Divine Turst
Divine Trust (Amanat e Elahiya) in Quran
In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says about His sacred Divine Trust:
اِنَّا عَرَضۡنَا الۡاَمَانَۃَ عَلَی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَ الۡجِبَالِ فَاَبَیۡنَ اَنۡ یَّحۡمِلۡنَہَا وَ اَشۡفَقۡنَ مِنۡہَا وَ حَمَلَہَا الۡاِنۡسَانُ ؕ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ ظَلُوۡمًا جَہُوۡلًا ﴿ۙ۷۲﴾
Meaning: We presented Our Trust (Divine Trust) before the skies, earth and mountains. Everyone refused to bear it, however man picked it up. No doubt, he is cruel (towards his innerself) and ignorant (of his highest rank near Allah). (Al-Ahzab:72)
What is Divine Trust?
According to the perfect Fakirs, the Divine Trust actually refers to the true heritage of the Holy Prophet. In essence it is Ism-e-Allah Zaat and the Trust of Faqr.
Who is bearer of Divine Trust
When the seeker of Allah reaches the peak of Faqr he becomes immortal with Allah after he annihilates in Him. As he acquires all the attributes of Allah. Therefore he adorns the grand status of the Universal Divine Man, al-Insan al-Kamil.
The person to whom Divine Trust transfers is at the grand position of;
اِذَاتَمَّ الۡفَقۡرُ فَھُوَ اللّٰہ
Meaning: When Faqr is accomplished, that is Allah.
Quran
Allah says in the Quran:
اَلرَّحۡمٰنُ فَسۡـَٔلۡ بِہٖ خَبِیۡرًا
Meaning: Allah is the Most Compassionate. (O aspirant of His knowledge) ask of Him from someone who has attained His awareness. (Al-Furqan:59)
The Universal Divine Man becomes the ultimate manifestation and reflection of Allah. As he reflects the light of the Divine Essence as well as all His names, attributes and actions. Moreover he possesses all the Divine attributes and virtues.
As Allah says in the Holy Quran:
وَ کُلَّ شَیۡءٍ اَحۡصَیۡنٰہُ فِیۡۤ اِمَامٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ
Meaning: And We have encompassed everything in the enlightened leader (Ya-Seen:12)
In this verse the enlightened leader refers to the one who bears Divine Trust. Allah has kept all His wills, commands and the created universe in the Guarded Tablet which is, in fact, the inward of the perfect Divine Man. After all inward is the place where lights of Divine Essence descend. Moreover its vastness is unexplainable and unimaginable.
Heir of Divine Trust
Insan-e-Kamil of an era who is The Heir of The Divine Trust of Faqr and is appointed on The Throne of Divine Guidance and Persuasion as a Murshid Kamil to guide the Seekers on the Path of Faqr.
Arif is a bearer of Divine Trust
According to the mystic terminology “Arif” is the one who prays Allah while seeing Him i.e. the one who is blessed with the Vision and Closeness of Allah. “Arif Billah” is the Arif who has completely annihilated in The Divine Essence and has found Eternal Union with Allah. He is One with Allah and is the Absolute Manifestation of Allah in this material world. He is also entitled as The Insan-e-Kamil or The Faqeer-e-Kamil who is a possessor of Divine Trust.
Who is the perfect manifestation of Allah
The most perfect and pre-eminent man of this entire universe is Prophet Mohammad and he is the best manifestation of Allah. Sultan Bahoo says:
The Holy Prophet is the Insan-e-Kamil e. the perfect and perfect Man while all others have attained to the levels (of perfection and proximity to Allah) through him according to their statuses. Hence, they achieved their objectives and destinations and became independent of both the worlds.(Ain-ul-Faqr)
Husayn ibn Ali
In his sacred book Mirat ul Arifeen, Husayn ibn Ali writes:
The whole of the Quran is in sura al Fatiha which is contained in Bismillah. This is contained in the name of Allah which is called Ism e Allah. Ism e Allah resides in the inward of the Universal Divine Man also known as al Insan al Kamil. Therefore, only he is the most comprehensive as well as the most compact manifestation of all Divine attributes and Essence.
The Possessor of Divine Trust in words of Sultan Bahoo
The perfect Man refers to the Universal Divine Man also known as al Insan al Kamil. He is appointed by Allah as the heir of Divine Trust or Amanat e Elahiya or Amanat e Faqr. Such a person is the true representation of Divinity. Sultan Bahoo describes him:
Fazal-ul-Laqa
Jamiat is the beneficence of the most Compassionate, Allah. Altogether it is solely the destiny of Insan e Kamil. (Fazal-ul-Laqa)
Jamiat ( جمعیت ) is mystic term having multiple meanings. Also it may refer to spiritual powers, stability, peace, accumulation or satisfaction. In brief, it is the highest spiritual level whereby all the preceding levels as well as all the Divine attributes and powers accumulate in the being of the seeker.
Aqal-e-Baydar
Since the Divine light of Mohammad manifested from the light of Allah. Further from the light of Mohammad, the entire creation came into being. Hence, the origin of man is Divine light. When practically his innerself, inward and soul convert into light, then he becomes the Insan-e-Kamil (possessor of Divine Trust).
Nur-ul-Huda
Existence of perfect Man is a talisman. As a matter of fact he is the treasure and maze of Divine name and Essence.
Ameer ul Kaunain
Ism-e-Allah Zaat is a heavy Divine Trust which can be borne only by the men of LaHoot Lamakan who are the best of all mankind i.e. the Prophets and the Saints. Since Ism-e-Allah Zaat is grand and holy so it can sustain only in a grand and holy existence,
Ibn Arabi
Ibn Arabi says in Fusus al-Hikam
Extract # 1
Ism-e-Allah Zaat is comprehensive of all the Divine attributes and is the fountainhead of entire marvels. Hence, it is the origin of theophanies and is the Lord of all the lords. Now the person who is its perfect embodiment is the Exact Divine Essence-the true Man of Allah upon whom everything reveals. In every era, one person is on the footsteps of Prophet Mohammad. He is ‘the absolute man of Allah’ of his era. He is called the leading Saint of all Saints (Qutb-ul-Aqtab)or al-Ghawth (rank of Sufi hierarchy). Also his way is exactly that of Prophet Mohammad. He unintentionally stays in the subjection of command and proximity of obligatory works. Whatever Allah has to do, He does it through him. (Fusus al-Hikam, page 232, Translated by Abdul Qadeer Saddiquee, publisher Nazeer Sons Lahore)
Extract # 2
Ibn Arabi describes the reality of the possessor of Divine Trust in detail as:
From pre-existence till eternal end, the Holy Prophet keeps changing his physical dresses in every era and only in the beings of ‘perfect individuals’ does he manifest himself.
Extract # 3
He further elaborates about his reality:
The perfect Man is unique entity since pre-existence till the eternal end. That is the Holy Prophet Mohammad who has been appearing in the beings of all Prophets, Messengers and their successors from Adam till Christ. After the conclusion of Prophethood he would be manifesting in the beings of al–Ghawth, Qutb, Abdal(different ranks in Sufi hierarchy) and Saints according to their respective spiritual levels and ranks.
Allama Iqbal
Allama Iqbal says:
لوح بھی تُو، قلم بھی تُو، تیرا وجود الکتاب
گنبد آبگینہ رنگ تیرے محیط میں حباب
Explanation: You are the Divine Tablet, the Divine Pen and the real Quran. The crystal coloured dome (meaning the sky) is just a bubble as compared to your existence.
Shaikh Moeeduddin Jindi
Shaikh Moeeduddin Jindi says:
The greatest name of Allah (Ism-e-Azam),which has become famous all over, is in fact, meaningly related to the world of reality and soul, while literally it is related to this world of physical existences and apparent words. All the Hadiths which comprehend the truths of Divine marvels are ‘the Reality’ and they actually refer to the Universal Divine Man who is present in every era. Also he is the leading Saint of all Saints. He bears the Divine Trust (Amanat e Elahiya) and is the absolute representative of Allah. Equally important is that Ism-e-Azam is actually the physical countenance of that perfect Saint. (Tafsir Ruh-ul-Bayan, Translated by Mohammad Faiz Ahmad Awaisi, publishers Maktaba Awaisia Rizvia Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Vol: I, Page 41)
Sayyid Abdul Karim bin Ibrahim al-Jili
Sayyid Abdul Karim bin Ibrahim al-Jili writes in his book Al-Insan Al-Kamil:
Extract # 1
Among the levels of existence, the level and marvel at which Prophet Mohammad was appointed, no one else can ever achieve. The behaviours, conditions and actions of the beloved Prophet are a witness that he is unique in all marvels. He is the Universal Divine Man and the rest of Prophets and perfect Saints adjoins to him the way ‘perfected ones’ are adjoined to ‘the perfect.’ Moreover they relate to him just as the ‘distinguished ones’ are related to ‘the distinguished’ (page 379)
Extract # 2
Further, he says:
The Universal Divine Man (possessor of Divine Trust) is one who truly and really deserves to possess the personal name and attributes of Allah as per order of the Divine Essence. For Allah, he is like a mirror. As the way one cannot watch one’s face without a mirror, the Universal Divine Man cannot see his innerself without the mirror of Ism-e-Allah as it is his ‘mirror’. In the same way, Universal Divine Man is like a mirror to Allah. Correspondingly Allah has made it compulsory upon Himself to view all His names and attributes only in the Universal Divine Man. (page-391)
Extract # 3
Abdul Karim al-Jili further describes:
The Mohammadan reality manifests itself in every era in the being of the Universal Divine Man of that age. According to the requirements and conditions prevalent in his time. In short, the he is the representative of Prophet Mohammad in his particular era.
Extract # 4
The Universal Divine Man is the pivot around whom the whole existing universe revolves from beginning till end. Ever since the advent of existence till eternity of the eternities, he is a unique entity. There are different physical dresses for him. According to the dress, he is has a name that would not go with his other dress. His actual name is Mohammad, his patronymic is Abu al-Qasim, his epithet is Abdullah (absolute man of Allah) and his title is Shamsuddin. Then, he has a name in accordance to each physical dress. In every era, he has a new name which suits to the physical dress in which he appears in that age. (Al-Insan Al-Kamil, Translated by Fazal Meeran, publisher Nafees Academy Karachi, Pakistan, page-388)
Shah Sayyid Mohammad Zauqi
Shah Sayyid Mohammad Zauqi says:
The Universal Divine Man is comprehensive of entire creation. Now he is the Ummul Kitab(the opening chapter of Quran which is its summary) with respect to his wisdom and soul. Moreover he is the Divine Tablet in his Correspondingly, he is the book of obliterations and affirmations with respect to his innerself. He is the revealed holy book which encompasses everything in the universe. Only those reach its secrets and true meaning who liberate from the veils of inner darkness. (Sirr-e-Dilbaran, Al-Faisal publishers and book traders Lahore)
The Possessor of Divine Trust in words of Rumi
Rumi says:
Just as treasures are found in deserted places, Allah entrusts His Divine Trust to that person’s inward who is not popular. (Mathnawi by Rumi Vol:III)
The Prophet is the granter of the Divine Trust
In every era, there is a man who bears the Divine Trust (Amanat e Elahiya) and he is the heir of treasure of Faqr. The Holy Prophet is the owner of Divine Trust of Faqr and has complete authority over it. Hence he is the one who transfers this Trust and treasure. Without his permission it cannot be entrusted to anyone.
The People of the Cloak (Ahl-e-Bayt) were the possessors of the Divine Trust
He transferred the treasure of Faqr to his daughter Fatimah-tuz-Zahra. She holds the highest and supreme level of being the first Sultan-ul-Faqr among the Mohammadan umma. Also this Divine Trust was transferred to Ali ibn Abi Talib. From whom the spiritual orders and mystic chains originated through which the treasure of Faqr was conveyed to the umma. Among the People of Cloak, this treasure was transferred from Ali to his sons Hasan and Husayn.
Then the chain continued and the treasure reached Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. Then it reached Sultan Bahoo. Now whenever someone is chosen for entrusting the Divine Trust (Amanat e Elahiya), the Holy Prophet hands over that person to al-Ghawth al-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani for his spiritual training to hold the Trust. Then he is sent to Sultan Bahoo for the final transference of the treasure of Faqr, the Divine Trust (Amanat-e-Elahiya). Though, the actual and main source of transference of the Divine Trust of Faqr till doomsday is only Prophet Mohammad. Without his approval and permission, Faqr cannot be granted to anyone.
It is mandatory to search for the Insan-e-Kamil
The Universal Divine Man is also the man of Divine Essence. Also he is the perfect spiritual guide possessing the absolute light of guidance. Now he bears the Divine Trust (Amanat e Elahiya). He is the heir of treasure of Faqr and also the representative of Holy Prophet. Important to realize is that the Mystics have declared it mandatory to search him in this world. Then follow him on the right path. Hence, the seekers of Allah must search him.
The Universal Divine Man who possesses the Divine Trust (Amanat e Elahiya) is also the man of Divine Essence. Hence he is the perfect spiritual guide possessing the absolute light of guidance. Now, if a seeker is fortunate enough to find such a spiritual guide, then his access to the extreme level of Faqr is not at all difficult. Moreover the symbol of his marvels and perfection is that he blesses the seeker with the Sultan of invocations. It is the greatest name of Allah, Hoo ( ھُو ). Straightaway he gives Ism-e-Allah Zaat for contemplation on taking oath of allegiance. If a seeker finds such a spiritual guide, he should immediately join him.
However, the main struggle is to find and recognize the perfect spiritual guide. It is clear, that he would not be prominently famous but those seeking Allah sincerely would be able to reach him. Allah and His Prophet pbuh guide the sincere ones towards the perfect spiritual guide so their inwards and cleansed with the Ism e Allah Zaat provided by the perfect spiritual guide of Sarwari Qadri Order.
How to gain gnosis of Allah?
According to Sultan Bahoo gnosis of Allah can only be gained from the one who is bearer of Divine Trust.
There is a secret knowledge which bestows the presence of the Mohammadan Assembly. Whoever gains this secret knowledge from the Universal Divine Man who is superior to all humans, nothing remains hidden from him. (Kaleed ul Tauheed Kalan)