| 47 - Imagination - Part Two |
According to the author
of Sufism - A Short Introduction, Sufis "found a reference to
imagination’s power in the Prophet’s definition of ihsan - ‘It is to
worship God as if you see Him.’ Through methodical concentration on the face
of God as revealed in the Koran, the Sufis strengthen the ‘as if’ with the aim
of reaching the stage of ‘unveiling’ (kashf), which is the generic term
for supra-rational vision of God’s presence in the world and the soul."
There is nothing "as
if" about spiritual imagination. When this faculty is operative, one sees,
experiences, or is aware of, some dimension of the imaginal or spiritual realm.
The powerful spiritual
experience which was the impetus for Ibn al-‘Arabi’s writing the multi-volume Meccan
Openings was not an ‘as if’ phenomenon. Similarly, his work The
Bezels of Wisdom was not rooted in an ‘as if’ approach to experience but
involved an unveiling of spiritual reality.
Consequently, at the very
least, to say that Sufis "found a reference to imagination’s power in the
Prophet’s definition of ihsan" is to confuse the first,
‘fiction-oriented’, creative modality of imagination with the second, spiritual
form of imagination. Moreover, conceivably, such a statement may, itself, be a product of
the first sort of imagination - especially given that the author did not specify which
Sufis "found a reference to imagination’s power in the Prophet’s definition
of ihsan."
In addition, one is a
little mystified about what the author has in mind when he asserts that Sufis
"strengthen the ‘as if’" part of things through "concentration on
the face of God as revealed in the Koran". After all, if imagination is the means by
which one perceives the Presence - and, therefore, Face of God - ‘everywhere one
looks’, then, how does one concentrate on the face of God prior to being able to
perceive that Presence?
In short, how does one go
from the ‘as if’ stage of things to the ‘Real’? Is it really just a
matter of using various techniques of concentration to lend support and strength to the
‘as if’ aspect of imagination until the Real appears, or is spiritual
imagination something quite different from a form of imagination which deals in ‘as
if’, and, therefore, no amount of strengthening the latter sort of imagination will
ever culminate in perceiving "the presence of God in all things" or in
‘seeing the Face of God everywhere one looks’?
Even in the case of
spiritual methods involving concentration of one kind or another, the concentration of an
individual by herself or himself is very limited. On the Sufi Path, the efforts and
struggles of the seeker are done in the context of - and, consequently, in conjunction
with - the spiritual himma or aspiration of the silsilah for the seeker which is being
manifested through the shaykh’s concentration on that individual.
The pathway along which
this aspiration is transmitted is the nisbath, or condition of spiritual relationship,
that links the seeker with the shaykh, as well as the silsilah, the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) and Allah. This relationship is affected by such things as the quality
of: intention, sincerity, purity, taqwa, and love, within the seeker for the Path and all
that is entailed by the journey in question.
The development or
enrichment of the relationship of nisbath is not a matter of transforming an ‘as
if’ form of imagination into a mode that is able to see ‘the presence of God in
all things’. Instead, the maturation of nisbath prepares the individual to be
receptive to the awakening or unveiling of spiritual imagination.
The way to this awakening
must be cleared through a process of both purifying and calibrating the different
modalities of tasting, witnessing, experiencing, sensing, and knowing that comprise the
faculty of spiritual imagination. In fact, this process of purification and calibration
involves placing restraints on, and circumscribing, the activities of the lower order
modality of creative imagination so that what is experienced during spiritual unveiling is
unadulterated by fantasies, reveries, projections, and other sorts of
‘fictions’.
The characterization of ihsan
by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) concerns ‘spiritual excellence’. The
individual who can worship God "as if" she or he could see Divinity but who -
even if that person is not able to attain such a vision - nonetheless, knows that God sees
the individual, then, such a person is demonstrating the quality of ihsan or spiritual
excellence.
Ihsan refers to a
condition of ‘as if one could see Divinity’ and/or it refers to a state of
himma, or spiritual aspiration, in which the individual is aware that Divinity can see one
during worship. There is nothing here about actually seeing Divinity or fully realizing
the Presence of Divinity.
Ihsan, like islam
and iman, are important dimensions of Deen, and, consequently, as the Prophet
subsequently related to the Companions after Archangel Jibril (Peace be to him) had
departed, the stranger who came among them had, indeed, come that day to teach the
Companions about Deen. However, the full realization of fitra - that is, our primordial
spiritual capacity - requires more than compliance with, and observance of, islam,
iman, and ihsan.
The Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) did not say that ihsan constituted the highest, most complete
expression of spirituality of which humankind is capable. He was answering questions as
they were being asked by Archangel Jibril (Peace be to him), and the Prophet did not
disclose more than he was being asked.
On another occasion the
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: "There are hidden gems
of knowledge unknown to all but those who know God. If they are spoken of, none denies
them except those arrogant toward God." Furthermore, even when these gems of
knowledge are not spoken of - and, for the most part, the Prophet did not
speak of these when the Archangel came to teach the Companions certain aspects of their
Deen, those who deny the existence of such wisdom are still arrogant toward God.
All three of the
aforementioned facets of Deen (namely, islam, iman, and ihsan) do not
necessarily require activation of spiritual imagination in order for them to be pursued
and observed. That is, someone could be faithful and sincere with respect to her or his:
commitment to the five pillars, and bearing witness to the various articles of faith, as
well as striving for spiritual excellence, and, yet, still not be able to perceive the
Presence of God in all things.
The realization of
‘fitra’ only can be completed through the activity of the different modalities
of spiritual imagination. To be sure, Islam, iman, and ihsan are important
pre-conditions for the realization of fitra, but they cannot purify, calibrate, and
activate the full potential of: heart, sirr, spirit, kafi, and aqfah which, when activated
through various forms of unveiling, are capable, God willing, of perceiving and
experiencing the imaginal or spiritual realms.
The author of Sufism
- A Short Introduction notes that while "Ibn Arabi asserts that unveiling is
a mode of knowledge superior to reason", nonetheless, the author goes on to claim
that Ibn al-‘Arabi "also insists that reason provides the indispensable checks
and balances without which it is impossible to differentiate among divine, angelic,
psychic, and satanic inrushes of imaginal knowledge." There are a number of problems
inherent in the author’s foregoing position.
A distinction needs to be
made between, on the one hand, the currents of phenomenology and, on the other hand, the
nature of imaginal knowledge. While the contents of consciousness can be fed from many
springs or streams, not all contents of consciousness are instances of imaginal knowledge.
For example, satanic
whisperings, suggestions, temptations, inducements, and so on, are not even a species of
knowledge - and, certainly, therefore, are not examples of spiritual or imaginal
knowledge. Similarly, neither psychic currents, nor the products of low-order,
‘fiction-oriented’, creative imagination, are instances of the sort of imaginal
knowledge which exists within the spiritual realm.
One, of course, can have
knowledge concerning the presence and character of satanic whisperings, psychic currents,
as well as about the products and images of creative imagination. However, none of these
constitute "inrushes of imaginal knowledge".
To be sure, one must
learn how to distinguish, say, veridical or true expressions of imaginal knowledge from
satanic or psychic influences. Nonetheless, this process of differentiation is more a
matter of learning how to separate out spiritual wheat (that is, knowledge which arises
out of the spiritual realm) from various forms of phenomenological chaff (i.e., influences
arising from biological, satanic, and/or psychic activity), than it is a matter of
learning how to distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ species of
imaginal knowledge.
In addition, while
intellect has a role to play in the aforementioned process of differentiation in relation
to the contents of phenomenology, the author fails to make clear that this use or
application of intellect is not that which might be employed by a logician or someone
engaged in philosophical or linguistic analysis. More specifically, separating out
instances of imaginal/spiritual knowledge from phenomenological currents arising from
satanic and psychic sources is about developing a sense of ‘dhawq’ or taste with
respect to the ‘flavors’ of various facets of phenomenology.
Furthermore, one does not
become a connoisseur of phenomenological flavors on one’s own. One needs to
apprentice with an expert - namely, a shaykh.
One has a dream, and one
tells the shaykh. One has an experience, and one tells the shaykh. One has certain
thoughts and feelings, and one discusses them with the shaykh.
In response to any, or
all, of the disclosures of a seeker, the shaykh will begin to provide information,
insight, perspective, corrections, warnings, counsel, and so on concerning the nature of
different contents, currents, and influences within an individual’s phenomenology.
Out of such engagements, the seeker begins to develop an appreciation for the different
flavors of experience and how to identify the sources from which these streams of
consciousness arise.
Alternatively, the seeker
sits in the presence of the shaykh, along with other seekers, guests, and the like. During
these sessions, the shaykh speaks, interacts, and behaves in ways which provide
individuals attending the circle with ‘food’ for thought and reflection.
These apprenticing
sessions establish, among other things, standards of ‘tasting’ which guide the
seeker in the latter’s attempt to differentiate and understand the many currents of
on-going phenomenology. Eventually, through such sessions, and through other means, as
well, the individual acquires a facility for dealing with a variety of phenomenological
currents.
Consequently, while the
process of developing a sense of ‘taste’ in relation to experience,
phenomenology, or consciousness does involve capacities of differentiation, discernment,
recognition, understanding, insight and so on, this process is supported through various
spiritual faculties or instruments (i.e., the heart, sirr, spirit, and so on) of both the
shaykh, as well as, those of the seeker. If this were not the case, then, though someone
had eyes with which to see and ears with which to hear, nonetheless, the teachings of
spiritual apprenticeship would neither be grasped nor would they take root, and,
therefore, a sense of spiritual ‘taste’ would never be acquired.
Some people use the term
‘aql’ interchangeably with the idea of ‘reason’, but one needs to
understand that ‘aql’ encompasses a much broader, richer, deeper, and subtler
range of possibilities than mere ‘reason’. In fact, reason is little more than a
very limited, low-order expression of aql.
The source of aql is
Divinity. All expressions of aql, on whatever level, are but derivative forms and
reflections - some being more distant than others - of the original principle of
Intellect.
Reason, in and of itself,
is not capable of meeting the many challenges of the aforementioned spiritual
apprenticeship program - not even just that portion of the program that deals with
developing a sense of spiritual taste and discernment . Reason must not only be purified,
re-calibrated, re-oriented, and re-focused if an individual is to become a connoisseur of
phenomenological tastes, but reason must be guided and supported by spiritual knowledge if
such reason is to function properly.
Therefore, at a minimum,
the author of Sufism - A Short Introduction is misleading when he states
that Ibn al-‘Arabi claimed that "reason provides the indispensable checks and
balances" with respect to kashf or spiritual unveiling. Only that kind of reason
which is informed by, and rooted in, spiritual knowledge is of any value in assisting an
individual to distinguish spiritual knowledge from other kinds of phenomenological
current, and the preeminent way in which this kind of reason can be obtained is through an
apprenticeship program with an authentic shaykh.
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