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SpiritualRoadmapbyGhazali, page : 95
mystics in their waking state now behold angels and the spirits of the prophets;
they hear these speaking to them and are instructed by them. Later, a higher
state is reached; instead of beholding forms and figures, they come to stages in
the `way‟ which it is hard to describe in language; if a man attempts to express
these, his words inevitably contain what is clearly erroneous.
In general what they manage to achieve is nearness to Allah; some, however,
would conceive of this as `inherence‟ (hulul), some as `union‟ (ittihad), and some
as `connection‟ (wusul). All that is erroneous. In my book, The Noblest Aim, I
have explained the nature of the error. Yet he who has attained the mystic `state‟
need do no more than say:
Of the things I do not remember, what was, was;
Think it good; do not ask an account of it.
7[9] Literally, the `prohibition’, tahrim; the opening words of the Muslim Worship, `God is great’,
are known as takbirat al-tahrim, the prohibitory adoration, `because it forbids to the worshipper
what was previously allowable’. Cf. Calverley, Worship in Islam, p. 8, etc.
they hear these speaking to them and are instructed by them. Later, a higher
state is reached; instead of beholding forms and figures, they come to stages in
the `way‟ which it is hard to describe in language; if a man attempts to express
these, his words inevitably contain what is clearly erroneous.
In general what they manage to achieve is nearness to Allah; some, however,
would conceive of this as `inherence‟ (hulul), some as `union‟ (ittihad), and some
as `connection‟ (wusul). All that is erroneous. In my book, The Noblest Aim, I
have explained the nature of the error. Yet he who has attained the mystic `state‟
need do no more than say:
Of the things I do not remember, what was, was;
Think it good; do not ask an account of it.
7[9] Literally, the `prohibition’, tahrim; the opening words of the Muslim Worship, `God is great’,
are known as takbirat al-tahrim, the prohibitory adoration, `because it forbids to the worshipper
what was previously allowable’. Cf. Calverley, Worship in Islam, p. 8, etc.