Spiritual Letter 49 - Expanded Version About Spiritual Letter 49 Title: "The True Meaning of Islam, For Our Age" Date: May 18, 2003 Written by: Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler) Written to: Our dearest loving brother Farokh, and his wife, from Toronto, Canada Home Page - Spiritual Letters Go To Spiritual Letter 50 Letter 49: Original Version Library Navigation Tree Go To Spiritual Letter 48 Letter 49: Related Material Page 1 of 2 Go To Table of Contents - Spiritual Letter 49 Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Al-salam 'alaykum wa-rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu kulluhu. Wa 'alaykum al-salam wa-rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu kulluhu. May all the peace, the beneficence, and the blessing of God be upon us all. May God help us all. My love you (anbu), my dearest loving brothers and sisters - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). Outline of Spiritual Letter: Page 1 of 2 - which is this page 1. Introduction - to Spiritual Letter 49 2. The Purpose of This Letter - is to share a beautiful explanation that Bawa gave to us about the "True Meaning of Islam" for our age 3. Understanding The Final Destruction - which is to understand what is truly happening in the world today, which is the final destruction, the final battle between good and evil within each of us, between Islam of the heart and Islam of the world, that will determine the eternal state of each of us in the hereafter 4. How To Deal With The Strength And Weakness Of Our Faith - and the fear that can overwhelm us, when we seem to come up short at any particular moment, when we seem to be lacking in faith or are experiencing fear in some situation that has come before us Page 2 of 2 - click HERE to go to Page 2 5. The True Meaning of Islam for Our Age - is using the grace, the light, and the power of God within each of us to let God and True Man finish what They have started within each of us, to let our life turn out as God and True Man within us, as They within us, as "One with" us, have intended for us, not as "we" as "separate from" Them have intended for us, not as "we" as "separate from" God, as "separate from" each other, and as "separate from" the Creation of God within us, have intended for us Text of Spiritual Letter: 1. Introduction - to Spiritual Letter 49 Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Al-salam 'alaykum wa-rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu kulluhu. Wa 'alaykum al-salam wa-rahmat Allah wa-barakatuhu kulluhu. May all the peace, the beneficence, and the blessing of God be upon us all. May God help us all. My love you (anbu), my dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh, from Iran, and from Toronto, Canada - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). Thank you for your loving letter, it really warmed my heart, as follows: Salams to my dearest, dearest brother Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen: First and most of all I wanted to say that we have missed you very much. I've been busy with my work lately, but not busy enough to forget you. For that, I'll never be busy enough. I'm in Iran now visiting my wife. We are still waiting for her immigration visa to come so that we can travel back to Toronto, Insha-Allah. Your thoughts and words spoken in Toronto are still ringing in my ears and they will always be compiled in my heart as Bawa's own words. There are days when I feel that my faith is growing thin on me because I can feel the fear in me. But then, I hear the most beautiful melody, singing; don't forget me...oh, please don't forget me, and suddenly my head is lifted, my longs filled with air and tears rolling down my face. All that can be said is AL-HAMDULILAH RAB AL-ALAMEEN. My love you my dearest, dearest brother. I send you many, many salams and lots of embraces. To you and Chrisi. By-the-way I did deliver what we recorded from your talks in Toronto to Mohammad. He thanked you very much. Much, much Love. Farokh. 2. The Purpose of This Letter - is to share a beautiful explanation that Bawa gave to us about the "True Meaning of Islam" for our age In Chapter 01, "The True Meaning of Islam", in the beautiful book, "The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis", Bawa teaches us about the true meaning of Islam for our age, and what we must do to realize this true meaning in our life time. My dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, his wife, let us spend some time together in this letter sharing some of this beautiful teaching from the light of God for our age, from the life and teaching of God for our age, which for this child is the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), which is all of us living in the world today. When we received your E-mail on 4/27/03 we immediately wanted to write you back, and share our love and salams with both of you, with you and your wife. However, since that time Bawa has put in front of this child the beautiful series of letters that His Holiness wrote in 1979 and 1980 to the America people, to the late Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, and to the late President Sadat in Egypt, preparing all of us for what we are now beginning to experience in the world today. 3. Understanding The Final Destruction - which is to understand what is truly happening in the world today, which is the final destruction, the final battle between good and evil within each of us, between Islam of the heart and Islam of the world, that will determine the eternal state of each of us in the hereafter My dearest loving brother and sister, we must quickly come to the understanding, without the slightest doubt, that the final destruction is what is truly happening in the world today, the final battle between good and evil within each of us, between Islam of the heart and Islam of the world. The final destruction at the end of time, which is now, when those who only practice Islam, rather than becoming Islam, destroy true Islam within each of us, by forgetting God, and in the process destroy the world for all of us, destroying any chance for any of us getting it right before we die. And the final destruction is also the time when at least One of us becomes the Light of God to the world, for all of us, by using God within each of us, to destroy what would destroy true Islam within each of us, and to transform this world into the hereafter, here and now, for all who truly have faith in God This is what is truly happening in the world today, in this age of the Rahim of God, when God pulls everything back into Himself, the final battle of Islam, between those who want the world and those who want God, with both of these participants living within each of us. In this way, now is the time when each of us must decide the state we will have for eternity, an eternal state of "Oneness with" God, or an eternal state of "separation from" God. Each of us must decide what we truly want, either an eternal life of "Oneness with" God, like the state demonstrated to us by the lives and teaching of the 124,000 Prophets and Qutbs of God, which is the state of "Oneness with" God and with the "Stuff of God" within us, and of "Oneness with" the Creation of God within us, the state which God repeatedly demonstrated to us in each age, or an eternal life of "separation from" God and from the "Stuff of God" within us, of "separation from" each other, and of "separation from" the Creation of God within us, the state which each of us living in the world today are repeatedly demonstrating to each other, the life of "separation and differences" each of us are currently living in this age. And the choice is ours, not God's, because God has already made His choice, and He chose "Oneness with" us, and that is why we are alive today. Now we must choose. Now we must either choose "Oneness with" God, before we die, by using God and the "Stuff of God" within us to reveal God to God within us, in order to become eternally alive within God in the hereafter, or we choose "separation from" God, by just continuing on as we are currently behaving, just continue on living lives of "separation and differences" with our brothers and sisters in the world that we collectively see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us. Because in this case, no choice is a choice, is the choice of "separation from" God. And if we choose "separation from" God rather than "Oneness with" God, then after we die, we will meet the Angel of Death (peace be upon Him), and we will experience the suffering of the grave, Qiyamah (the Standing Forth; the Day of Judgment), and eventually we will be given hell, eventually we will be given an eternal life of "separation from" God. For as Bawa teaches us, "Hell is simply the realization that we have separated ourselves from God." In this way, the final destruction of all of us, and the choice that each of us must now make concerning our final destruction, a choice which determines the eternal state of each of us in the hereafter, is the true meaning of Islam for our age. This truth is beautifully explained to us by His Holiness throughout the book, "The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis", and is the clarity that is now beginning to emerge from within the heart of this child, from within the heart of your brother, Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). The clarity that what is truly happening in the world today is all about Islam within each of us, and all about the world within each of us. It is not about an "outside" thing or world, it is not about America and the Middle East, it not about Iraq, or Iran, or Syria, or Jordan, or Lebanon, or the Taliban, or al-Qaida, or Hezbollah, and it is not about Israel and the Palestinians, or a war on terrorism, or a clash of civilizations, or anything like that. What is happening in the world today is all about the final battle of Islam within each of us, the final battle between Islam of the heart and Islam of the world within each of us, it is all about the battle between the two opposite forms of Islam within each of us. The final battle, where, for any of us to be truly successful in our life, before we die, we must all become truly successful in our life, we must all get exactly what we want, where, "Islam within us must cure Itself of the world within us, Islam within us must cure Islam within us of the world within us". "Islam of the heart must cure Itself of Islam of the world by understanding the inner wisdom or divine consciousness of God's qualities within our very own life". Only then can the justice of God come into the world, and into the hearts of each of us, allowing each of us to get what we want. For as Bawa teaches us, "The justice of God is that whatever we intend is what we will receive." And each of us must do this now, each of us must win this battle right now, within our very own life, before we die, and before the world is prematurely destroyed for all of us by one of us, before those who are only practicing Islam in the world, without first becoming Islam in their own heart, destroy Islam within each of us, destroy Islam of the heart within each of us, by forgetting God, and in the process turn one heart against another, and in the process destroy the world for all of us. This is why Bawa teaches us, "That it was satan who originally separated man from God, but it is our own evil qualities that have separate man from man." My dearest loving brother and sister, this is what is truly happening today in the world today, the final destruction at the end of time within each of us, this is the "True Meaning of Islam" for our age, when, Either: Before we die, Islam within us destroys the practice of Islam in the world within us, in the world within us that we in our collective ignorance see as existing "outside" of us, by using Islam within us to transcend the world "outside" of us, which is really the world of arrogance, karma and illusion within us, and to reveals the earth world or dunya within us, which is really the next world within us, the 18,000 universes, the Creation of God within us. And within that, within the earth world or dunya within us, Islam within us must reveal the hereafter or akhirah within us, which is the 8th heaven or firdaus of Muhammad (Sal.) within us, the kingdom of God within us, Islam within us must reveal an eternal life of "Oneness with" God within the sirr or secret world of Allah within the dunya or next world within us, Islam within us must reveal God and the "Stuff of God" within us. And within that, within akhirah or the kingdom of God within us, Islam within us must reveal True Man and the "Stuff of True Man" within us, as the arsh al-mu'mim, as the throne of the true believer within us, and within that, within the arsh al-mu'min, which is the soul within the soul within us, Islam within us must reveal the "Oneness of God and True Man" within us, showing all of this as the true next world within us. Or: Before we die, the practice of Islam in the world "outside" of all of us, which is really within all of us, will destroy Islam within all of us, and after we die, it will reveal the Angel of Death (A.S.) within us, the suffering of the grave within us, and Qiyamah (the Standing Forth; the Day of Judgment) within us, and in this way, it will take us to hell, which is but an eternal life of "separation from" God, of "separation from" each other, and of "separation from" the Creation of God within us, showing all of this as the true next world within us. My dearest loving brother and sister, this is "The True Meaning of Islam" for our age, the final destruction of each of us in our age, the final destruction of each of us living in the world within us, in the world within us that we see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us. The final destruction of each of us, when either Muhammad (Sal.) comes out of at least one of us, before the "beast" come out of at least one of us, and saves all those who have faith in God, or the "beast" comes out first, out of at least one of us first, before Muhammad can come out of at least one of us, destroying Islam within all of us, and transforming this world into hell. And if Muhammad (Sal.) makes it out first, in at least one of us, then it means that at last one of us within all of us truly believe and trust and love in God in our age, and then everything in the world is saved, both in our age and in all previous ages, for everything is then viewed and accepted by God as contributing to the successful revealing of God to God within God within us. And if the "beast" makes it out first, then it means that none of us in our age truly believe and trust and love in God, and then everything in the world in our age is destroyed, and each of us in this age, and each of those in all previous ages, must go to our own individual judgment. And those who have no faith and trust and love for God in all ages go to hell, and there is no judgment for them, because they are already living in hell, with these making up the first 70 of the 73 groups of man. And those who have some belief and trust and love for God in all ages go to judgment, to Qiyamah (the Standing Forth; the Day of Judgment), for some final disposition by the Angels, according to the laws of God, that were laid down before any of us came to this world, with these making up the 71st and the 72nd of the 73 groups of man. And for those in previous ages, who had true belief and trust and love only in God, and not in the world, they go to heaven, and there is no judgment for them, because they are already living in heaven, with these making up the 73rd and last group of the 73 groups of man. And if Muhammad (Sal.) comes out of at least one of us before the "beast" comes out of at least one of us, then Muhammad will destroy the "beast" when the "beast" finally does come out of at least one of us, for the "beast" will most certainly finally come out of at least one of us, then Muhammad will destroy the "beast" when it comes out after the "beast" has destroyed all who in their life have become but the food of the beast, after the "beast" has destroyed all who in their thoughts, words, actions, and deeds, have become but the food of the beast. And then Muhammad (Sal.) having destroyed the "beast" with the purity of the soul, that has become the purity of the heart, that has become the light of Islam in the world, the light known as Dinul-Islam in the world, of the One who is in the state of Iman-Islam in the world, then Muhammad (Sal.) saves all who have demonstrated in their life, in their thoughts, words, actions, and deeds, their faith and trust and love in God. Then Muhammad saves all who have faith and trust and love in God by absorbing them back into that light of God, from which we have all come, absorbing into the light of God all who have in their life become the nourishment of God for the world, who have become the grace, the light, and the help of God to the world, the help of God known as 'ilm, known as the divine knowledge of God, for the benefit of all of the Creation of God, within us and within God. And for them, Muhammad (Sal.) transforms this world into the hereafter, and for them, Muhammad (Sal.) reveals the Secret World of Allah within the dunya, Muhammad (Sal.) reveals the sirr or secret within the sifat or manifestation, and within that, Nur Muhammad (Sal.) reveals the dhat, the essence of God within the sirr or secret of God, within the Secret World of Allah, which is True Prayer, and within True Prayer, the dhat, the Resplendence of God, the essence of God, reveal Allah Muhammad or True Man within the Creation of God, reveals True Man which is the Oneness of God and His Creation. And from True Man God reveals akhirah or the hereafter, or the Creation of True Man, and from that, from akhirah or the Creation of True Man, True Man reveals God, first as the soul within the soul, which is the arsh al-mu'mim, the Throne of the True Believer, as the Oneness of True Man and the Creation of True Man, and within that, God and True Man as One reveal the "Oneness of God and True Man", which is the Power within the Essence of Everything, from which we have all come. My dearest loving brother and sister, may we all reflect on these beautiful words of wisdom a little, and think about how we are currently living in the world a little, and think about what we are currently nourishing within us by our current life in the world a little, and think about whether our current life in the world is nourishing Muhammad (Sal.) or the "beast" within us. It is very, very important that we all do this divine work within us, before it is too late, before we die, and before the world outside of us is prematurely destroyed by one of us for all of us. For this child, this "Understanding of the Final Destruction" for our age, this understanding of the "True Meaning of Islam" for our age, is the gift of God for our age, is the life and teaching of God for our age, is the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) for our age, and is now the life and teaching of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us) for our age, which is all of us living in the world today. For example, Bawa teaches us all about this in Chapter 02, "The Wondrous City", in the book, "A Mystical Journey", all about Muhammad (Sal.) within us, and all about the "The Three-Eyed Beast" within us. Bawa teaches us all about the "beast" that we all are growing within us, and how it can be destroyed by the grace, the light, and the 'ilm or divine knowledge of God known as Muhammad (Sal.) within us, that we are all also growing within us, if we will but let Muhammad (Sal.) come to maturity within us, before we die, and before the world is prematurely destroyed by one of us for all of us. And we do this divine work within us, of bringing Muhammad (Sal.) to maturity within us, of becoming the Light of God to the world, "By understanding the inner wisdom or divine consciousness of God's qualities within our very own life, not by just practicing the 5 outer duties or obligations of Islam without a proper understanding of them, but by understanding the inner meaning of these 5 outer obligations of Islam using our inner wisdom, and by understanding the 6 inner obligations of Islam also using our inner wisdom". "By joining with our wisdom, and with the truth of God within our wisdom, by joining with our Shaikh within us, and with God within Him, to complete what They have started within us, not by just working for wages to get into heaven." "By becoming Islam within us, not by just practicing Islam in the world within us, in the world of arrogance, karma, and illusion within us that we mistakenly see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us." Bawa describes all of this beautifully in the book, "A Mystical Journey", which we can purchase through the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship Web Site, www.bmf.org, and access on-line through the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Library, www.BawaMuhaiyaddeenLibrary.homestead.com, at least some of it. For example, in this book Bawa teaches us how this "beast" that is growing within each of us, can be destroyed by the Iman, Light, and the Power of Muhammad (Sal.), that is also growing within each of us, that is growing within each of us as the "Katpaha Virudcham" in Tamil, or in Arabic as the "Sidratul-Muntaha", which is the wish-fulfilling tree, a tree in the seventh heaven, having its roots in the sixth, and its fruits in the eighth heaven of Muhammad (Sal.), the tree of God's grace growing within each of us as our birth right, as our true heritage, the tree that is the light of the grace awakened wisdom of gnanam within us, the tree that contains the power of God within us, from which we can receive whatever we ask for, whatever we think of. A tree that contains the power of God, that will naturally grow within each of us, if we will but let it, if we will but join it, if we will but, "Stop working for wages to get into heaven, and instead, join in partnership with God within us." A tree that grew in the east and fell in the west, with the coming of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) to Philadelphia in America in 1971, and must now grow in the west and fall in the east, with the returning of Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) to Baghdad in Iraq. For example, Bawa teaches us the following, starting on page 35, in Chapter 02, "A Wondrous City", in the book, "A Mystical Journey", --------------- beginning of discourse by His Holiness -------------- "The Three-Eyed Beast:" "Watch out! The beast is coming! It is as huge as a mountain. Fire is spewing out of its mouth, and the entire city is shaking. This monstrous beast is called Muyalahan. It comes from hell. Its form is all the evil qualities of the world rolled into one: arrogance, karma, illusion, and the three demons known as tarahan, singhan, and suran. Children, it is coming closer! But do not be afraid, this beast cannot touch a true man of iman or the qualities of Allah. It cannot touch the Ill-Allahu that comes from Allah's qudrat. Stand to one side, out of the way of danger. I will tell you what is happening. Oh, the beast is almost here! Look, it has three eyes! One eye is lust, one is hell, and the third is the burning fires of that hell. All three eyes are blazing with fire from the passage of hell. The flames are spreading to this section of the city, and all the houses are ablaze. The whole city is burning! Come, you can watch with me through the window of Compassion, the window of Rahim. Look! The beast has been scorched and blinded by its own fire, which has ignited its body. It is burning in the fire from its own mouth. Unable to see the path, it is panicking, frantically dashing here and there, and crashing into things. How horrible! Listen to it screaming and howling as it writhes on the ground. The whole city shudders and quakes at the sound. When this beast, which exists in the heart of man, approached the house of the soul, when it faced the truth and the resplendence of truth, its eyes were blinded. Like this, my children, whatever one develops within himself in this city of the world, whatever fire he lights, that same fire will burn him. He himself nurtures his own demonic beast. It comes from within him. It is his own qualities and actions that are destroying him and making him suffer. They are the cause of his poverty, illness, karma, and misery. Whatever desire he has for land, woman, and gold, and anything that is forbidden, or haram, whatever pride, jealousy, deceit, anger, treachery, doubt and suspicions he harbors - all these evil qualities come out of him and burn him to a crisp. Whatever suffering he undergoes arises from within himself, and then, unable to bear such misery, he blindly runs here and there, not knowing his way. He cries out to countless gods, but they do not come to help him. He turns to race, religion, and caste, yelling, "Mine!" and "Yours!" He shouts mantras and performs cunning tricks, or tantras. But nothing comes to his help. The demonic beast that burns him is the very state that he developed within himself. He has forgotten the one truth that could help him. He runs hither and thither, wailing from the pain of the fire, and finally he rushes toward the ocean of illusion and plunges into the drain-hole of karma, down the birth canal from which he first came. Look how he twists and turns and tumbles as he falls into that tiny hole. But that doesn't help him either, for even there, the fire is not quenched." --------------- end of discourse by His Holiness -------------- Also, Bawa teaches us about the same wisdom points, but from another perspective, in Chapter 01, "The True Meaning of Islam", in the book, "The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis", that we are currently reviewing as the focus of this Spiritual Letter to you, my dearest loving brother Farokh, and to you, my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh. For example, at the end of the first large paragraph on page 3, in Chapter 01, of this book, Bawa teaches us, "We must use the wisdom contained within the Qur'an to spank our naughty mind, making it sit down, and in this way, to defeat our own compulsive desires." "If we do that, what is called Islam will taste like honey." "What we do now by battling in the world and calling it Islam tastes bitter, and covers the light of the Qur'an in darkness". All of these letters by His Holiness are available in the book, "The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis", which we can purchase on-line through the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship, by clicking on the following URL or Web Address: www.bmf.org. Once there click on, "On-line Bookstore". Finally, the purpose of this Spiritual Letter to you, my dearest loving brother Farokh, and to you, his dearest loving wife (please send me your name, or write me), is to share, study, and enjoy the first of these letters from His Holiness, Chapter 01, which is a beautiful letter to the American people, explaining "The True Meaning of Islam" for our age. We can read an online copy of this first letter by His Holiness to the American people, "The True Meaning of Islam" for our age, by clicking HERE, which is now available as a Web Page in the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Library. For our reference, the material listed above, as well as other material by Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and by the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of us), is also available on-line as part of the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Library, which we can access directly by clicking on the following links: On-line Material From Bawa Muhaiyaddeen & His Children (Ral.): 1) Father's Part of the Library - which includes: a-1) A Mystical Journey a-1-2) Chapter 02 - A Wondrous City a-6) The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis a-6-1) Chapter 01 - The True Meaning of Islam 2) Children's Part of the Library - which includes: Finally, we can access directly a complete on-line version of the following books by His Holiness, through the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship Web Site, by clicking on the following links: On-line Books by Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.): 1) Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi 4. How To Deal With The Strength And Weakness Of Our Faith - and the fear that can overwhelm us, when we seem to come up short at any particular moment, when we seem to be lacking in faith or are experiencing fear in some situation that has come before us My love you (anbu), my dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh, from Iran, and from Toronto, Canada - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). Next let us come together at the feet of our Father for this age, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) and take a brief look at a problem that we all face on the path of God, which is keeping our faith in God strong when things confront us in the world that seem to shake or weaken our faith in God. And then the problem within that problem, within the apparent weakening of our faith, which is what do we do next, to strengthen our faith in God. One day one of our sisters, Carolyn Lawton, came to see Bawa and asked Bawa what to do with the up's and down's in her life, and Bawa told her that the problem was weakness in faith, that if she had strong faith in God then her life would not be experienced as up and down, but rather as steady and firm. And Carolyn asked Bawa how she could strengthen her faith in God, and in this way, make her life steady and firm, eliminating the up and down in her life that she was currently experiencing. And Bawa told her, "This." And pointed to what she and Bawa were currently doing, which was coming together with the Shaikh and talking about what her problem was, getting the advice of the Shaikh, and then strengthened, and with greater clarity about her life, and how it should be lived, setting out to try again. And for this child, that is the way, coming together as we did recently in Toronto, Canada, with our faith and trust that our Shaikh, that Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) will be present through the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us) who are present, then sharing our problems with each other, with the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), like Carolyn did with Bawa, and then getting the advice of Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) through the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), and then strengthened, and with greater clarity about our life, and how it should be lived, setting out to try again. This is the gift of God to the Children of God for this age, which is the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and now as the life and teaching of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), which is all of us living in the world today. But if we doubt that any of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) have a direct connection to Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), then for us "Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) is dead", but if we believe and trust in God, then Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) lives, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) lives within the heart of any of us who believe and trust in God, and can and will talk to us through whatever God has placed before us, including each other, including the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), which is all of us living in the world today. For as Abu Bakr (peace be upon Him) told the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (Sal.) after He died, "For those who worshipped Muhammad (Sal.), Muhammad (Sal.) is dead, but for those how worship God, Muhammad (Sal.) lives." This is the way we must live our life my dearest loving brother and sister, with faith and trust in God, not in Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.), or in the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.), then Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) lives within our very own heart, and we can speak to Him any time we want, and/or, we can also hear Him, and speak to Him, through the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.), who also have faith and trust in God. This is the value of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) to the world, and to all of us living in the world today, their faith and trust in God within them, and in the "Stuff of God" within them, their faith and trust in their Shaikh within them, and in God within Him. For as Bawa teaches us, "If two of you come together in My Name, I will be there." My love you (anbu), my dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh. May the peace, the beneficence, and the blessing of God be upon us all. May God help us all. Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). Now lets take a little deeper look at the problem of the strength and weakness of our faith, and what to do with it. My dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh, in your sweet letter to this child you said the following: "There are days when I feel that my faith is growing thin on me because I can feel the fear in me. But then, I hear the most beautiful melody, singing; don't forget me...oh, please don't forget me, and suddenly my head is lifted, my longs filled with air and tears rolling down my face. All that can be said is AL-HAMDULILAH RAB AL-ALAMEEN." This is a beautiful sharing. We are truly blessed. Let us share for a moment some of the wisdom points that have opened in my heart concerning this very same point, which all revolves around the question, "How to deal with the strength and weakness of our faith, at any particular moment, and the fear that can overwhelm us, when we seem to come up short at any particular moment, when we seem to be lacking in faith or are experiencing fear in some situation that has come before us." And the solution is always the same - Astaghfiru Allah al-'Azim, Al-hamdu lillah, Allahu Akbar I seek forgiveness from Allah the Supreme. All praise and praising belong to God and to God alone. Only God is great. And the benefit of this solution changes as we change, as the understanding of this solution grows deeper and more subtle within our heart. For example, for this child, Astaghfiru Allah al-'Azim has become seeking forgiveness not for what I have done, but rather for my existence, for my belief, for my acting in any situation, that I exist, rather than the absolute, complete, and unshakable faith, certitude, and determination that "God alone exists". Astaghfiru Allah al-'Azim has become seeking forgiveness for my living as "separate from" God, as "separate from" my brother and sisters, and as "separate from" the Creation of God within me, rather than the complete acceptance of the heart that "God is One". And Al-hamdu lillah has become the praise of God for what He and True Man are currently doing within me, for what They joined as One within my heart have started within me, which is to reveal True Man within the Creation of God within me, and to reveal God within the Creation of True Man within me, and in this way, to reveal the Oneness of God and True Man within me, which in truth is God and True Man within me. And the realization that everything that comes to me, is not really coming to me, but is in truth coming from Them to Them, from God to God within me, from True Man to True Man within me, to complete what They are doing within us, and we are but the witness of all this necessary coming and going, as the Angel Gabriel (peace be upon Him) was but the witness of the Holy Qur'an, of the words of God to God in the age of Muhammad (Sal.), of the words of God that came from God to God for the benefit of all of the Creation of God in the age of Muhammad (Sal.) Of the words of the Holy Qur'an that came to the Angel Gabriel (peace be upon Him) as a Light, as the Nur Muhammad, and which then came to the Prophet Muhammad (Sal.) as the grace and attributes of God, as the Qutbiyyat of God, and which then came to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (Sal.) as revelations. In this way, the Angel Gabriel (A.S.) did not give the words of God to Muhammad (Sal.), for in truth the words of God came from God to God, from Muhammad as the Nur Muhammad to Muhammad as the Qutbiyyat of God, from the seventh level of wisdom to the sixth level of wisdom, and the Angel Gabriel (A.S.) was but the witness of this fact, and in no way caused it to occur, or facilitated its happening in any way, as none of us are causing what we see happening in the world, on in our own life, or in the life of others, or are we facilitating these things that we see happening in any way. We are but the witness to all that comes and goes in our life. This is an inner meaning to Al-hamdu lillah, that has opened within the heart of your brother, Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler), the praise of God for whatever come to us in our life, as coming from God within us, to God within us, to complete what God is doing within us, within each and everyone of us, if we will but let Him, if we will but receive everything as coming from Him, and then hand it all to Him within us as coming to Him, and from Him, not from us, and certainly not to us. Then we are acting as a proper witness of what God and True Man are doing within us, and do not get pulled into the drama of our own existence as "separate from" God. And all of this coming and going is really happening within each of us, both then and now. For example, what came from God to God as the Holy Qur'an in the age of Muhammad (Sal.), what came from Muhammad as the Nur Muhammad to Muhammad (Sal.) as the Qutbiyyat of God, came within the heart of everyone living in the age of Muhammad (Sal.), not just to the Arabs in Arabia 1400 years ago, and what came from God to God also as the Qur'an in the age of Jesus (peace be upon Him), what came from Muhammad as the Qutbiyyat of God to Muhammad as the awakened and liberated soul of God within us, which is Jesus (A.S.), came within the heart of everyone living in the age of Jesus (A.S.), not just to the Christians in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. And what came from God to God as the Holy Qur'an in the age of Moses (peace be upon Him), what came from Muhammad as the Iman or absolute faith of Abraham, as our fourth level of wisdom or judgment, and from Muhammad as the "qurban" or Self Sacrifice of Ishmael (peace be upon Him), as our fifth level of wisdom or subtle wisdom, to awaken the sixth level of wisdom, to awaken Muhammad as the Qutbiyyat of God within Moses (peace be upon Him), came within the heart of everyone living in the age of Moses (A.S.), not just to the Jews in Egypt 3600 years ago. And in this way, what came from God to God as the Holy Qur'an in the age of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), what came from Muhammad as Allah Muhammad or True Man to Muhammad as the Nur Muhammad within each of us, from Muhammad (Sal.) as our state of True Prayer to awaken the Nur Muhammad within the Nur Muhammad within each of us, as the understanding of the Nur Muhammad within the Nur Muhammad within each of us, to awaken the understanding of the 7th level of wisdom within the 7th level of wisdom within each of us, in order to complete the mi'raj of Muhammad within each of us, came within the heart of everyone living in our age, not just to the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.), assembled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A, between 1971 and 1986. In this way, my dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sisters, the wife of Farokh, our life is about what God and True Man are doing within us, within each of us living in the world today, it is about the lessons that we, as the soul, have come here from God to learn, which is to understand who "we already are", and having learned our lesson, to leave here and return as One with God, for the benefit of all of the Creations of God in the 18,000 universes within us, and from "there" to do our duty "here", as the Light of God to the world. This in truth is "who we are", is "where we are", and is "what is happening" in our life. Everything else is the dream, is the stage of drama upon which this learning of the soul must take place. In this way, our life is not about "us" living lives of "separation and differences" in the world that we currently see, it is not about "us" living with our brothers and sisters in the world that we collectively see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us, and it is certainly not about "us" as "separate from" God, as "separate from" each other, and as "separate from" the Creation of God within us. It is certainly not about "us", in this state of "separation and differences", practicing Islam, or Judaism, or Christianity, or Fire Worship, or Hinduism in the world that we see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us. No, our life is not about this, because all of this is but the falsehood of us covering the truth of us, all of this is but our life of "separation from" God that is covering our life of "Oneness with" God. All of this is just covering our life of "Oneness with" God that God and True Man within us have created within us, and have started to reveal within us, up to the age of 2 years old, when we started to cover what They were doing within us, with what our parents were doing, which was living in the world "outside" of us, and with what "we" were and are doing within us, which is growing and living a life of "separation and differences" in the world that we collectively see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us. A life of "separation and differences" that can only stop when we stop supporting it, when we stop nourishing it, when we stop joining and participating in it, and instead, when we start supporting, when we start nourishing, what They are doing within us, what They have created and started to reveal within us before we were 2 years old, when we stop working for wages to get into some imaginary heaven of our own making, and instead join in partnership with God within us, and with the "Stuff of God" within us, by joining in partnership with our wisdom, and with the truth of God within our wisdom, by joining in partnership with our Shaikh within us, and with God within Him, to complete what They have started within us. And what They have started within us is the story of True Man within the story of God within us, and the story of God within the story of True Man within us, and the completion of the story of True Man within God within us is True Man within us, and the completion of the story of God within the story of True Man within us is God within us, is the "Oneness of God and True Man" within us. Just as an apple seed is the story of the apple tree within the story of the apple, and is the story of the apple within the story of the apple tree, and the completion of the story of the apple tree within the story of the apple is the apple tree, and the completion of the story of the apple within the story of the apple tree is the apple, is the "Oneness of the apple and the apple tree". This is why Bawa teaches us, "Live with the faith that your body and your soul do not belong to you. Then God will share the suffering that comes to you. Place your trust in God all the time. In each moment say, 'Oh God, this is your property, your duty'. "One who was born as a man, and has lived as a man will exist in this state. For whatever happens he will say with contentment and gratitude, Al-hamdu lillah, all prase be to God." And for what might come in the next moment he will say, Tawakkul-Allah, "Oh God, it is your responsibility", and praise Him." And finally, Allahu Akbar has become for this child the realization that only God is great, not you or I or anything else. The realization that the value of anything is only that it contains the greatness of God, not that it contains any intrinsic value of its own as "separate from" the Greatness of God within it. In this way, the greatness of anything is only that it contains the 99 attributes or powers of the grace of Allah, which can be revealed within each of us, if, and only if, like the Rasulullah (Sal.) demonstrated to us, we join with God within us to reveal it. Other than this greatness, wealth, and power of God within everything, there is no greatness, or wealth, or power within anything or anyone. End of Page 1 of 2 of Spiritual Letter 49 - expanded version - ......................... or Go To Spiritual Letter 49: Table of Contents Original Version Related Material or ( a top-down version of the Library Home Page) (a bottom-up version of the Library Home Page) |
Spiritual Letter 49 - Expanded Version About Spiritual Letter 49 Title: "The True Meaning of Islam, For Our Age" Date: May 18, 2003 Written by: Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler) Written to: Our dearest loving brother Farokh, and his wife, from Toronto, Canada Home Page - Spiritual Letters Go To Spiritual Letter 50 Letter 49: Original Version Library Navigation Tree Go To Spiritual Letter 48 Letter 49: Related Material Page 1 of 2 Go To Table of Contents - Spiritual Letter 49 Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Al-salam 'alaykum wa-rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu kulluhu. Wa 'alaykum al-salam wa-rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu kulluhu. May all the peace, the beneficence, and the blessing of God be upon us all. May God help us all. My love you (anbu), my dearest loving brothers and sisters - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). Outline of Spiritual Letter: Page 1 of 2 - which is this page 1. Introduction - to Spiritual Letter 49 2. The Purpose of This Letter - is to share a beautiful explanation that Bawa gave to us about the "True Meaning of Islam" for our age 3. Understanding The Final Destruction - which is to understand what is truly happening in the world today, which is the final destruction, the final battle between good and evil within each of us, between Islam of the heart and Islam of the world, that will determine the eternal state of each of us in the hereafter 4. How To Deal With The Strength And Weakness Of Our Faith - and the fear that can overwhelm us, when we seem to come up short at any particular moment, when we seem to be lacking in faith or are experiencing fear in some situation that has come before us Page 2 of 2 - click HERE to go to Page 2 5. The True Meaning of Islam for Our Age - is using the grace, the light, and the power of God within each of us to let God and True Man finish what They have started within each of us, to let our life turn out as God and True Man within us, as They within us, as "One with" us, have intended for us, not as "we" as "separate from" Them have intended for us, not as "we" as "separate from" God, as "separate from" each other, and as "separate from" the Creation of God within us, have intended for us Text of Spiritual Letter: 1. Introduction - to Spiritual Letter 49 Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Al-salam 'alaykum wa-rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu kulluhu. Wa 'alaykum al-salam wa-rahmat Allah wa-barakatuhu kulluhu. May all the peace, the beneficence, and the blessing of God be upon us all. May God help us all. My love you (anbu), my dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh, from Iran, and from Toronto, Canada - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). Thank you for your loving letter, it really warmed my heart, as follows: Salams to my dearest, dearest brother Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen: First and most of all I wanted to say that we have missed you very much. I've been busy with my work lately, but not busy enough to forget you. For that, I'll never be busy enough. I'm in Iran now visiting my wife. We are still waiting for her immigration visa to come so that we can travel back to Toronto, Insha-Allah. Your thoughts and words spoken in Toronto are still ringing in my ears and they will always be compiled in my heart as Bawa's own words. There are days when I feel that my faith is growing thin on me because I can feel the fear in me. But then, I hear the most beautiful melody, singing; don't forget me...oh, please don't forget me, and suddenly my head is lifted, my longs filled with air and tears rolling down my face. All that can be said is AL-HAMDULILAH RAB AL-ALAMEEN. My love you my dearest, dearest brother. I send you many, many salams and lots of embraces. To you and Chrisi. By-the-way I did deliver what we recorded from your talks in Toronto to Mohammad. He thanked you very much. Much, much Love. Farokh. 2. The Purpose of This Letter - is to share a beautiful explanation that Bawa gave to us about the "True Meaning of Islam" for our age In Chapter 01, "The True Meaning of Islam", in the beautiful book, "The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis", Bawa teaches us about the true meaning of Islam for our age, and what we must do to realize this true meaning in our life time. My dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, his wife, let us spend some time together in this letter sharing some of this beautiful teaching from the light of God for our age, from the life and teaching of God for our age, which for this child is the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), which is all of us living in the world today. When we received your E-mail on 4/27/03 we immediately wanted to write you back, and share our love and salams with both of you, with you and your wife. However, since that time Bawa has put in front of this child the beautiful series of letters that His Holiness wrote in 1979 and 1980 to the America people, to the late Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, and to the late President Sadat in Egypt, preparing all of us for what we are now beginning to experience in the world today. 3. Understanding The Final Destruction - which is to understand what is truly happening in the world today, which is the final destruction, the final battle between good and evil within each of us, between Islam of the heart and Islam of the world, that will determine the eternal state of each of us in the hereafter My dearest loving brother and sister, we must quickly come to the understanding, without the slightest doubt, that the final destruction is what is truly happening in the world today, the final battle between good and evil within each of us, between Islam of the heart and Islam of the world. The final destruction at the end of time, which is now, when those who only practice Islam, rather than becoming Islam, destroy true Islam within each of us, by forgetting God, and in the process destroy the world for all of us, destroying any chance for any of us getting it right before we die. And the final destruction is also the time when at least One of us becomes the Light of God to the world, for all of us, by using God within each of us, to destroy what would destroy true Islam within each of us, and to transform this world into the hereafter, here and now, for all who truly have faith in God This is what is truly happening in the world today, in this age of the Rahim of God, when God pulls everything back into Himself, the final battle of Islam, between those who want the world and those who want God, with both of these participants living within each of us. In this way, now is the time when each of us must decide the state we will have for eternity, an eternal state of "Oneness with" God, or an eternal state of "separation from" God. Each of us must decide what we truly want, either an eternal life of "Oneness with" God, like the state demonstrated to us by the lives and teaching of the 124,000 Prophets and Qutbs of God, which is the state of "Oneness with" God and with the "Stuff of God" within us, and of "Oneness with" the Creation of God within us, the state which God repeatedly demonstrated to us in each age, or an eternal life of "separation from" God and from the "Stuff of God" within us, of "separation from" each other, and of "separation from" the Creation of God within us, the state which each of us living in the world today are repeatedly demonstrating to each other, the life of "separation and differences" each of us are currently living in this age. And the choice is ours, not God's, because God has already made His choice, and He chose "Oneness with" us, and that is why we are alive today. Now we must choose. Now we must either choose "Oneness with" God, before we die, by using God and the "Stuff of God" within us to reveal God to God within us, in order to become eternally alive within God in the hereafter, or we choose "separation from" God, by just continuing on as we are currently behaving, just continue on living lives of "separation and differences" with our brothers and sisters in the world that we collectively see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us. Because in this case, no choice is a choice, is the choice of "separation from" God. And if we choose "separation from" God rather than "Oneness with" God, then after we die, we will meet the Angel of Death (peace be upon Him), and we will experience the suffering of the grave, Qiyamah (the Standing Forth; the Day of Judgment), and eventually we will be given hell, eventually we will be given an eternal life of "separation from" God. For as Bawa teaches us, "Hell is simply the realization that we have separated ourselves from God." In this way, the final destruction of all of us, and the choice that each of us must now make concerning our final destruction, a choice which determines the eternal state of each of us in the hereafter, is the true meaning of Islam for our age. This truth is beautifully explained to us by His Holiness throughout the book, "The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis", and is the clarity that is now beginning to emerge from within the heart of this child, from within the heart of your brother, Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). The clarity that what is truly happening in the world today is all about Islam within each of us, and all about the world within each of us. It is not about an "outside" thing or world, it is not about America and the Middle East, it not about Iraq, or Iran, or Syria, or Jordan, or Lebanon, or the Taliban, or al-Qaida, or Hezbollah, and it is not about Israel and the Palestinians, or a war on terrorism, or a clash of civilizations, or anything like that. What is happening in the world today is all about the final battle of Islam within each of us, the final battle between Islam of the heart and Islam of the world within each of us, it is all about the battle between the two opposite forms of Islam within each of us. The final battle, where, for any of us to be truly successful in our life, before we die, we must all become truly successful in our life, we must all get exactly what we want, where, "Islam within us must cure Itself of the world within us, Islam within us must cure Islam within us of the world within us". "Islam of the heart must cure Itself of Islam of the world by understanding the inner wisdom or divine consciousness of God's qualities within our very own life". Only then can the justice of God come into the world, and into the hearts of each of us, allowing each of us to get what we want. For as Bawa teaches us, "The justice of God is that whatever we intend is what we will receive." And each of us must do this now, each of us must win this battle right now, within our very own life, before we die, and before the world is prematurely destroyed for all of us by one of us, before those who are only practicing Islam in the world, without first becoming Islam in their own heart, destroy Islam within each of us, destroy Islam of the heart within each of us, by forgetting God, and in the process turn one heart against another, and in the process destroy the world for all of us. This is why Bawa teaches us, "That it was satan who originally separated man from God, but it is our own evil qualities that have separate man from man." My dearest loving brother and sister, this is what is truly happening today in the world today, the final destruction at the end of time within each of us, this is the "True Meaning of Islam" for our age, when, Either: Before we die, Islam within us destroys the practice of Islam in the world within us, in the world within us that we in our collective ignorance see as existing "outside" of us, by using Islam within us to transcend the world "outside" of us, which is really the world of arrogance, karma and illusion within us, and to reveals the earth world or dunya within us, which is really the next world within us, the 18,000 universes, the Creation of God within us. And within that, within the earth world or dunya within us, Islam within us must reveal the hereafter or akhirah within us, which is the 8th heaven or firdaus of Muhammad (Sal.) within us, the kingdom of God within us, Islam within us must reveal an eternal life of "Oneness with" God within the sirr or secret world of Allah within the dunya or next world within us, Islam within us must reveal God and the "Stuff of God" within us. And within that, within akhirah or the kingdom of God within us, Islam within us must reveal True Man and the "Stuff of True Man" within us, as the arsh al-mu'mim, as the throne of the true believer within us, and within that, within the arsh al-mu'min, which is the soul within the soul within us, Islam within us must reveal the "Oneness of God and True Man" within us, showing all of this as the true next world within us. Or: Before we die, the practice of Islam in the world "outside" of all of us, which is really within all of us, will destroy Islam within all of us, and after we die, it will reveal the Angel of Death (A.S.) within us, the suffering of the grave within us, and Qiyamah (the Standing Forth; the Day of Judgment) within us, and in this way, it will take us to hell, which is but an eternal life of "separation from" God, of "separation from" each other, and of "separation from" the Creation of God within us, showing all of this as the true next world within us. My dearest loving brother and sister, this is "The True Meaning of Islam" for our age, the final destruction of each of us in our age, the final destruction of each of us living in the world within us, in the world within us that we see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us. The final destruction of each of us, when either Muhammad (Sal.) comes out of at least one of us, before the "beast" come out of at least one of us, and saves all those who have faith in God, or the "beast" comes out first, out of at least one of us first, before Muhammad can come out of at least one of us, destroying Islam within all of us, and transforming this world into hell. And if Muhammad (Sal.) makes it out first, in at least one of us, then it means that at last one of us within all of us truly believe and trust and love in God in our age, and then everything in the world is saved, both in our age and in all previous ages, for everything is then viewed and accepted by God as contributing to the successful revealing of God to God within God within us. And if the "beast" makes it out first, then it means that none of us in our age truly believe and trust and love in God, and then everything in the world in our age is destroyed, and each of us in this age, and each of those in all previous ages, must go to our own individual judgment. And those who have no faith and trust and love for God in all ages go to hell, and there is no judgment for them, because they are already living in hell, with these making up the first 70 of the 73 groups of man. And those who have some belief and trust and love for God in all ages go to judgment, to Qiyamah (the Standing Forth; the Day of Judgment), for some final disposition by the Angels, according to the laws of God, that were laid down before any of us came to this world, with these making up the 71st and the 72nd of the 73 groups of man. And for those in previous ages, who had true belief and trust and love only in God, and not in the world, they go to heaven, and there is no judgment for them, because they are already living in heaven, with these making up the 73rd and last group of the 73 groups of man. And if Muhammad (Sal.) comes out of at least one of us before the "beast" comes out of at least one of us, then Muhammad will destroy the "beast" when the "beast" finally does come out of at least one of us, for the "beast" will most certainly finally come out of at least one of us, then Muhammad will destroy the "beast" when it comes out after the "beast" has destroyed all who in their life have become but the food of the beast, after the "beast" has destroyed all who in their thoughts, words, actions, and deeds, have become but the food of the beast. And then Muhammad (Sal.) having destroyed the "beast" with the purity of the soul, that has become the purity of the heart, that has become the light of Islam in the world, the light known as Dinul-Islam in the world, of the One who is in the state of Iman-Islam in the world, then Muhammad (Sal.) saves all who have demonstrated in their life, in their thoughts, words, actions, and deeds, their faith and trust and love in God. Then Muhammad saves all who have faith and trust and love in God by absorbing them back into that light of God, from which we have all come, absorbing into the light of God all who have in their life become the nourishment of God for the world, who have become the grace, the light, and the help of God to the world, the help of God known as 'ilm, known as the divine knowledge of God, for the benefit of all of the Creation of God, within us and within God. And for them, Muhammad (Sal.) transforms this world into the hereafter, and for them, Muhammad (Sal.) reveals the Secret World of Allah within the dunya, Muhammad (Sal.) reveals the sirr or secret within the sifat or manifestation, and within that, Nur Muhammad (Sal.) reveals the dhat, the essence of God within the sirr or secret of God, within the Secret World of Allah, which is True Prayer, and within True Prayer, the dhat, the Resplendence of God, the essence of God, reveal Allah Muhammad or True Man within the Creation of God, reveals True Man which is the Oneness of God and His Creation. And from True Man God reveals akhirah or the hereafter, or the Creation of True Man, and from that, from akhirah or the Creation of True Man, True Man reveals God, first as the soul within the soul, which is the arsh al-mu'mim, the Throne of the True Believer, as the Oneness of True Man and the Creation of True Man, and within that, God and True Man as One reveal the "Oneness of God and True Man", which is the Power within the Essence of Everything, from which we have all come. My dearest loving brother and sister, may we all reflect on these beautiful words of wisdom a little, and think about how we are currently living in the world a little, and think about what we are currently nourishing within us by our current life in the world a little, and think about whether our current life in the world is nourishing Muhammad (Sal.) or the "beast" within us. It is very, very important that we all do this divine work within us, before it is too late, before we die, and before the world outside of us is prematurely destroyed by one of us for all of us. For this child, this "Understanding of the Final Destruction" for our age, this understanding of the "True Meaning of Islam" for our age, is the gift of God for our age, is the life and teaching of God for our age, is the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) for our age, and is now the life and teaching of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us) for our age, which is all of us living in the world today. For example, Bawa teaches us all about this in Chapter 02, "The Wondrous City", in the book, "A Mystical Journey", all about Muhammad (Sal.) within us, and all about the "The Three-Eyed Beast" within us. Bawa teaches us all about the "beast" that we all are growing within us, and how it can be destroyed by the grace, the light, and the 'ilm or divine knowledge of God known as Muhammad (Sal.) within us, that we are all also growing within us, if we will but let Muhammad (Sal.) come to maturity within us, before we die, and before the world is prematurely destroyed by one of us for all of us. And we do this divine work within us, of bringing Muhammad (Sal.) to maturity within us, of becoming the Light of God to the world, "By understanding the inner wisdom or divine consciousness of God's qualities within our very own life, not by just practicing the 5 outer duties or obligations of Islam without a proper understanding of them, but by understanding the inner meaning of these 5 outer obligations of Islam using our inner wisdom, and by understanding the 6 inner obligations of Islam also using our inner wisdom". "By joining with our wisdom, and with the truth of God within our wisdom, by joining with our Shaikh within us, and with God within Him, to complete what They have started within us, not by just working for wages to get into heaven." "By becoming Islam within us, not by just practicing Islam in the world within us, in the world of arrogance, karma, and illusion within us that we mistakenly see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us." Bawa describes all of this beautifully in the book, "A Mystical Journey", which we can purchase through the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship Web Site, www.bmf.org, and access on-line through the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Library, www.BawaMuhaiyaddeenLibrary.homestead.com, at least some of it. For example, in this book Bawa teaches us how this "beast" that is growing within each of us, can be destroyed by the Iman, Light, and the Power of Muhammad (Sal.), that is also growing within each of us, that is growing within each of us as the "Katpaha Virudcham" in Tamil, or in Arabic as the "Sidratul-Muntaha", which is the wish-fulfilling tree, a tree in the seventh heaven, having its roots in the sixth, and its fruits in the eighth heaven of Muhammad (Sal.), the tree of God's grace growing within each of us as our birth right, as our true heritage, the tree that is the light of the grace awakened wisdom of gnanam within us, the tree that contains the power of God within us, from which we can receive whatever we ask for, whatever we think of. A tree that contains the power of God, that will naturally grow within each of us, if we will but let it, if we will but join it, if we will but, "Stop working for wages to get into heaven, and instead, join in partnership with God within us." A tree that grew in the east and fell in the west, with the coming of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) to Philadelphia in America in 1971, and must now grow in the west and fall in the east, with the returning of Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) to Baghdad in Iraq. For example, Bawa teaches us the following, starting on page 35, in Chapter 02, "A Wondrous City", in the book, "A Mystical Journey", --------------- beginning of discourse by His Holiness -------------- "The Three-Eyed Beast:" "Watch out! The beast is coming! It is as huge as a mountain. Fire is spewing out of its mouth, and the entire city is shaking. This monstrous beast is called Muyalahan. It comes from hell. Its form is all the evil qualities of the world rolled into one: arrogance, karma, illusion, and the three demons known as tarahan, singhan, and suran. Children, it is coming closer! But do not be afraid, this beast cannot touch a true man of iman or the qualities of Allah. It cannot touch the Ill-Allahu that comes from Allah's qudrat. Stand to one side, out of the way of danger. I will tell you what is happening. Oh, the beast is almost here! Look, it has three eyes! One eye is lust, one is hell, and the third is the burning fires of that hell. All three eyes are blazing with fire from the passage of hell. The flames are spreading to this section of the city, and all the houses are ablaze. The whole city is burning! Come, you can watch with me through the window of Compassion, the window of Rahim. Look! The beast has been scorched and blinded by its own fire, which has ignited its body. It is burning in the fire from its own mouth. Unable to see the path, it is panicking, frantically dashing here and there, and crashing into things. How horrible! Listen to it screaming and howling as it writhes on the ground. The whole city shudders and quakes at the sound. When this beast, which exists in the heart of man, approached the house of the soul, when it faced the truth and the resplendence of truth, its eyes were blinded. Like this, my children, whatever one develops within himself in this city of the world, whatever fire he lights, that same fire will burn him. He himself nurtures his own demonic beast. It comes from within him. It is his own qualities and actions that are destroying him and making him suffer. They are the cause of his poverty, illness, karma, and misery. Whatever desire he has for land, woman, and gold, and anything that is forbidden, or haram, whatever pride, jealousy, deceit, anger, treachery, doubt and suspicions he harbors - all these evil qualities come out of him and burn him to a crisp. Whatever suffering he undergoes arises from within himself, and then, unable to bear such misery, he blindly runs here and there, not knowing his way. He cries out to countless gods, but they do not come to help him. He turns to race, religion, and caste, yelling, "Mine!" and "Yours!" He shouts mantras and performs cunning tricks, or tantras. But nothing comes to his help. The demonic beast that burns him is the very state that he developed within himself. He has forgotten the one truth that could help him. He runs hither and thither, wailing from the pain of the fire, and finally he rushes toward the ocean of illusion and plunges into the drain-hole of karma, down the birth canal from which he first came. Look how he twists and turns and tumbles as he falls into that tiny hole. But that doesn't help him either, for even there, the fire is not quenched." --------------- end of discourse by His Holiness -------------- Also, Bawa teaches us about the same wisdom points, but from another perspective, in Chapter 01, "The True Meaning of Islam", in the book, "The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis", that we are currently reviewing as the focus of this Spiritual Letter to you, my dearest loving brother Farokh, and to you, my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh. For example, at the end of the first large paragraph on page 3, in Chapter 01, of this book, Bawa teaches us, "We must use the wisdom contained within the Qur'an to spank our naughty mind, making it sit down, and in this way, to defeat our own compulsive desires." "If we do that, what is called Islam will taste like honey." "What we do now by battling in the world and calling it Islam tastes bitter, and covers the light of the Qur'an in darkness". All of these letters by His Holiness are available in the book, "The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis", which we can purchase on-line through the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship, by clicking on the following URL or Web Address: www.bmf.org. Once there click on, "On-line Bookstore". Finally, the purpose of this Spiritual Letter to you, my dearest loving brother Farokh, and to you, his dearest loving wife (please send me your name, or write me), is to share, study, and enjoy the first of these letters from His Holiness, Chapter 01, which is a beautiful letter to the American people, explaining "The True Meaning of Islam" for our age. We can read an online copy of this first letter by His Holiness to the American people, "The True Meaning of Islam" for our age, by clicking HERE, which is now available as a Web Page in the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Library. For our reference, the material listed above, as well as other material by Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and by the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of us), is also available on-line as part of the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Library, which we can access directly by clicking on the following links: On-line Material From Bawa Muhaiyaddeen & His Children (Ral.): 1) Father's Part of the Library - which includes: a-1) A Mystical Journey a-1-2) Chapter 02 - A Wondrous City a-6) The Truth and Unity of Man - Letters In Response To a Crisis a-6-1) Chapter 01 - The True Meaning of Islam 2) Children's Part of the Library - which includes: Finally, we can access directly a complete on-line version of the following books by His Holiness, through the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship Web Site, by clicking on the following links: On-line Books by Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.): 1) Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi 4. How To Deal With The Strength And Weakness Of Our Faith - and the fear that can overwhelm us, when we seem to come up short at any particular moment, when we seem to be lacking in faith or are experiencing fear in some situation that has come before us My love you (anbu), my dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh, from Iran, and from Toronto, Canada - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). Next let us come together at the feet of our Father for this age, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) and take a brief look at a problem that we all face on the path of God, which is keeping our faith in God strong when things confront us in the world that seem to shake or weaken our faith in God. And then the problem within that problem, within the apparent weakening of our faith, which is what do we do next, to strengthen our faith in God. One day one of our sisters, Carolyn Lawton, came to see Bawa and asked Bawa what to do with the up's and down's in her life, and Bawa told her that the problem was weakness in faith, that if she had strong faith in God then her life would not be experienced as up and down, but rather as steady and firm. And Carolyn asked Bawa how she could strengthen her faith in God, and in this way, make her life steady and firm, eliminating the up and down in her life that she was currently experiencing. And Bawa told her, "This." And pointed to what she and Bawa were currently doing, which was coming together with the Shaikh and talking about what her problem was, getting the advice of the Shaikh, and then strengthened, and with greater clarity about her life, and how it should be lived, setting out to try again. And for this child, that is the way, coming together as we did recently in Toronto, Canada, with our faith and trust that our Shaikh, that Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) will be present through the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us) who are present, then sharing our problems with each other, with the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), like Carolyn did with Bawa, and then getting the advice of Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) through the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), and then strengthened, and with greater clarity about our life, and how it should be lived, setting out to try again. This is the gift of God to the Children of God for this age, which is the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and now as the life and teaching of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), which is all of us living in the world today. But if we doubt that any of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) have a direct connection to Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), then for us "Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) is dead", but if we believe and trust in God, then Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) lives, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) lives within the heart of any of us who believe and trust in God, and can and will talk to us through whatever God has placed before us, including each other, including the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with each of Us), which is all of us living in the world today. For as Abu Bakr (peace be upon Him) told the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (Sal.) after He died, "For those who worshipped Muhammad (Sal.), Muhammad (Sal.) is dead, but for those how worship God, Muhammad (Sal.) lives." This is the way we must live our life my dearest loving brother and sister, with faith and trust in God, not in Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.), or in the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.), then Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) lives within our very own heart, and we can speak to Him any time we want, and/or, we can also hear Him, and speak to Him, through the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.), who also have faith and trust in God. This is the value of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) to the world, and to all of us living in the world today, their faith and trust in God within them, and in the "Stuff of God" within them, their faith and trust in their Shaikh within them, and in God within Him. For as Bawa teaches us, "If two of you come together in My Name, I will be there." My love you (anbu), my dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh. May the peace, the beneficence, and the blessing of God be upon us all. May God help us all. Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). Now lets take a little deeper look at the problem of the strength and weakness of our faith, and what to do with it. My dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sister, the wife of Farokh, in your sweet letter to this child you said the following: "There are days when I feel that my faith is growing thin on me because I can feel the fear in me. But then, I hear the most beautiful melody, singing; don't forget me...oh, please don't forget me, and suddenly my head is lifted, my longs filled with air and tears rolling down my face. All that can be said is AL-HAMDULILAH RAB AL-ALAMEEN." This is a beautiful sharing. We are truly blessed. Let us share for a moment some of the wisdom points that have opened in my heart concerning this very same point, which all revolves around the question, "How to deal with the strength and weakness of our faith, at any particular moment, and the fear that can overwhelm us, when we seem to come up short at any particular moment, when we seem to be lacking in faith or are experiencing fear in some situation that has come before us." And the solution is always the same - Astaghfiru Allah al-'Azim, Al-hamdu lillah, Allahu Akbar I seek forgiveness from Allah the Supreme. All praise and praising belong to God and to God alone. Only God is great. And the benefit of this solution changes as we change, as the understanding of this solution grows deeper and more subtle within our heart. For example, for this child, Astaghfiru Allah al-'Azim has become seeking forgiveness not for what I have done, but rather for my existence, for my belief, for my acting in any situation, that I exist, rather than the absolute, complete, and unshakable faith, certitude, and determination that "God alone exists". Astaghfiru Allah al-'Azim has become seeking forgiveness for my living as "separate from" God, as "separate from" my brother and sisters, and as "separate from" the Creation of God within me, rather than the complete acceptance of the heart that "God is One". And Al-hamdu lillah has become the praise of God for what He and True Man are currently doing within me, for what They joined as One within my heart have started within me, which is to reveal True Man within the Creation of God within me, and to reveal God within the Creation of True Man within me, and in this way, to reveal the Oneness of God and True Man within me, which in truth is God and True Man within me. And the realization that everything that comes to me, is not really coming to me, but is in truth coming from Them to Them, from God to God within me, from True Man to True Man within me, to complete what They are doing within us, and we are but the witness of all this necessary coming and going, as the Angel Gabriel (peace be upon Him) was but the witness of the Holy Qur'an, of the words of God to God in the age of Muhammad (Sal.), of the words of God that came from God to God for the benefit of all of the Creation of God in the age of Muhammad (Sal.) Of the words of the Holy Qur'an that came to the Angel Gabriel (peace be upon Him) as a Light, as the Nur Muhammad, and which then came to the Prophet Muhammad (Sal.) as the grace and attributes of God, as the Qutbiyyat of God, and which then came to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (Sal.) as revelations. In this way, the Angel Gabriel (A.S.) did not give the words of God to Muhammad (Sal.), for in truth the words of God came from God to God, from Muhammad as the Nur Muhammad to Muhammad as the Qutbiyyat of God, from the seventh level of wisdom to the sixth level of wisdom, and the Angel Gabriel (A.S.) was but the witness of this fact, and in no way caused it to occur, or facilitated its happening in any way, as none of us are causing what we see happening in the world, on in our own life, or in the life of others, or are we facilitating these things that we see happening in any way. We are but the witness to all that comes and goes in our life. This is an inner meaning to Al-hamdu lillah, that has opened within the heart of your brother, Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler), the praise of God for whatever come to us in our life, as coming from God within us, to God within us, to complete what God is doing within us, within each and everyone of us, if we will but let Him, if we will but receive everything as coming from Him, and then hand it all to Him within us as coming to Him, and from Him, not from us, and certainly not to us. Then we are acting as a proper witness of what God and True Man are doing within us, and do not get pulled into the drama of our own existence as "separate from" God. And all of this coming and going is really happening within each of us, both then and now. For example, what came from God to God as the Holy Qur'an in the age of Muhammad (Sal.), what came from Muhammad as the Nur Muhammad to Muhammad (Sal.) as the Qutbiyyat of God, came within the heart of everyone living in the age of Muhammad (Sal.), not just to the Arabs in Arabia 1400 years ago, and what came from God to God also as the Qur'an in the age of Jesus (peace be upon Him), what came from Muhammad as the Qutbiyyat of God to Muhammad as the awakened and liberated soul of God within us, which is Jesus (A.S.), came within the heart of everyone living in the age of Jesus (A.S.), not just to the Christians in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. And what came from God to God as the Holy Qur'an in the age of Moses (peace be upon Him), what came from Muhammad as the Iman or absolute faith of Abraham, as our fourth level of wisdom or judgment, and from Muhammad as the "qurban" or Self Sacrifice of Ishmael (peace be upon Him), as our fifth level of wisdom or subtle wisdom, to awaken the sixth level of wisdom, to awaken Muhammad as the Qutbiyyat of God within Moses (peace be upon Him), came within the heart of everyone living in the age of Moses (A.S.), not just to the Jews in Egypt 3600 years ago. And in this way, what came from God to God as the Holy Qur'an in the age of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), what came from Muhammad as Allah Muhammad or True Man to Muhammad as the Nur Muhammad within each of us, from Muhammad (Sal.) as our state of True Prayer to awaken the Nur Muhammad within the Nur Muhammad within each of us, as the understanding of the Nur Muhammad within the Nur Muhammad within each of us, to awaken the understanding of the 7th level of wisdom within the 7th level of wisdom within each of us, in order to complete the mi'raj of Muhammad within each of us, came within the heart of everyone living in our age, not just to the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.), assembled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A, between 1971 and 1986. In this way, my dearest loving brother Farokh, and my dearest loving sisters, the wife of Farokh, our life is about what God and True Man are doing within us, within each of us living in the world today, it is about the lessons that we, as the soul, have come here from God to learn, which is to understand who "we already are", and having learned our lesson, to leave here and return as One with God, for the benefit of all of the Creations of God in the 18,000 universes within us, and from "there" to do our duty "here", as the Light of God to the world. This in truth is "who we are", is "where we are", and is "what is happening" in our life. Everything else is the dream, is the stage of drama upon which this learning of the soul must take place. In this way, our life is not about "us" living lives of "separation and differences" in the world that we currently see, it is not about "us" living with our brothers and sisters in the world that we collectively see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us, and it is certainly not about "us" as "separate from" God, as "separate from" each other, and as "separate from" the Creation of God within us. It is certainly not about "us", in this state of "separation and differences", practicing Islam, or Judaism, or Christianity, or Fire Worship, or Hinduism in the world that we see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us. No, our life is not about this, because all of this is but the falsehood of us covering the truth of us, all of this is but our life of "separation from" God that is covering our life of "Oneness with" God. All of this is just covering our life of "Oneness with" God that God and True Man within us have created within us, and have started to reveal within us, up to the age of 2 years old, when we started to cover what They were doing within us, with what our parents were doing, which was living in the world "outside" of us, and with what "we" were and are doing within us, which is growing and living a life of "separation and differences" in the world that we collectively see in our ignorance as existing "outside" of us. A life of "separation and differences" that can only stop when we stop supporting it, when we stop nourishing it, when we stop joining and participating in it, and instead, when we start supporting, when we start nourishing, what They are doing within us, what They have created and started to reveal within us before we were 2 years old, when we stop working for wages to get into some imaginary heaven of our own making, and instead join in partnership with God within us, and with the "Stuff of God" within us, by joining in partnership with our wisdom, and with the truth of God within our wisdom, by joining in partnership with our Shaikh within us, and with God within Him, to complete what They have started within us. And what They have started within us is the story of True Man within the story of God within us, and the story of God within the story of True Man within us, and the completion of the story of True Man within God within us is True Man within us, and the completion of the story of God within the story of True Man within us is God within us, is the "Oneness of God and True Man" within us. Just as an apple seed is the story of the apple tree within the story of the apple, and is the story of the apple within the story of the apple tree, and the completion of the story of the apple tree within the story of the apple is the apple tree, and the completion of the story of the apple within the story of the apple tree is the apple, is the "Oneness of the apple and the apple tree". This is why Bawa teaches us, "Live with the faith that your body and your soul do not belong to you. Then God will share the suffering that comes to you. Place your trust in God all the time. In each moment say, 'Oh God, this is your property, your duty'. "One who was born as a man, and has lived as a man will exist in this state. For whatever happens he will say with contentment and gratitude, Al-hamdu lillah, all prase be to God." And for what might come in the next moment he will say, Tawakkul-Allah, "Oh God, it is your responsibility", and praise Him." And finally, Allahu Akbar has become for this child the realization that only God is great, not you or I or anything else. The realization that the value of anything is only that it contains the greatness of God, not that it contains any intrinsic value of its own as "separate from" the Greatness of God within it. In this way, the greatness of anything is only that it contains the 99 attributes or powers of the grace of Allah, which can be revealed within each of us, if, and only if, like the Rasulullah (Sal.) demonstrated to us, we join with God within us to reveal it. Other than this greatness, wealth, and power of God within everything, there is no greatness, or wealth, or power within anything or anyone. End of Page 1 of 2 of Spiritual Letter 49 - expanded version - ......................... or Go To Spiritual Letter 49: Table of Contents Original Version Related Material or ( a top-down version of the Library Home Page) (a bottom-up version of the Library Home Page) |
This page was last updated on: May 19, 2003
