The Art of Contemplation – Fikr/Tafakkur Pt 1 (Shaykh Musab Penfound)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

الحمد لله رب العالمين

والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله

Allah said in the Quran “ I have not created Jinn and Mankind (Ins) except to Worship me.”

(Jinn = An unseen creation to ourselves of which the base component is a Smokeless Fire)

(Ins (Insan) = The Human Being, which has the capacity to remember, to forget (Nisyan), and also the capacity to feel estrangement and love (Uns). Our base component is Clay. But we are also part Light.)

• Now in this Ayah, Allah is giving us the privilege to know the Reality and Wisdom behind why we exist, what is our purpose. What is the meaning of this thing called Life.
• The verb use here is Ya’budun. يَعبُدُونَ. Where we get the word Ibadah. Now this is a very challenging word to translate. To give a sloppy translation, by which it means to most people from a western context, it will give a skewed understanding on the intention of that word which is; Worship.
• When if we were to use this word Worship, many different connotation comes to mind. One of them is that; He (Allah) is in some kind of need to be worshipped. This by the definition of Divinity, is impossible. It’s a theological impossibility. If that is what one worships then that is not Allah, by definition – Al Ghani: Complete, perfect independence of any need whatsoever. As Samad: the Self-Subsistent.  
• Now we can maybe render it slightly softer and easier to understand to as; Devotion. We can understand if someone is devoted to something.
• So much of this reality (لِيَعبُدُونَ), which is central to our existence and purpose, relates to; balance, harmony, courtesy(Adab)-things fitting in the right way-, to have perfection in things as being how it should be to an equilibrium to the design of the Cosmos.
• Because as we know everything else in creation has this form of Ibadah(devotion), this beautiful subjugation. Now, if we start to attribute all of His Creation back to Him and experiencing that connection back to Him through the practices which were design by Him as taught to us through the Prophet Saw, this is a fulfillment of that harmony and balance, the way things were meant brought to be.
• “Is it not through the Remembrance of God, one’s heart find tranquility”. Why? Its because through that remembrance that they remember their source, where they came from. They feel this safety and beauty in the spiritual heart where consciousness is located and ultimately where the safety and beauty is truly felt and perceived.
• To this meaning, it is to those that were trained, cultivated and refined upon all of this deep profound meanings and spiritual practice and upon the depths of consciousness. Those are the people that are rooted in this reality, and were able to navigate this Path of the Inward back to what is Real, to consciousness, to Allah.
• The people that were trained by the Prophet Saw, many of them including Ibn Abbas who’s a master in the Tafsir/Takwil of the Quran after the Prophet Saw prayed for him, and by implication means he (Prophet Saw) is aware that Ibn Abbas has this capacity. Thus his commentary are of deep worth and prominence.
• Now many could say worship. But Pharaoh also told people to worship him. Is that the same meaning and way as what Allah swt commanded us? A source of tyranny and oppression, like Nimrod, wa iyazubillah.
• When we read about these archetypes in the Quran, it is not about just acknowledging that this is a history that happened a thousand years ago and to be grateful that we are not in those times, but those archetypes present in essence is to make us realized that all of these archetypes of evil are somewhat present in us, maybe on a smaller scale, but the purpose is to reflect and to uproot out this weeds of falseness in us and start to sow the seeds of what’s real. (Thus the Quran seems like it’s all over the place but you can think of it like surgery, for the soul. It takes out some parts of us in certain areas, and insert some new good parts to that area. If only we can ponder deeply.)
• So he (Ibn Abbas) and many others, that were chosen by the Prophet Saw to have the deep authentic ability to interpret the Quran properly, would say that; a) Li Ya’rifun, is ‘To Know.’
• Now truthfully, to translate this back to English is going to be hard because we’re dealing with a sacred language, the language of Wahy-revelation. We have to understand that to get a word to word verbatim translation is near impossible. But what we have to do is to deepen our understanding that there is an entire world view and paradigm to look through at what are these meanings and we have to acquaint ourselves with it.
• Now if we think that Worship is like this or like that based on certain things we hear we need to do, and therefore applying this set of standards as the form of ‘Worship’ to Allah. This (idea/concept), so often, is completely mistaken and will lead to a catastrophic misunderstand of what essentially, is Allah. The Ma’bud. The source of Devotion.
• Li Ya’rifun on a literal translation means ‘To Know’. But in our contemporary context, ‘To know something’, is very far removed from the essence of what Li Ya’rifun means as to how the people that received the Quran in the beginning understood this, like the Sahabah and ultimately what the Prophet Saw trained them to understand.
• So Li Ya’rifun (to how the early predecessor understood it) is related to the word Ma’rifah, which is very different to Ilm (which is ‘to know something’). Ma’rifah is often translated to the word Gnosis. This is functional in the English language, although there are certain connotations in the word that detracts from the actual meaning.
• Ma’rifah is related to consciousness, relates to experience not just on the level of the intellect but on the level of the soul. Part of the understanding as to the purpose of our existence, and us as created beings by the Creator. The purpose (of life) is then to know, in other words is to be a repository(a source to store) of this Ma’rifah, to experience reality, the Creator/Source of reality(Al Haqq). Now what does that mean?
• We’re talking about the highest/deepest level of consciousness, the human beings has the capacity to embrace and orient towards this reality and this is the purpose of our creation. (Li Ya’rifun)
• Allah sometimes share things in the Quran like Jannah, the things that are awaiting us there, that has tangible things that we recognize here in the Dunia. He talks about lakes, gardens and we like that, we know. But (remember) there is always this understanding as to what the Prophet Saw said “ In it (the realities of Jannah), is that which no eyes has ever seen (whilst in the Dunia), in no ears ever heard and  has never occurred in any human heart”
• This intensity of experiencing the joy and beauty, are all far beyond our senses. We can’t even begin to comprehend let alone imagine. The default on Jannah is way beyond what we could ever approximate. It’s not like the milk is more sweeter than we think, the maidens are a bit more prettier. These are all symbols for us to at least grasp the concept but not of the actual thing. Now the pinnacle of all these realities of Jannah, is experiencing the closeness with the Divine. So it’s a gift, an invitation, is an unveiling for those that perceive. (Li Ya’rifun)

• We reflected on about Zikr, Remembrance of Allah, Seeking forgiveness, sending Selawat, Prayer. Thus, ultimately seeking God, there are many different forms.

• Imam Alhaddad said as Allah knew the capacity of boredom in the human being, he said “ He (Allah) coloured the opportunities for obedience” Obedience entails a moving back to that place of reality.

• There are many ways to devote and bring back the self to the reality of the Divine. So this concept of worship its not like everyone is like this slave, in this very bleak existence, where they are just the same species that is force to bow down etc. It’s in the the beauty of diversity, the celebration on the differences of our tongue and in our color, This is a celebration on the diversity of creations as the signs of The Divine Beauty, to unite and not to be the cause of contention which is a sign of moving away from reality.

• This is the same to the diversity in the approach to Allah. Its not just being a speaker, not about doing this formal actions of prayer. It could be through service, through selflessness, through intentionality, through motherhood and fatherhood.

• The Prophet Saw said “Removing something harmful from the path is a part of faith” how is that? Because it’s a form of connection back to Allah. A consciousness to why and to who you’re doing this for.  Now on a broader sense, it relates back to Zikr, the remembrance of Allah.

• Anything, any inner or outer action that summons that reality to the heart, is essentially a form of Zikr. It relates to the intentionality of that action and the method by which you approach it.

• So the method is relating back to the Sunnah, for example when youre going into the car with right foot in. Now this is one of the example of how we can preserve this reality in our heart by seemingly simple choices we make constantly.

• This is Zikr. So now connected closely is Fikr, Tafakkur. The closest approx. of the meaning is an Active contemplation.

• Its said “Al Fikr Kohl al Basira” – “ Fikr is the Kohl for the inner sight” In other words, Contemplation sharpens the vision of the Inner Sight.

• The Prophetic practice of thinking about what youre thinking, being aware of what youre thinking about and channeling those things. That has an effect on purifying the Heart and opening up this consciousness.

• This is also called ‘Al Ibadah Al Mahjurah’ the neglected form of worship. One of the signs of the end times is that the true experience of this religion and way of being and living which is gifted to mankind, is being stuck in this shell of superficiality. In other words, its only the outer form but there is no essence and substance behind it.

• So when we think about Allah that wants us to worship, do we think about that half attempt of prayer that ‘im not really focus’, like is that the whole purpose of all this? All of this beauty in existence? We have to really start to reflect on what this meaning really means. (we only have a very short time)

• So Fikr is an Ibadah, a form of movement to, an experience of Allah. If we start to neglect this active form of contemplation, to access this channel of thoughts from reflection, which the Prophet Saw designated it for us and which the Quran itself causes and inform us to think about. Here what starts to happen if we neglect this is that everything we do in life will be starved of meanings. Becomes mundane.

• Takkafur or Fikr, is then in many ways a nourishment for the soul and inner being. What it does is to help us to move away from binging on thoughts that have no benefits for us at all.

• There is always something going on in one’s own subconscious. There is always this trail of reflection going on. Now what this practice does is it hones in on those thoughts, through introspection called Muraqabah and/or Muhasabah. It uproots those unbeneficial thoughts and channels it into what is beautiful.

• So when you see, hear, experience something in your day what does it lead to? Because those things that goes in the sense is like planting seeds that grow in our minds, thought will grow like branches grow. What effect does it have in your heart?

How does it make you feel?

• A lot of the times when we say we feel like this or that is a result of a stream of consciousness from the senses through the channels of the soul that is going to our hearts and will affect what we are feeling.
• So we need to learn how to nourish and cultivate that space (the heart) throught fikr, active contemplation. (as to why and how we are feeling that)
• {Call to action:} “It is recommended that you have an allocated time for this Prophetic practice of Active Contemplation (tafakkur) every day and every night”
• In other words, to focus on one concept of reality and specify a time and space for. “The greatest and most potent time to really engage in this practice is the time in which your heart is most free of distraction, which is in the depths/middle of the night”
• As a start, on a practical level do it just before you’re about to go to bed, after everything is settle. However, the reason why he said in the depths of the night is because there is a certain Sirr (secret). Now this is not easy, it takes a lot of struggling in endeavoring in this journey to do it constantly until it becomes a habit. But there’s reality to this because waking up just before Fajr, the heart is in the state of purity and receptivity you’re able to receive things easily. Due to the stains of the thought that have taken place during the day its very hard to maintain this pure kind of contemplation on that day.
• Imam Haddad say if you cannot do everything don’t neglect totally. Maybe once a week or once a month.
• Now this seemingly trivial commitment is still a movement to Allah. Its a display of weakness and showing Allah that you want to be doing this in hope he gives you the strength to do more. Slowly and surely.
• And then he (Imam Al Haddad) says “Know that the rectification of affairs of your worldly and Deen are directly linked and founded upon the soundness of your contemplation”
• Why? Because in your capacity to understand things, it will have an impact in the decisions that you make. The way you interact with people, the things you allow in your life and the things you move away from. Because we are talking about the root of this consciousness, this moving back to Allah and this practice is at the essence of that root.
• “When a person is given this, (because Allah is the One that unlocks this door of contemplation), they are given something incredibly/inconceivably good”
• Its been related, “A moment/portion time of Tafakkur, is greater than the formal worship of an entire year”
• Because praying the Nawafil or Sunnah forms of formal worship ultimately, is to have an impact to the mind and  to the soul. If a person is just going through the motion of prayers and fasting, and is not deepening the consciousness and not allowing themselves to be people of introspective and reflective, then it is all shell and no reality.
• And this is not the religion that the Prophet Saw came to convey, its a religion of perfect balance, a way of being that attended to every single part of us which is Clay and every single part of us which is Light.
• “The Salah is the ascension of the Believer” If it’s just that form, it doesn’t make any sense. It is the ascension (Mi’raj) of that inward state, of that consciousness back to Allah. THIS is in the essence of what Tafakkur does.
• Ali Ra “ There is no form of ibadah like Contemplation (tafakkur)”
• The pious said “Contemplation is the Lamp of the Heart, and if it goes, then there is no Light in the heart”
• How then are you going to understand anything, it’s like going into a library that is filled with all this knowledge but the lights are off.
• There are many many examples in the Quran where Allah talks about being in a state of Tafakkur. “Afala ya’qilun/yatadabbarun/yatafakkarun” “Don’t they not reflect/contemplate” to marvel at the creation of the heavens and the earth.
• Everything is supposed to be like a signpost back to the Creator, when one fails to see these as signs of a Creator it’s a sign of a weakness of intelligence. A weakness of contemplation.
• The Prophetic Contemplation is to actively trying oriented ones thought into a particular stream of thought, of conciousness”
• Imam Alhaddad says “ So the channels of Fikr (Prophetic Contemplation), there are many” “From amongst this many different channels, and of the most potent of them is, to actively contemplate and marvel on the fascinating things of Allah’s Creation and the traces of His clear manifested power and capacity to Create and for everything that He has spread out and disseminated within the Cosmos (the sheer size and beauty)”
•  The signs of intelligence “Our Lord you did not created all of these in vain” It is not purposeless, they are all meanings and Signs.
• Because every channel, every contemplation of something leads towards having an effect in the heart. So this is why he (imam haddad) is saying its so important to be conscious of what youre allowing into the heart. Be aware of your stream of thought. And don’t allow those stream of thoughts into the heart that are detrimental, that impedes your ability to be conscious. Which causes you to stumble and clouds your ability to see.
• Imam Al Haddad Is saying to engage in this prophetic teachings and see what happens. And he said the effect of this Form of tafakkur is that it increases you in the Maarifah of Allah. In your experiential taste of who Allah is Himself and His Majestic Attributes and Names.
• Lets make this notion of experience, taste, more accessible (take note it differs individual but we are talking in general); “Anyone that has been in Hajj or Umrah, and you have that moment in prayer and you feel broken and really connected to Allah and feel that this is what its all about. Typically, certain things start to happen, you get less distracted from things, from irrelevancies, and you heart becomes soft and you start to cry. The prophet saw said” (the tears) This is a sign of Nur entering into the Heart”.
• Now from the above mentioned state, we are here talking about people that have experience a deeper and much deeper of that aforementioned reality, ALL THE TIME. They are navigating this plane of reality all the time. To a point they have to take up this path called Suluk Al Wasilin; They are re learning to be with us, to be with society back (bcs they are always aware and conscious of Allah)
• Imam Umar Al Mehdar said “ The people with the most Maarifah (that deep experience, taste in the heart) of Allah (of his incomparable beauty and awe, and limitless perfect control-this is the first thing that we need to know like who are we worshiping, who are we bowing down, who is allowing us into His Presence-) they are also the people that are so bewildered by Him. (like so in love and intoxicated)”
• Being in proximity with this people, we get glimmers of what it is like in Jannah. Because of this light and beauty that they are having in their heart. See this is what the Sahabah tasted from the Prophet Saw. That’s why they cant bear to be away from him.
• This time when there is so much fitnah, Allah locks and hides them away. But we should seek out these type of people. Through them the rain falls..
• Allah describes thems”.. they have no fear upon them and no sorrow”
• Ibn Ataillah Assakandari said “ No person that is guided to this people (auliya’) other than it’s a Sign Allah is guiding them to Him “
• So if anyone finds themselves being aware of this kind of archetypes of people (the saints) or even their existence its one of the most potent signs that Allah is pulling him in.

wa billahi Taufiq~

and Allah knows best.