The difference lies in the levels of His Existence which...

The difference lies in the levels of His Existence which, sometimes is in the level of multiplicity (Kasrat ) and sometimes in the level of unity ( Wahdat ). In multiplicity, He is One ( Wahdat dar Kasrat ) and in unity, He is many ( Kasrat dar Wahdat ). Therefore, in the school of revelation, as the recognition of a person increases, he realises even more his own servitude and the Lordship of his Creator.

Consequently, his humility, modesty, feeling of lowliness and worship increase; he becomes engrossed in the remembrance of his Lord with his entire existence, fulfils the duties of servitude with all seriousness and earnest and considers the slightest disobedience of Allah as inappropriate. At this level, he considers leaving the abominable ( tark-e-awla ) as a capital crime.

For, those who become proximate to the Almighty, regard Allah’s esteem with such veneration that they strive never to repeat their previous sins and in fact, consider them as highly detestable. ‘ Hasanatul Abrar Sayyi’atul Muqarribin ’ (The good deeds of the righteous ones are considered as bad by the proximate ones). But in human version of mysticism, when a mystic reaches to the state of ‘divine meeting’ and annihilation, for him all existence cease to occur except the Truth.

Neither there is any worshipper nor any worshipped one for worship to take place; duality is removed and there remains no existent save the Lord. In this regard, Qaisari opines, “A person who reaches to the state of unison observes that only Allah is existent. There is neither the one who treads, nor the one whom towards whom the journey is undertaken nor treading itself.

The existence of the worshipper and his I-ness, although present in the abstract self ( nafsul amr) , does not observe anything except His existence because the Light of Truth engulfs him. Thus, for him neither the Lord nor the servant holds any meaning. Only the One Lord exists. At this juncture, if the divine illuminations that dominate the intellects and imagination attract the mystic, and this attraction continues, he joins those enamoured by the Lord’s beauty.

And if this attraction does not continue, he will receive the illuminations proportionate to its duration. Prayers, fasting and all other religious obligations cease to become obligatory on receipt of this illumination.”[^1] Therefore, the difference between the two schools is basic and fundamental.