“DEAR FRIEND, Your heart is a polished mirror. You must wipe it clean of the veil of dust which has gathered upon it, because it is destined to reflect the light of divine secrets.
When the light from Allāh (Who) is the light of the heavens and the earth. . . begins to shine upon the regions of your heart, the lamp of the heart will be lit. The lamp of the heart is in a glass, the glass is as it were a brightly shining star. . . Then within that heart, the lightening-shaft will emanate from the thunder clouds of meaning neither of the East nor the West, lit from a blessed olive tree. . . and throw light upon the tree of discovery, so pure, so transparent that it sheds light though fore does not touch it(Surah, Nūr 35). Then the lamp of wisdom is lit by itself. How can it remain unlit when the light of Allāh’s secrets shines over it?
If only the light of divine secrets shines upon it, the sky of secrets is lit with thousands of stars. . . and by the stars (you) find (your) way (Surah Nahl, 16). . . It is not the stars that guide us but the divine light. For Allāh has. . . decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars (Surah Yā Sīn, 36). If only the lamp of divine secrets be kindled in your inner self the rest will come, either all at once or little by little. Some of you already know, some we will tell you here. Read, listen, try to understand. The dark skies of unconsciousness will be lit by divine presence and the peace and beauty of the moon, which will rise from the horizon shedding light upon light (Surah Nūr, 35), ever rising in the sky, passing through its appointed stages as Allāh has. . . ordained for it Mansions (Surah Yā Sīn, 39), until it shines in glory in the centre of the sky, dispersing the darkness of heedlessness. (I swear) by the night when it is still (Surah Duhà, 2). . . By the glorious morning light (Surah Duhà, 1). . . your night of unconsciousness will see the brightness of the day. Then you will inhale the perfume of remembrance and repent in the early hours of the morning (Surah Āl Ímrān, 17) of unconsciousness and regret your life spent in sleep. You will hear the songs of the morning nightingales and you will hear them say,
‘They were in the habit of sleeping but little by night, and in the hours of early dawn they (were found) praying for forgiveness.’ (Surah Fātiha, 17-18)
‘Allāh guides to His light whom He pleases.’ (Surah Nūr, 35)
Then you will see from the horizon of Divine Reason the sun of inner knowledge rising. It is your private sun, for you are the one whom Allāh guides and are on the right path and not the one He leaves in error (Surah A’rāf, 178). And you will understand the secret that,
‘It is not given to the sun to catch up with the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day. Each swims along in (its appointed) orbit.’ (Surah Yā Sīn, 40)
Finally, the knot will be united in accordance with the parables which Allāh sets forth for men, and Allāh is the Knower of all things (Surah Nūr, 35), and the veils will lift and shells will shatter, revealing the fine beneath the coarse; the truth will uncover her face.
All this will begin when the mirror of your heart is cleansed. The light of the divine secrets will fall upon it if you are willing and ask for Him, with Him.”
– Ghaus-e-Azam Shaykh Ábdul-Qādir al-Jīlānī رضي الله
Ref: The Secret of Secrets, THE MANIFESTATION OF LIGHTS (Kitāb Sirr al-Asrār wa Mazhar al-Anwār) – Introduction Page XLVIII.
