Certitude - Foundation of faith

In our religion, certitude is very necessary.  For this reason, the Sufi saints paid special attention to acquiring it, and in this, they are distinguished over all other sects of Muslims, as is evident from the canons of Tasawwuf and their biographies.

 

        Now everybody understands that certitude is a state of the heart which is understood through consciousness.  For example, someone eats an herb and dies.  The person who sees him die might think that the herb was poisonous.  Then when 10, 20 people eat the same herb and die right before his eyes, then skeptical thoughts will be dispelled and such a feeling will be developed in the heart that neither will this person eat that herb nor will he allow others to eat it.  And if at all he allows someone to eat it, it will be that person whom he wishes to be dead.  It is a result of the feeling that was created in the heart about the effect of the herb.  In material matters, human beings can acquire certitude through their own efforts by experiments, etc., but in non-material (spiritual) things, it is beyond human effort to develop such certitude, as the human mind always searches for such arguments which hinder development of the feeling of certitude.  This is the reason why some people refuse to believe in the existence of the Lord Almighty.  They have turned over the running of the world to matter and molecules that whatever is created is because of changes in matter.  Although many proofs are given to refute these arguments, but their minds hammer out the answers to these proofs as well.  Thus, human minds are incapable of themselves acquiring certitude in spiritual matters.  Unless and until that feeling is cast into the heart by Almighty Allah, certitude can’t be gained.  For this reason Almighty Allah says:

 

He whose breast Allah has opened for Islam is (stationed) in the light from his Lord.  Surah Zumar (39:22)

 

It means that enlightenment is granted by Almighty Allah, because of which a person embraces Islam.  After this, the mind fashions (logical) proofs also for this.  Then there are various stages of this enlightenment, as it is not possible that the enlightenment of the populace is like the enlightenment of the Prophets (May peace be upon them).  For this reason, there are different stages of certitude as well.  Just see, the effects expressed by the certitude that the Prophets (May peace be upon them) and the saints have on the Being (Dhaat) and attributes (Sifaat) of Almighty Allah are such that similar effects can’t be seen in the certitude of the laymen.  Although, a person with this weak a certitude will also be considered a Muslim, but because of the weakness of certitude, such deeds will be committed by that person which are against the wish of Almighty Allah and which make that person liable to be punished.  On the contrary, those with certitude are in effect seeing the Being, attributes, reward and punishment of Almighty Allah, which makes committing acts that are against the wish of Almighty Allah well nigh impossible.