For many years, I proudly consider myself a cultured and learned human being, but when I studied myself, I realised I could be no further from this mistaken belief. I was merely a basic human being acting on impulses and living instinctively. I was empty of humanness, empty of humanitarian virtues. I came to the acceptance that I had not understood my own religion, Islam. Whilst I called myself a Muslim, the actual reality was that I had only been copying the rituals and blindly following in the footsteps of my parents and community. I had not read the scriptures and had no personal knowledge of Islam. I knew a few words and prayers but was devoid of the deeper experience. It was no wonder I had become lost in materialism, ignorant of all the pathways and spiritual principles that are so richly embedded withing Islam.
I had been born into the religion of Islam. Much later in life, I began to practise Islam’s five main principles. It helped me improve as a person, but I remained dissatisfied with the outcome. My practice for some reason, had not made me a better or more pious human being, as Allah had commanded me to be. Yet it was my good fortune, or some heavenly blessing, that I felt inspired to search the inner realms of Islam – in other words, the path of ruhaniyt (spirituality) and insaniyat (humanity).
It is my conviction that all world religions, including Islam, were made manifest in the world to change the basic human (me) into a divine human being. I was not willing to accept anything less for myself – I wanted to become a divine human being. This passion fuelled my search towards betterment. The more I read and discussed the subject, the more I learned that I cannot meet my highest potential, until I find out who am I. It is with great grace that I’m happy to share what I found. I arrived at a Realisation of Self in the Sant Nirankari Mission, which taught me how to place spirituality and humanity, hand in hand.
Over the decades, I have become increasingly aware that the Sant Nirankari Mission is a genuine humanitarian movement on Earth, drawing on the divine potential of human beings to love and serve humanity. The Mission today works under the guidance of Her Holiness Sadhguru Mata Sudiksha ji. She is a wonderful reflection of spirituality and humanity and inspires others to be so. I invite you to come and see with your own eyes, because the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Wherever there is a selfless humanitarian service provided, there is a Godliness. And to firmly believe in Allah, one must believe in serving Allah’s children.
As we know Allah has no form, shape, or colour. Allah has no gender therefore Allah is spiritual and mysterious. We humans belong to this mysterious spiritual realm, which promises to make us all spiritual the more we inhabit and associate with it. Before finding my spiritual teacher, I was unaware of my spiritual self – whilst I read this Arabic proverb, I remained eager to know who I really was;
“By my heart whoever knows the Soul-self knows the Lord
and whoever knows the Lord within knows the Soul-self”
In simple words, knowing one’s own spiritual self is knowing one’s own spiritual Lord. Another proverb says;
“True self-knowledge is essential for one to establish a relationship with the Creator. The human soul contains mysteries that, when discovered, reveal the nature of Allah to us and allow us to grow closer to Him”.
The Sant Nirankari Mission provides a wonderful platform wherein the true, spiritual, and mysterious knowledge of God may be revealed to every seeker. Enlightening the dead heart with the absolute true knowledge of God, the Mission is making everyone and God-conscious and self-conscious. Just as a droplet of water realises it’s inherent vastness and power when it falls into the Ocean from which it came, the soul realises it’s inherent divinity when it gains a direct Realisation of Allah. Putting us in touch with our divinity, the Mission then teaches us true human values by which we learn to value fellow human beings. This valuing is practiced through ample opportunities for every individual to serve selflessly, through the understanding that serving humanity is no less than serving God.
There is a pandemic of hackers, con-artists, selfish guides, and money makers robbing humanity left, right and centre. Such selfish and misleading acts cause untold misery and harm. On the other hand, how wonderful to see truthful and selfless individuals in the Mission lending a helping hand. These selfless servants herald from all walks of society – some are illiterate, whilst others are highly educated; they may be materially rich or poor. However, at the Samagam you will see multitudes of people with ear-to-ear smiles, flowing tears of joy and happiness simply because they have been given an opportunity to serve. They get their nourishment and strength from the love and care that Sadhguru provides.
My up bringing in Islam taught me much that I will be grateful for. Humanitarianism, together with the passion for seeking Truth and knowing Allah, is written on every page of the Quran. It is heard in every saying of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Unfortunately, I paid insufficient attention, as I took my religion for granted in the misplaced declaration that I was a Muslim. I felt I had inherited all that is promised to a Muslim, as if a palace had been pre-booked for me in Paradise! All I had done was read the Quran, looking for afterlife rewards. How wrong I had been to indulge in sheer ignorance and hypocrisy. Unless and until you experience Allah to be nearer to you than your very breath, closer to you than your jugular vein, you live in ignorance and live in sin. The Knowledge of Allah, which is a Revelation of Truth, made me aware of my Lord. I am now conscious of Allah ki Hazoori (God’s presence) and feel both blessed and forgiven.
Reading this Hadith from Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) makes us understand Allah is with everyone, all the time – whether they know it or not. It also teaches me the importance of service to mankind;
“Allah will say on the Day of Judgement: O son of Adam, I was sick, but you did not visit Me. Man will say: My Lord, how can I visit you when You are the Lord of the worlds? Allah will say: Did you not know that My servant was sick, and you did not visit him, and had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food, but you did not feed Me. Man will say: My Lord, how can I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? Allah will say: Did you not know that My servant asked you for food, but you did not feed him, and had you fed him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for a drink, but you did not provide for Me. Man will say: My Lord, how can I give You a drink when You are the Lord of the worlds? Allah will say: My servant asked you for a drink, but you did not provide for him, and had you given it to him you would have found Me with him.”
Hadith Qudsi no 18
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2569
My Present Master, HH Mata Sudiksha Ji, is constantly making me and all her followers aware of the divinity of every human’s soul, so that we may wholeheartedly respect, love and show kindness to all. In so doing, we will be one with our humanity and one with our divinity. Our professed faith will become a lived experience – we will be able to call ourselves Muslim, without hesitation, doubt, or regret.
Rasheeda Begum, UK
