Three Levels of Being within the Microcosm and Macrocosm

4 Oct

Know, dear wayfarer, that God has placed three main faculties in the human being: the sensory faculty (al-hiss), the imaginal faculty (al-khayal), and the intellect. He made each of these three faculties correspond to one of the three worlds: the physical world (al-mulk), the spiritual world (al-malakut), and the world of invincibility (al-jabarut). The human being thus exercises control within each world through its corresponding faculty. Each human being, moreover, inhabits the world that dominates his heart: he either pertains to the physical (mulki), the imaginal (khayali), or the invincible (jabaruti).

As such, the sensorial human being is the one whose heart is stamped by the forms of the sense-objects. He is marked by a dominant love for the herebelow. Moreover, the spiritual human being is the one whose inward vision (basira) has opened up so that he perceives what lies beyond the sensorial realm. Among this type are those who pertain to the lower reaches of the spiritual realm (al-malakut al-sufli). For the lower spirits among the Jinn, the Assistants (khuddam) and other beings that inhabit this realm become unveiled for them. Others pertain to the higher reaches of the spiritual realm (al-malakut al-ʿulwi), and the higher spirits among the angels and the godfriends become unveiled for them. The invincibles (jabaruti), for their part, are those who come to naught and dissolve in God’s lordly command (amriyyat al-rububiyya).

At our present age, the human being is dominated by the sensorial realm and is overwhelmed by distractions. He no longer has any knowledge of the spiritual realm nor the realm of invincibility. This is the state that dominates, save those upon whom the Lord has mercy. Felicitous is the one in whom these three faculties are in a state of equilibrium. For he is a liminal reality between the three worlds, and neither veils him from the other. The true knower of God is the one who witnesses the realm of separation (farq) within union (jamʿ).

— Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi al-Karkari

More Teachings

Is the Path for Everyone? Yes — here’s why

Choose a Path for yourself. You can be an Adamic human being by virtue of the inblowing of the Spirit within you…or a bestial human being by virtue of the dominance of your bestial body, so that the Spirit’s influence weakens within you. You will then become ignorant of your reality, and you will not draw out the treasure that is buried within you.

The Path and the Name

The seeker must journey from the Haʾ of the Name back to the Alif, bearing in mind their differing levels. Entering unto the singular Alif is achieved through the attributes of the saint, not through those of the believer. Attaching to the elevation of the Alif enables the knower of God to taste the reality of servanthood.

God’s Light is Real — Not Metaphorical

When you strive against your lower self, the reality of this world becomes evident to you, you know that it is non-existent; that it has no existence except through God. Then God provides you with light, and through that light you come to know how close He is to you.

The Mantle of Divine Majesty

A mantle conceals the upper part, whereas a garment conceals the lower part. The higher part of the divine mantle is an allusion to Lordship (rububiyya). This mantle of Lordship comprises two sides: the outer side is the aspect of Lordship, and inner side is the pre-cosmic reality of the Cloud (al-ʿamaʾ).

Three Levels of Being within the Microcosm and Macrocosm

the sensorial human being is the one whose heart is stamped by the forms of the sense-objects. He is marked by a dominant love for the herebelow. Moreover, the spiritual human being is the one whose inward vision (basira) has opened up so that he perceives what lies beyond the sensorial realm.

Fasting the “White Days” of the Lunar Month

The Prophet (s) recommends fasting during these blessed days, and it is said that Ibrahim (s) fasted them as well. The early Arabs called these days the “White Days” (al-ayyam al-biḍ) because the moon is brightest during this period and it achieves its most complete perfection.

Finding a True Master

With manifold arguments and no shortage of nagging, my teachers, father, family, friends, and loved-ones, sought to hold me back from cutting my worldly ties and setting off alone in search of God and a true master; and in their efforts to do so they would attempt to clinch the matter with various rational and religious objections.

Why is the Divine Name the Mirror of the Spiritual Traveler?

The spiritual traveler’s journey through the Name, however, must begin at the last letter Haʾ, which we call the Haʾ of Divine Identity (haʾ al-huwiyya).

Knowledge of God Inspires Reverential Fear of God

Reflective thought that is devoid of the remembrance God (fikr duna dhikr) is a transgression. For true reflection only occurs in the wake of long periods of remembrance (dhikr tawil), once your time has been filled with the invocation.

“I am the Dot”

And this is the dot that is ascribed to the all-inclusive names and divine realities because it is through the basmala that God takes charge over the servant who has realized the station of servanthood and upon whom His names and attributes have become manifest in both his knowledge and his state.

Yousef Casewit