Sufism is the soul or spirit of religion. As Surah Yasin has been called the heart of the Quran. The heart of religion is the knowledge of Sufism. And the Sharia is the body of the soul. The practice of Sufism is to try to achieve purity of the heart, that is, to make a vow to try to free the soul from impurities. To surrender oneself completely to Allah. Where there will be no self or mine. The Quran says, ‘Bala-man aslama wajhahu lilla-hi wa huwa muhsinun falahu az-ruhu inda rabbihi, wala khafoon alayhim wa-hum yah yanun.’ That is, ‘Yes, whoever surrenders himself to Allah will have his reward with his Lord, and on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.’ (Surah Baqarah, verse: 112).
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Fana and Baka are very important issues for those who practice Sufism or follow Sufis. Fana is the surrender of one’s inner self in the desire to unite with Allah in His pure nature. Baka is the state of being in the divine realm of the Creator. A very subtle world. Only high-level Sufis have been able to reach that state. Hazrat Musa (AS) used to talk to Allah. But he did not see Allah with his physical eyes.
When Hazrat Musa (AS) used to talk to Allah, both Allah and Hazrat Musa (AS) used to be in Fana towards each other. One day Hazrat Musa (AS) wanted to talk to Allah directly. Allah Almighty allowed him to meet him on the mountain of Kohetu. Hazrat Musa (AS) lost consciousness before a small drop of light from Allah’s glory could be scattered.
When the news of the tooth of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) reached Hazrat Wais Al Qarni (RA) in the Battle of Uhud, Wais Al Qarni (RA) pulled out thirty-two teeth one after the other with a stone. Hazrat Munsur Hallaj (RA) was dying while remembering Allah and at one point he started saying Anal Haq. Hazrat Munsur Hallaj (RA) was impaled and killed because he said Anal Haq. His body was burnt to ashes and thrown into the river. When the ashes mixed with the sea water, the sea water started saying Anal Haq.
That is, when a person dies in love with Allah and becomes a Parash stone. Then whoever comes in contact with that Parash stone becomes a Parash stone. The next level of the state of death is the level of Baqarah. The level of seeing the light of Allah. The Quran says, ‘O mankind! You are striving towards your Lord, and then you will meet Him.’ (Surah Inshiqaq, verse 6). When a person strives towards Allah, he meets Him.
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The easiest way to attain the station of Fana and Bakar is to gain knowledge of the path of knowledge along with the daily practice of the Sharia. It is not possible to attain Fana and Bakar without the Sharia. In order to attain the station of Fana and Bakar, one has to awaken the ten Lafitas inside the body through Dhikr in addition to the five acts of worship. One has to create a kind of feeling within oneself to witness the sight of the Creator. After Dhikr, one has to face the Qibla and meditate for some time.
The Quran states, ‘Indeed, in the (perfect) creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of day and night, there are signs for people of understanding. (These are the wise people) who remember Allah while standing, sitting and lying down, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth (and say), “Our Lord, You have not created anything in vain.” (Surah Al-Imran, verses 190-191)
Meditation is called Tafakkur in the Quran. Through meditation, knowledge of the subtle world is gained. By meditating, a person can know the results of his past deeds. The results of past deeds awaken regret and lamentation in the mind of a person. From regret and lamentation, a person prepares for sincere repentance. And when a person repents to Allah and receives forgiveness, only then is it possible to attain the state of Fana and Bakar. Sufis try to attain the state of repentance before the state of Fana and Bakar.
Read More:Is Sufism a philosophy of gaining closeness to God?
They start criticizing themselves. As a result of attaining the state of repentance, a Sufi has been able to reach the level of the Truth. In Sufism, the basic principles of Fana and Bakar are; repentance, trust, piety, patience, sincerity, gratitude, restitution, asceticism, fear, poverty, etiquette, love, seeking, monotheism, and gaining knowledge about knowledge. Among the Sufis, only those who have knowledge of the subtle world of Allah Almighty will be able to attain the highest level of Sufism, the level of Fana and Baka.
