18.) Is
there a difference between the mystical and the occult?
Yes, there
is a fundamental difference between the mystical and the occult, although, quite
frequently, people confuse and conflate the two, treating these terms as if they were
synonyms for one another. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The occult
encompasses the realms of magic, sorcery, spells, potions, incantations, control of jinn,
and satanic alliances. Those who are interested in these things generally do so out of a
quest for power, manipulation of people and the world, greed, as well as
self-aggrandizement.
The
devotees of the occult have no interest in being brought closer to Divinity. Moreover,
they wish to be lords of creation rather than learning how to become the servants of the
Creator.
The
mystical realms, on the other hand, extends from the world of nasut or the material realm,
to the world of the fixed forms of things. This includes the world of angels and the world
of Divine Names and Attributes.
Those who
are sincerely committed to the mystical path seek only to serve their Lord and Creator.
This quest is undertaken with an intention which combines elements of humility, longing,
repentance, gratitude, awe, and love within the contect of an intense spiritual aspiration
(i.e., himma) to be brought into closer and closer spiritual proximity to the object of
one's seeking -- namely, Allah.
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