YAKEEN- SIGNS OF CERTAINTY

YAKEEN- SIGNS OF CERTAINTY

Washaa says, he heard from Hazrat Moosa bin Ja’far (a.s.): Eemaan is one stage higher than Islam and Taw is one stage higher than it and Yaqueen is one stage higher than Taw and among people nothing is less distributed than Yaqueen. It is scarce.

Abdullah bin Sanaan says Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said: One of the signs of the correctness of the certainty of a Muslim is that he does not make people happy and glad through Gods anger that is, he does not overlook Gods commandments for pleasing people and he does not rebuke people for what God did not give to him, because, sustenance is not obtained either by the jealousy of a jealous or on his man’s asking. And if anyone of your runs away from his sustenance it follows him just as his death follow him. Then said: and catches hold of him. Then said: God has, due to His justice, kept ease and happiness in Yaqueen certainty of faith and sorrow and grief in doubt and discontent.

Hishaam bin Saalim quotes Imam Sadiq (a.s.): A small but continues virtuous act with Yaqueen is dearer to God than a big deed which is without certainty. Imam (a.s.) heard the voice of a khaariji who was busy in midnight worship and recitation of the Holy Quran. He told him a sleep with faith is better than a prayer with doubt.

Signs of certainty

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said: one day the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) offered the morning prayers with people. Then his eye fell on a youth who was dozing. His complexion was yellowish and body very thin. His eyes had gone deep in sockets. Addressing him the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: O youth! How you passed your night? He replied: I passed my night in a way which provided me certainty the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) became pleased with his reply and said: Verily every certainty has a reality. 

What is the reality of your certainty? He answered: O Prophet of Allah! It is the certainty that has made me gloomy. It has made me bear wake fullness during night and the hot sun during days. It has made me disinterested in whatever is there in this world. It has almost enabled me to observe the Throne of Allah as if I am standing in His Presence to account for my deeds that people have gathered all around; as if I am seeing the people of the paradise who are living happily and are reclining on their chairs talking pleasantly with one another and similarly, as if I can also see the people of the hell who are being chastised therein, crying and wailing and as if the nose of the leaping flames of the hell-fire is rigging in my ears. the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: This youth is a slave of Allah whose heart is lit up with the light of Faith.

Thereafter, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) himself said to that youth: continue in the state and condition wherein you are now. The youth appealed: O Prophet of Allah! Pray to Allah so that He may grant me martyrdom with your attendants. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) prayed for him and it so happened that after some time that youth, who was fighting a battle along with the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) turned out to be the tenth martyr of that Holy war.

The late Naraqi has also described signs of certainty in this background:

A: Man does not pay attention to anything except Allah Who alone is his reliance in every matter for him. He believes that whatever God has destined for him will surely reach him. In this condition he reaches a state when everything becomes equal and same for him whether it is existence or non-existence, less or more, praise or condemnation, poverty or richness, health or illness, honour or disrespect… One day one of his companions told Imam Sadiq (a.s.): I give preference to illness over health and poverty over wealth. The Imam (a.s.) replied: We are not like that. Rather we like all that God likes for us.

B: Man, in all situations, remains happy and pleased and submissive and meek and content before his Lord and continues to perform all of his duties with a pleasant mood because he possesses certainty, he knows his Lord well and is aware of His Greatness, Majesty and Power and also knows that He, the Omniscient knows all, sees all of his movements and actions and inactions including whatever passes in is his heart.

C: One who has certainty is such that his prayers are answered. Rather sometimes his actions are miraculous. The more man’s certainty the more his power grows so much so that at last he is able to rule over matter too in the material world. Once there was a discussion about the walk of Hazrat Isa (a.s.) on water when the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Had his certainty grown further he would have flied in the air also.

Stages or certainty

The wise scholars of Islam have described stages of certainty Yaqueen that are serially as under: Ilmul Yaqueen is the same solid and sound belief that confirms truth and which can be obtained through arguments. Ainul Yaqueen means looking at observing the celestial world through the inner eye of the heart. Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) refers to it when he says: I do not adore a god whom I have not seen.

Haqqul Yaqueen which means whenever man sees anything in the world be observes the rays permeating therefrom in such a manner that the relation between the aaquil (wise) and the Maaqool (rational) continues perpetually without break.

Nihayat Darja Haqqul Yaqueen extreme stage of certainty. This is a degree imagined by ahle sulook soofis where in the aarif gnostic considers himself lost in the radiance of God in such a manner that he no more believes in the stability of things. Imagination of such stages are, maybe, easy but it is obvious that it cannot be reached through arguments and evidences. But it needs many kinds of tiring exercises and endeavours for gaining which first of all man has to remove all lowly instincts from his heart and to fill the heart with the angel-like virtues until the heart becomes as bright as a mirror. Then the more clean and bright it becomes the more it is able to attract Divine radiance.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Had not the satans put doubts in man’s heart he man would have been able to observe the reality of the heaven and the earth.

For reaching the above-mentioned realities and in order to understand it, it is necessary to cross some stages:

The soul of man must have ability.

The heart must become clean. All impurities must be removed. Man’s mind must not be involved in worldly affairs. When these stages are reached then he will be able to show tajalliyaat (manifestations) and (Makaashifaat) illuminations.