Farooqi’s Guide to Sufism: The Spiritual Energy Points (Lata’aef) In Islam

God has created ten energy points in human’s body which are linked with the soul and the universe. These ten points are called Lataif e Ashra (10 energy points).out of these10 points five points are linked with Alam e Amr (metaphysical world) and five are linked with the Alam e Khalq (physical world). 

The energy points(Lata’aef) of Alam e Amar (metaphysical world) are as follows: 

1-Heart (Qalb) 

2-Soul (Rooh)

3-Secret (Sirr)

4-Khafi (implicit) 

5-Akhfa ( concealment) 

While the Lata’aef of Alam e Khalq (physical world) are: 

1-Fire (Naar)

2-Soil (Khaak) 

3-Air ( Reeh/Hawa) 

4-Water (Aal)

5-Desirous self (Nafs)

The basic source of all these Lata’aef ( energy points) is the Holy Quran.  

The names of these energy points are present in Quran and are evident by the practices of sufis, saints, the scholars and the spiritual scientists of Islam. They had spent the most precious time of their life in studying the consciousness( Ahwaal o mawajeed ) of their soul, heart, and the inner self (Baatin), to reform their soul, to make their heart mature ( Qalb ki baleedgi), and to purify their desirous self (Tasfia e batin). They got the higher ranks of Allah’s recognition by following the teachings of devotees of Allah in the light of Quran and Sunnah. 

The experts of spirituality derived all of their knowledge from the Holy Quran. The names of these energy points(Lata’aef) are present in the Holy Quran. The sufis have derived their literal names of these energy points (Lata’aef) from the Quran which are mentioned in the following Quranic verses. 

 

1-Surah Kaaf ayat # 37

2-Surah Taha Ayat # 7 

3-Surah Al-Aaraf ayat # 55

4-Surah Al- Shams ayat # 7

5-Surah Bani- Israil ayat # 85 

 

Arguments for what……

Some people get involved in useless arguments and object that these words are not present in the Quran. These words are not of Arabic origin but of Persian. Ask them if a Persian or non Arabic word is taken to make someone understand the Arabic word,  what is wrong with it? The people who use the word namaz for Salah (prayer), and the word roza for Saum (fast) forget that these words are not present in the Holy Quran and Hadith. These are non Arabic words. “Namaz” is a Persian word which means humbleness. While “Roza” is a non Arabic word which means “day”. 

 

The origin of word Ishq

People use the word “ishq”(love), frequently and don’t have any issue with it but when a sufi uses an Urdu, Persian or some other non Arabic word to teach the meanings of Quran o Sunnah they make a shout and ask from where this word has been taken?   We have not read this word in the Quran O Sunnah. They should be told that this is a translation of a word present in the Holy Quran. 

As Quran says,  

 “Those who (truly) believe, they love Allah more than all else.” ( Al Baqarah: 165) 

 

For “Ashaddu Hubban” ( intense love), the sufis has used the word “Ishq.” 

 

Ishq dam e Jibreel, ishq dil e Mustafa(PBUH)

Ishq khuda ka rasool, ishq khuda ka kalam

Ishq fakeer e haram, ishq ameer e junood

Ishq hai ibn al sabeel, is kay hazaron muqaam

Ishq kay mizraab sy naghma taar e hayat 

Ishq se noor e hayat, ishq sy naar e hayat 

 

Translation: 

(Love is the breath of Gabriel. Love is the heart of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Love is the messenger of God. Love is the Word of God. Love is the commander of marching troops, Love is a wayfarer with many a way‐side abode.Love is the plectrum that brings Music to the string of life. Love is the light of life, Love is the fire of life.

(Baal e Jibreel  By Allama Iqbal ) 

 

Sidq e Khalil bhi hai ishq, sabr e Hussain bhi hai ishq

Maarka e wajood myn Badar o Hunain bhi hai ishq 

Aqal ayaar hy so bhais bana lyti hay 

Ishq bechara na mula, na zahid, na hakeem 

Aqal ko tanqeed se fursat nahi 

Ishq par amal ki bunyad rakh 

 

Translation: 

(The truthfulness of Abraham is but a form of Love, and so is the patience of Husain—

And so are Badr and Hunayn in the battle of existence. The mind is skillful in artful tasks and can assume a hundred masks, poor helpless love that knows no guise ain’t mullah, hermit or too wise. Intellect is not free from criticism, establish the foundation of your deeds in love. 

 

The word “Ashaddu Hubban” is in the Holy Quran. If the sufis have used a non Arabic  word for it then what’s the problem with it?  One can find the word Ishq in Arabic as well. There is an Hadith, Prophet (PBUH) says,  

“Love is a fire which burns everything into ashes except God.”( Arabic text) 

 

It means the word ishq is also present in Arabic language. But the common men and some who call themselves Ahl-e- Sunnat or Ahl-e- tareeqat but don’t have any connection with the sufis fail to get the original sense of the word. 

 

The use of non- Arabic languages:

We use many English words in our everyday life. For example, school, college, university, hospital etc. All these are English words and no one cares but if a sufi or scholar uses a non-Arabic word if it is there in Quran O Hadith, people at once start criticizing. 

Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, 

“Get the knowledge though you have to travel to China.”

So, Do the Chinese speak Arabic? No, they speak and understand the Chinese language. Whoever will go there, they will understand or teach the Quran O Sunnah in Chinese language. So, this criticism is only for the sake of criticism nothing else is. 

 

Lata’aef Ashra (ten energy points) and the Holy Quran: 

 

The ten energy points( Lata’aef Ashra) which the sufis found in the human’s body. They did not shoot an arrow in the dark. They derived all these teachings from the Holy Quran. If anyone says that these teachings are not present in the Quran then he has to say that the Quran is incomplete and defective( Naaozbillah). 

While Quran claims, 

“Nor a grain in the darkness of the earth or anything—green or dry—but is ˹written˺ in a perfect Record.” (Al-an'am-59) 

On another place Quran says, 

“We send down the Quran as a healing and mercy for the believers.” (Bani Israil-82) 

 

Holy Prophet PBUH said, 

“Every disease has a cure.” (Al-Hadith)

The names of Lata’aef are proven through the Quran.

Some mentally retarded people think that this is a baseless belief of Hindus or SIkh’s mysticism or an imagination of Christian or Jews. They are foolish and don’t know the reality. They don’t know that whoever gets the Allah’s Holy Quran and Hadiths of the Holy Prophet PBUH doesn’t need to go to the non-muslims. Our Holy Quran gives us complete guidance. The sayings of our Prophet PBUH are complete and perfect in every aspect. These are the codes of life in Islam. Because Allah has given the testimony of its perfectness. 

He says in Quran;  

“Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way.” ( Al Maidah-3) 

 

The Guideline is only for believers: 

If someone is ignorant and does not get education by reading the Quran, he should go for his treatment of ignorance. 

As Quran says, 

“Guidance is for believers.”

Everyone gets the guideline if he is a believer. If they get the status of a believer, they will be guided about every aspect of their life from the Holy Quran. They will be guided about the demands of body, heart and soul. 

Allah claims in the Holy Quran,  

“This is the Book! There is no doubt about it, a guide for those mindful ˹of Allah.” (Al-Baqarah-2) 

 

The Quran is without a doubt but……

Although many people doubted the Holy Quran. Christian, Jews and even the whole Quraish e Arab doubted it. They used to say that the Holy Prophet PBUH composed the ayats by himself( Naoozbillah). But the Quran says that there is no doubt in it.   

The scholars say that Allah claims that the Holy Quran is without any doubt. Allah is announcing the purification of His Holy Quran. If people have any doubts, sordidness and suspicion, this is their heart’s fault. If someone has any doubt in his mind, this is  his mind’s fault. There is no doubt in the Holy Quran. He should fix the fault of his mind. The Holy Quran has not proved that the minds of Christians, Jews and dissenters but it says, 

The Holy Quran is pure and doubtless. 

 

“There is sickness in their hearts.”( Al Baqarah-10) 

 

The example of bat and the Sun

If a bat doesn’t see the Sun, what’s the Sun’s fault in it? When the Sun rises, bat starts making noise that it is dark, wake up, run, hide somewhere, save your life otherwise you’ll be lost in the darkness and will die by hitting your head in the wall. Someone may tell the mad bat that her eyes are dark, not the Sun, because the Sun is shining and everything is lightning. All the creation is saying that it is the fault of the bat's eyes. The Sun is shining with full brightness but she is not ready to admit it.

 

A famous poet Hidayat ullah says, 

 

Akhan khol kay vekh tu moorkha oye 

Jinoo labhna ay tethon door naiyon

Chaam chatth wangon tu anhan hoyon 

Ehdyy vich sooraj da koi qusoor naiyon

Parda ghaflat da piya Hidayt Ullah 

Tahion disda enhan noo noor naiyon

 

The poet is saying in this poetry, ‘The light is not far from you. You need to focus and find it. You need to open your eyes and remove the shield of ignorance from your eyes. Then you will see everything clearly.”