The Fana’ & Baqa’ of Ghawts al-A’azham

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Imam Ahmad al-Faruqi ibn ‘Abd al-Ahad as-Sirhindi (q.s.) said, “Let it be known to you that the Heavenly Guardians attracted me because they wanted me to be attracted, and they facilitated for me the passage through time and space in the different states of the seeker.  I found that Allah is the Essence of all matter, as it had been said by the people of taswawwuf.  Then I found Allah in all matter without incarnation.  Then I found Allah together with all matter.  Then I saw Him Ahead of everything, and then I saw Him Following everything.  Finally, I reached a state where I saw Him and I saw nothing else.  This is what is meant by the term, ‘witnessing the Oneness,’ which is also the state of fana’.  That is the first step in wilayat, and the highest state in the Beginning of the Way.  This vision appears first on the horizons, then secondly in the self.  Then I have been lifted to the station of baqa’, which is the second step in wilayat. 

This is a station which many saints did not speak about because they did not reach it.  All of them speak about the station of fana’, but following that state is baqa’.  In that state, I found all Creation another time, but I found that the essence of all Creation is Allah, and Allah’s Essence is the Essence of Myself.  Then I found Allah in everything, but, in reality, in myself.  I was Raised to a higher state, to find Allah with everything, but, in reality, He was with myself.  Then I was Lifted to see Him preceding everything, but, in reality, He was preceding myself.  Then I was Lifted to a state where He was following everything, but. in reality, He was following myself.  Then I saw Him in everything, but, in reality. He was in myself.  Then I saw everything and I did not see Allah.  And this is the end of the stations by which they had brought me back to the beginning.  In sum, they lifted me to the station of fana’, then to the station of baqa’, then they brought me back to be with people, in the station of the common people.  This is the highest state in guiding people to the Divine Presence.  It is the perfect state of guidance, because it matches the understanding of human beings.”


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