformer will come, he will surely come to them. Similarly, in the case of those who do not believe that any teacher or reformer will come, to them he will not come. To those who expect the teacher to be a man, a man will bring the message, to those who expect the teacher to be a woman, a woman must deliver it. To those who call on God, God comes. To those who knock at the door of Satan, Satan answers. There is an answer to every call.
To a Sufi the teacher is never absent, whether he comes in one form or a thousand forms. He is always one to him, and the same One he recognises to be in all, and all teachers he sees in his one teacher alone. For a Sufi, the self within, the self without, the kingdom of the earth, the kingdom of heaven—the whole being is his teacher, and his every moment is engaged in acquiring knowledge. For some, the teacher has already come and gone, for others the teacher may still come, but for a Sufi, the teacher has always been and will remain with him for ever.” (p. 29 - 30)
“All the names and functions which have been placed upon the conception of Christ—Prophet, Priest, King, Saviour, Bridegroom, Beloved—all these are understood by the Sufi. By constant meditation he realises all these aspects of the One, and, beyond that—Allah or God !” (p. 31)
“"There is one holy book, the sacred manuscript of nature, the only scripture which can enlighten the reader." The belief is almost universal in the West that the sacred books are certain books or scrolls written by the hand of man, and carefully preserved as holy, to be handed down to posterity as divine revelation. Men have fought and disputed over the authenticity of these books, have refused to accept any other book of similar character, and, clinging thus to the book and losing the sense of it, have formed diverse sects. The Sufi, has in all ages respected all such books, and has traced in the Vedanta, Zendavasta, Kabala, Bible, Koran, and all other sacred scriptures, the same truth which he reads in the incorruptible manuscript of nature, the only holy book, the perfect and living model that teaches the inner law of life ; all scriptures before nature's manuscript are as little pools of water before the ocean.
To the eye of the seer every leaf of the tree is a page of the holy book that contains Divine Revelation, and he is inspired every moment of his life by constantly reading and understanding the holy script of Nature. When man writes, he inscribes characters upon rock, leaf, paper, wood, steel; when God writes, the characters He writes are living creatures ! It is when the eye of the soul is opened and the sight is keen that the Sufi can read the divine law in the manuscript of nature, and that which the teachers of humanity have taught to their followers was derived by them from the same source ; they expressed what little it is possible to express in words, and so they preserved the inner truth when they themselves were no longer there to reveal it. ” (p. 31 - 32)
“All religions convey to him (the Sufi) the religion of his soul.“ (p. 33)
“Disbelief often darkens the soul, but sometimes it illuminates it. There is a Persian saying, " Until belief has changed to disbelief, and, again, the disbelief into a belief, a man does not become a real Mussulman." But when disbelief becomes a wall and stands against the further penetration of mind into life, then it darkens the soul, for there is no chance of further progress, and man's pride and satisfaction in what he knows limits the scope of his vision.
[...]
The optimistic temperament is the temperament of the believer, and pessimism is as a rule the nature of the unbeliever. The prophets have always promised a reward for the believer, and have threatened the unbeliever with punishment, because the chance for spiritual enlightenment was only in the life of the believer, for the unbeliever covers his soul by his own disbelief.“ (p. 35 -36)
“Sufis have no set belief or disbelief. Divine Light is the only sustenance of their soul, and through this light they see their path clear, and what they see in this light they believe, and what they do not see they do not blindly believe. Yet they do not interfere with another person's belief or disbelief, thinking that perhaps a greater portion of light has kindled his heart, and so he sees and believes what we cannot see or believe. Or, perhaps a lesser portion of light has kept his sight dim and he cannot see and believe as we believe. Therefore Sufis leave the belief and disbelief to the grade of evolution of every individual soul. The Murshid's work is to kindle the fire of the heart, and to light the torch of the soul of his Mureed, and to let the Mureed believe and disbelieve as he chooses, while journeying through the path of evolution. But in the end all culminates in one belief, "Huma man am" that is, "I am all that exists," all other beliefs being preparatory for this final conviction, which is called Hakul Iman in the Sufic terminology.” (p. 40)
“People call love blind, but love in reality is the light of the sight. The eye can only see the surface ; love can see much deeper. All ignorance is the lack of love, as fire when not kindled gives only smoke, but when kindled, the illuminating flame springs forth. So it is with love ; it is blind when undeveloped, but when its fire is kindled, the flame that lights the path of the traveller from mortality to everlasting life springs forth, and the secrets of earth and heaven are revealed to the possessor of the loving heart, and the lover has gained the mastery over himself and others, and he not only communes with God but unites with Him. Rumi says : " Hail to thee, then, O love, sweet madness ! Thou who healest all our infirmities ! Who art the physician of our pride and self-conceit! Who art our Plato and our Galen ! "” (p. 51)
“"God is beautiful, and He loves beauty." The Sufi worships beauty in all its aspects, and sees the face of the Beloved in all that is seen, and the Beloved's spirit in the unseen. So, wherever he looks, his ideal of worship is before him.” (p. 52)
“Know thyself, and thou wilt know God. It is the knowledge of self which blooms into the knowledge of God.” (p. 53)
“The Sufi recognises the knowledge of self as the essence of all religions ; he traces it in every religion ; he sees the same truth in each; and therefore he regards all as one. Hence he can realise the saying of Jesus, " I and my Father are one." The difference between creature and Creator remains on his lips, not in his soul. This is what is meant by union with God ; it is in reality the dissolving of the false self in the knowledge of the true self, which is divine, eternal, and all-pervading.” (p. 54)
“Every being has a definite vocation, and his vocation is the light which illuminates his life. The man, who disregards his vocation, is a lamp unlit.” (p. 65)
“"Man was destined to be the Khalif of all beings"—Koran. This Surah can be rightly understood when we see that all beings in the world are employed for man, being controlled. and ruled by him, obeying his command. All the secret of their nature is disclosed to him, that he may utilise them for the purpose for which they are meant. Moreover, it is man who may rightly be called the seed of God, for in him alone intelligence develops so perfectly that he not only appreciates God's works and worships Him, but he is even enabled to attain self-sufficience and all-pervading consciousness with the everlasting life of Allah. " Man realises his perfection in Allah, and Allah realises His perfection in man."” (p. 70 - 71)
“The Masters have been numberless, since the creation of man ; they have appeared with different names and forms ; but He alone was disguised in them Who is the only Master of eternity.” (p. 74)
“The Unity of the Masters. If the Masters were not the same in their mortal garb, yet in spirit they were one ; if it were not so, how could one and the same truth be disclosed by them all ? The Masters of humanity have been the older brothers who guided the younger ones out of their brotherly love, and owing to their love in the Father. It is humane to sympathise with one's fellowman when he is striving for something and cannot gain it, and to help him to the attainment of the ideal object for which he strives.” (p. 75)
“To the question " What is God ? " and " What is man ? " the answer is that the soul, conscious of its limited existence, is " man," and the soul reflected by the vision of the unlimited, is " God." Plainly speaking, man's self-consciousness is man, and man's consciousness of his highest ideal is God. By communion between these two, in time both become one, as in reality they are already one. And yet the joy of communion is even greater than the joy of at-one-ment, for all joy of life lies in the thought of " I " and " you."” (p. 92)
“Man believes in God by making Him an ideal of his worship, so that he can commune with some One Whom he can look up to, in Whom he can lay his absolute trust, believing Him to be above the unreliable world, on Whose mercy he can depend, seeing selfishness all round him. It is this ideal when made of a stone, and placed in a shrine, which is called an idol of God ; and when the same ideal is raised to the higher plane and placed in the shrine of the heart, it becomes the ideal of God with Whom the believer communes and in Whose vision he lives most happily, as happily as he could be in the company of the sovereign of the whole universe. When this ideal is raised still higher it breaks itself into the real, and the real light manifests to the godly ; the one who was once a believer now becomes the realiser of God.” (p. 93)
“All the Masters are only one embodiment of the Divine Spirit.” (p. 108)
When a person is initiated, he is “The companion of the illuminated souls of the Sufis living on earth and those who have passed to the other side of life. He is linked with the chain of Murshids and Prophets, and is so enabled to receive the Light running through this current through the chain of the Masters.” (p. 111)
“The question, why do the awakened ones not awaken people in the world from the sleep of confusion ? is answered thus: It is not to be advised that little children, whose only happiness is slumber, should be awakened. Their growth depends on their sleep. If they are kept up late they become ill, and are not so useful in the affairs of life as are grown-up people. Childhood needs more sleep, and the children must sleep. Such is the nature of immature souls. They are children, however old their bodies may appear. Their fancies, their joys, their delights are for unimportant things in life, as the life of children is absorbed in sweets and toys. Therefore those who are awakened walk slowly and gently, lest their footsteps may disturb the slumber of the sleeping ones. They only awaken on their way those whom they find changing sides. They are the ones to whom the travellers on the spiritual path give their hand quietly. It is for this reason that the spiritual path is called the mystical way. It is not unkind to awaken a few and to let many sleep, but on the other hand it is great kindness to let those slumber who require sleep.” (p. 113)
“Mastery is in service, and it is the servant who alone can be master.” (p. 114)
SUFI INVOCATION
“PRAISE be to Thee, O Hidden One and Manifested One. PRAISE be to Thy Glory, to Thy Might, to Thy Power, and to Thy great Skill. O ALLAH, to Thee all greatness belongs. O THOU who possessest the Power and Beauty and Perfection, Thou art the Spirit of All. PRAISE be to Thee, O Sovereign of all Monarchs; to Thee, O Master of all affairs; to Thee, O Controller of all things; to Thee, Ruler of all Beings. THOU ART free from death, free from birth and free from all limitations. O Thou Eternal One, Thou art free from all conditions, pure from all things. O ALLAH, Thou art the God of Souls on earth; Thou art the Lord of Hosts in the Heavens.” (p. 116)
― Hazrat Inayat Khan, The Way of Illumination
November 29, 2022
in audiobook - a great tool for introspection, meditation, and reflection. Done in the company of the All-Merciful, Ever-Merciful - breathing in Hayy and breathing out Ya Salam
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