The Mystery of Resurrection, Surah Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

Introduction

The popular religions throughout history have contributed towards the spiritualization of humanity through their creeds and codes, and for them to have practical significance albeit of their mystical nature. The mysterious nature of human consciousness has the ability to witness the phenomenon of death with somewhat greater a wonder than other living creatures, and thereby the recognition of something beyond their comprehension has confounded their minds, such that the consolation of their hearts have required a leap of faith leading into the domain of immortality. There are fundamentally two distinct forms of immortality employed by religions in the support of their creeds, reincarnation and resurrection. The mystery of reincarnation is simpler than that of resurrection, because reincarnation only involves a spirit taking material forms based on its strength and accomplishments; while the mystery of resurrection has multiple variables to be taken into account in its equation. In this article therefore, I shall be discussing the mystery of resurrection in Islam from an esoteric standpoint, with a primary focus on the chapter 22 of Quran called ‘The Pilgrimage’, because it happens to be the most comprehensive chapter on this subject in the Quran.

The Fusion of light and life

The philosophers have since a long time conveniently categorized the whole domain of creation into various classes based on the merit of their abilities and functions usually known as ‘The Great Chain of Being’. These classes are minerals, plants, animals, and humans; though some mystics have also extrapolated it to include angels and demons, as well as the Divinity Himself. Though being distinct from each other based on their characteristics, there is also a definite overlap amongst them since some minerals tend to grow, just as some plants tend to hunt insects and so on; for it is usually the formative environment of every being that explains the magnitude of its true potential. The Quran describes them in the following manner in chapter 22,

18. Hast thou not seen that unto Allah payeth adoration whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the hills, and the trees, and the beasts, and many of mankind, while there are many unto whom the doom is justly due. He whom Allah scorneth, there is none to give him honour. Lo! Allah doeth what He will.

It is noteworthy that the verse 18 describes three categories of creation from heavens, namely the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars; whilst four categories from earth, namely the hills, the trees, the beasts, and the mankind. The categories from heavens are in the descending order of their magnitude of light, while the categories from earth are in the ascending order of their magnitude of life; with the category of mankind described as being controversial in its characteristics because it got caught between the ascending order of earthly life and the descending order of heavenly light. Human beings thus represent the fusion point between the heavens and earth, such that their actions and choices have the potential to undermine the subtle equilibrium between life and light. According to the chapter 22, there are three ways in which mankind can cause corruption in the world.

8. And among mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah without knowledge or guidance or a scripture giving light,

9. Turning away in pride to beguile (men) from the way of Allah. For him in this world is ignominy, and on the Day of Resurrection We make him taste the doom of burning.

10. (And unto him it will be said): This is for that which thy two hands have sent before, and because Allah is no oppressor of His slaves.

The verse 8 contains the three terms of metaphorical significance, namely ‘knowledge’ representing the light from Sun, ‘guidance’ representing the light from Moon, and ‘scripture giving light’ representing the light from Stars. The verse 8 suggests that those people who would abuse the animals, destroy the plants, and exploit the minerals would suffer most earnestly by the Divine forces. They cause injustice to happen everywhere due to their immoral practices and such people are greedy, selfish, and transparently ridiculous in that they would care for nothing other than their self-aggrandizement at the cost of utter destruction for all the creatures. Therefore, their actions would never find endurance due to the lack of support from the forces of light and life.

3. Among mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah without knowledge, and followeth each froward devil;

4. For him it is decreed that whoso taketh him for friend, he verily will mislead him and will guide him to the punishment of the Flame.

The verses 3-4 correspond to the corruption of mankind that causes the disbalance between the light of the Sun and the life of the Animals. Here, though mankind have the scripture of light from the Stars and the guidance from the Moon, but they disregard the knowledge of light from the Sun due to their practices of exploitation and cruelty towards innocent animals. Such people have sadistic attitudes and therefore, they loose the vital support of the animal kingdom and consequently suffer in their lives.

11. And among mankind is he who worshippeth Allah upon a narrow marge so that if good befalleth him he is content therewith, but if a trial befalleth him, he falleth away utterly. He loseth both the world and the Hereafter. That is the sheer loss.

12. He calleth, beside Allah, unto that which hurteth him not nor benefiteth him. That is the far error.

13. He calleth unto him whose harm is nearer than his benefit; verily an evil patron and verily an evil friend!

The verse 11 refers to a very interesting situation where people only follow the principle codes for the sake of material profits. These people lack in the strength of character, for they can easily be subdued by any vile seduction, and thereby causing more damage than good to the ideals of truth. As such are the blind visionaries, deaf orators, and soulless seekers of the truth, whose actions are without endurance and that ultimately only serves to undermine the sincere efforts of true believers. Therefore, they find neither any patronage nor any succor from the forces of the Divine light and life.

19. These twain (the believers and the disbelievers) are two opponents who contend concerning their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads,

20. Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted;

21. And for them are hooked rods of iron.

22. Whenever, in their anguish, they would go forth from thence they are driven back therein and (it is said unto them): Taste the doom of burning.

23. Lo! Allah will cause those who believe and do good works to enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will be allowed armlets of gold, and pearls, and their raiment therein will be silk.

24. They are guided unto gentle speech; they are guided unto the path of the Glorious One.

There are rather interesting punishments of esoteric nature described in the verses 19-21, as the “garments of fire” representing the anger of abused animals, “boiling fluid” representing the wrath of uprooted plants, and “hooked rods of iron” representing the rage of exploited minerals. On the contrary, rewards for the nobler actions shall be in the form of “armlets of gold” for the light of the Sun, “pearls” for the light of the Moon, and “silk” for the light of the Stars. The “gentle speech” mentioned in verse 24 may well be a metaphor for the presence of milder weather conducive towards the progression of healthy life.

The Hour of Resurrection

The Quran explains the mystery of the hour of resurrection in the most fascinating allegorical manner in the chapter 22. It says,

5. O mankind! if ye are in doubt concerning the Resurrection, then lo! We have created you from dust, then from a drop of seed, then from a clot, then from a little lump of flesh shapely and shapeless, that We may make (it) clear for you. And We cause what We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed time, and afterward We bring you forth as infants, then (give you growth) that ye attain your full strength. And among you there is he who dieth (young), and among you there is he who is brought back to the most abject time of life, so that, after knowledge, he knoweth naught. And thou (Muhammad) seest the earth barren, but when We send down water thereon, it doth thrill and swell and put forth every lovely kind (of growth).

6. That is because Allah, He is the Truth and because He quickeneth the dead, and because He is Able to do all things;

7. And because the Hour will come, there is no doubt thereof; and because Allah will raise those who are in the graves.

There are seven number of total stages of creation in the verse 5, out of which the first four stages are differentiated from the rest of three stages. There is also a very curious noteworthy statement right after the fourth stage of development that says, “that We may make (it) clear for you.” Afterwards in the fifth stage there is an overlap between existence of the infant within and outside of the womb, which is followed by the youth where it is purposefully mentioned that some die young, or else others in the seventh stage are “brought back to the most abject time of life”.

The first four stages of creation metaphorically represent the time of life, whilst the rest of three represent the time of light. The first stage of “dust” represents the minerals, the second stage of “seed” represents the plants, the third stage of “clot” represents the animals, and the fourth stage of “lump” represents the mankind. It is at this stage that the awareness of their impending journey of transformation from life to light first dawns on mankind, as implicitly described in the noteworthy statement after the fourth stage. The fifth stage of an infant being overlapped between inside and outside of the womb is symbolic of its transformation from a creature of life to a creature of light, and thereby also represent the mystery of the hour of resurrection. Now, those who may die before reaching the full strength or those who may become very old are the two categories who have both failed to achieve the proper transformation from life to light, for only those with the full strength of the eternal Divine light would ever realize and actualize the true potential of mankind. These metaphors are further confirmed in the following verses of chapter 22.

1. O mankind! Fear your Lord. Lo! the earthquake of the Hour (of Doom) is a tremendous thing.

2. On the day when ye behold it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling and every pregnant one will be delivered of her burden, and thou (Muhammad) wilt see mankind as drunken, yet they will not be drunken, but the Doom of Allah will be strong (upon them).

The verse 1 suggests that the transformation from the domain of life to the domain of light in the hour of resurrection is an occurrence of massive proportions. The verse 2 is very symbolic as it mentions the overlap of infants in the fifth stage within and outside of the wombs, representing the beings who have left the domain of life, as well as those who may still be clinging to the old ways of life. The drunkenness of mankind can also be attributed to the transformative processes of loosing instincts and attitudes of the older life in order to embrace the new enlightened dimension of existence based on the Divine light of knowledge and wisdom.

47. And they will bid thee hasten on the Doom, and Allah faileth not His promise, but lo! a Day with Allah is as a thousand years of what ye reckon.

The verse 47 suggests that the transformative process from life to light in the day of resurrection could take up to a thousand years, and since it should be many times more than the normal period of a human lifetime; therefore, meanwhile mankind would rather do good to develop some quality of endurance and patience for themselves.

The Materialist Culture of the Human Mind

The major reason for corruption in the human affairs is due to their acceptance of hierarchical cultures that are antithetical to nature. For instance, let us first consider the affairs of nature such that their is a definite hierarchy in nature amongst minerals, plants, and animals based on their talents and abilities. Though the minerals occupy the entire earth in the form of fertile or barren lands, not every piece of land grows the vegetation on it which is particularly true in the desert regions. Similarly, though lots of land manage to grow something on them but yet not every goodly produce of plants get to be consumed by the animals. And furthermore, not all the animals of earth are privileged enough to be of service to mankind. Therefore, the fundamental factor in the natural hierarchy has to be for a class of nature to be as much generously abundant for its service to the higher classes in the form of sustenance and support of every sort possible for them to be provided for the purpose of life. The best land is the one that produces the most vegetation, the best vegetation is the one that provides the maximum nourishment to animals and humans, and the best animals are those that are of most use to mankind. And so this form of natural hierarchy has to be both fair and useful.

The problem only occurs when it does not conform to the man-made cultures of hierarchy. For instance, those who kept animals at the time of prophet Muhammad were the poorest in society because they were the nomads who could not settle on any land, followed by those who owned plantations and agriculture department, whilst the richest elite used to live in cities and only kept with them the previous gems and metals, that gave them wealth and power over the other classes. The nomads did maximum work by raising the animals, followed by those who grew the crops, but the elite did nothing yet exploited everyone by getting richer and more powerful. This form of hierarchy which is based on the materialism of human mind is essentially antithetical to nature and also counterproductive to the process of life and light, because the passions of 'lust' for material wealth when valued by human beings cause their decadence into an unnatural state of existence, such that they would end up manufacturing gods from minerals; whilst the spirit of 'love' that should have been most appreciated by mankind could have raised them to the highest levels of light. The Quran discusses this phenomenon in the following verses,

73. O mankind! A similitude is coined, so pay ye heed to it: Lo! those on whom ye call beside Allah will never create a fly though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly took something from them, they could not rescue it from it. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought!

74. They measure not Allah His rightful measure. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty.

75. Allah chooseth from the angels messengers, and (also) from mankind. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Seer.

76. He knoweth all that is before them and all that is behind them, and unto Allah all things are returned.

The similitude of verse 73 depicts the function of a creature that has attained the merit of life by undergoing through the due hierarchical process of nature, i. e. minerals, plants, and animals; and albeit being very small but yet proves itself to be far superior to both the artificial gods as well as their votaries, and because the intelligence of a creature should never be judged by the size of that creature. Such an ignominy would only occur to those who would disregard the true wisdom in favor of the false information, and the celebration of their lies would thus only lead them to the experience of their losses in every aspect of life. The verses 75-76 indicate that the message of truth can also be brought forth from both the dimensions of light and life, because the two dimensions are only differentiated in the material facet of their existence, as one being subtle and the other being gross; whilst both having to follow the same principle code of wisdom for their progress regardless of the density of their dimensions. The following verses further elaborate the significance of right conduct through the application of Divine principles for the spiritual growth of humanity.

45. How many a township have We destroyed while it was sinful, so that it lieth (to this day) in ruins, and (how many) a deserted well and lofty tower!

46. Have they not travelled in the land, and have they hearts wherewith to feel and ears wherewith to hear? For indeed it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts, which are within the bosoms, that grow blind.

The verse 45 indicates “deserted well” as a metaphor for the knowledge of earthly life, and “lofty tower” as a metaphor for the knowledge of heavenly light. The knowledge of every sort may have been precious, but more significant is the application of that knowledge for the common good of humanity. Because the presence of knowledge is an abstract phenomenon that needs to be fulfilled through its application with insight into the Divine order of existence, whereby mankind may discover the sheer depths of life and the great heights of light in the potential wisdom of their hearts.

31. Turning unto Allah (only), not ascribing partners unto Him; for whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky and the birds had snatched him or the wind had blown him to a far-off place.

The verse 31 has a very symbolic way of relating the hierarchy of light and life with the spiritual progression of a human being, as it describes the consequences of negating spirituality for materialism, and the people who would choose to loose their lights might end up being either the fodder for living creatures with better prospects for the Divine light, or they might have to struggle in the midst of the storms of extreme darkness formed as a consequence of their fabricated illusions, so as to trace back their path for the Divine light of truth, and to find redemption through their sacrifices and efforts in the direction towards light.

15. Whoso is wont to think (through envy) that Allah will not give him (Muhammad) victory in the world and the Hereafter (and is enraged at the thought of his victory), let him stretch a rope up to the roof (of his dwelling), and let him hang himself. Then let him see whether his strategy dispelleth that whereat he rageth!

16. Thus We reveal it as plain revelations, and verily Allah guideth whom He will.

17. Lo! those who believe (this revelation), and those who are Jews, and the Sabaeans and the Christians and the Magians and the idolaters - Lo! Allah will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection. Lo! Allah is Witness over all things.

The verse 15 therefore, suggests that people who might have accepted the ideals of Islam out of some romanticized illusions rather than through the subjective realization of its truth, would certainly come across some disillusionment in their cause for victory in this world. Actually, such people happen to be playing a wrong game from a wrong team; for Islam does not claim to compensate the passions of life with the pleasures of materialism; rather it only embraces the light that grows out of the intense trials of spiritual discipline; whereby the mortal human bodies of life can be forged into the great spiritual beings of light. The verse 17 states the six religions according to the descending order of light corresponding to their respective ideals of faith, i. e. Islam, Judaism, Sabaeanism, Christianity, Magianism, and Idolatry. This order also seems to be in accordance with the level of monotheism professed by these religions in their doctrine; alongside the rituals, festivals, and other traditional practices that are dedicated by them for the service of light in their cultures. The corruption and injustice wrecked by the illusory objectives of human mind are also explained in the following verses of chapter 22.

52. Never sent We a messenger or a prophet before thee but when He recited (the message) Satan proposed (opposition) in respect of that which he recited thereof. But Allah abolisheth that which Satan proposeth. Then Allah establisheth His revelations. Allah is Knower, Wise;

53. That He may make that which the devil proposeth a temptation for those in whose hearts is a disease, and those whose hearts are hardened - Lo! the evil-doers are in open schism -

54. And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from thy Lord, so that they may believe therein and their hearts may submit humbly unto Him. Lo! Allah verily is guiding those who believe unto a right path.

There is an element of recognition for a person when concerning the concepts of monotheism or polytheism; for it does not matter whatever may be out there, God or gods, rather what matters is ones choice of faith in their ideology. Though apparently the two beliefs are antithetical to each other, but diving deeper into the ideals of theism would lead to the discovery that they are a interconnected system of faith without a definite order of boundaries. There is a subjective human factor that acts as an independent variable in the equation of theism, such that the inherent values of theistic truth tend to be reflected through the prism of human experiences. It tells about more of a person and his tendencies, whether to follow the direction towards differentiating chaos or integrating order for the fulfillment of his purpose. For instance, a polytheist would always tend to create a game of competition out of every situation in the world meant for the survival of his life, and a monotheist would always challenge that game of competition itself for the dominance of his light, rather than participating in some sort of a survival competition. Thus, it may not be about what is actually real, but what is made to be real in terms of the attitudes of believers in the respective forms of theism that describes the dimensions of their faith.

Monotheism is the religion of the Mind, while Polytheism is the religion of the Heart. For a Mind, every question is a Right Question and every answer is a Wrong Answer; whilst on the contrary for a Heart, every answer is a Right Answer and every question is a Wrong Question. These are the two distinct ways of approaching the totality of metaphysical knowledge that comprises of all the Right Questions, Wrong Questions, Right Answers, and Wrong Answers. For instance, a polytheist would always tend to create a game of competition out of every situation in the world meant for the survival of his life, and a monotheist would always challenge that game of competition itself for the dominance of his light, rather than participating in the survival competition. Thus, it may not be about what is actually real, but what is made to be real in terms of the attitudes of believers in the respective forms of theism that describes the dimensions of their faith.

Every religion has an Elite class that follows the Mind, and a Goyim class that follows the Heart. The Mind always works with logical and intellectual approach towards every problem of life by following the path of Freedom, whilst the Heart believes in intuitive and emotional approach towards the human condition of existence by embracing the state of Bondage. The lore of every religion has heroes that accomplish great feats of strength or intelligence in their exalted states of empowerment, whilst suffering from extreme persecutions and impoverishment due to human frailties in their fallen states of degeneration. The exalted state of such heroes represents the monotheistic Elite class as they tend to emulate those higher values in their lifestyle, whilst their fallen state represents the polytheistic Goyim class because of its associated Bondage that often relates to their deplorable condition of existence.

Allah, the deity of Islam represents the Right Questions for which their can never be any Right Answers. Allah, is the only deity of Freedom because He poses the Right Questions even in the garb of Right Answers. Therefore, Monotheism and Polytheism are essentially the two ways of approaching the metaphysical knowledge based on Freedom and Bondage respectively, whereby the Elite tracks the dimensions of Light whilst the Goyim practices the rituals of Life. Islam only endorses the principles of monotheism, and thereby utterly rejecting the customs of polytheism in every individual or collective aspect of human life.

The best case for a believer is to have a faith through the recognition of his subjective truth, while much less beneficial for him is to profess a blind faith, and the worst situation for any people is to be blinded by their faith that lacks the authenticity of their spiritual objectives. Also, attention seeking has always been a part of religions but never a part of faith. Truth seeking is the essential part of faith, and God sees only faith in the hearts of believers, such that the seekers of truth will always validate their faith through right actions irrespective of the trends in their environments. The contention of prophet Abraham with his people about the heavenly signs of God is a classic anecdote mentioned in Quran related to this ideology. The Quran says,

Thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he might be of those possessing certainty: When the night grew dark upon him he beheld a star. He said: This is my Lord. But when it set, he said: I love not things that set. And when he saw the moon uprising, he exclaimed: This is my Lord. But when it set, he said: Unless my Lord guide me, I surely shall become one of the folk who are astray. And when he saw the sun uprising, he cried: This is my Lord! This is greater! And when it set he exclaimed: O my people! Lo! I am free from all that ye associate (with Him). Lo! I have turned my face toward Him Who created the heavens and the earth, as one by nature upright, and I am not of the idolaters. (06, 75-79)

The example of Abraham is interesting because people usually notice the Sun first, then the Moon, and then the Star; but here the situation is presented in the reverse order emphasizing the evolutionary perspective of inner discovery and enlightenment. In other words, people tend to indulge into the popular trends of their respective times according to their capacity of status and wealth, but then the times change and thence the trends change. However, the only factor that always remains constant in those trendy affairs is their direction of movement from the ideals of Locality to Universality, or metaphorically from the smaller Star to the bigger Sun. Therefore, Abraham is actually teaching his people not to participate in those trends whereby their Local Actions are not supported by the Universal Momentum, because such trends could only be meant for their exploitation through corruption, and would consequently result in the loss of their Upright Nature.

The Journey to the Time of Light: The Hajj

The festival of Hajj is celebrated annually by Muslims traveling from throughout the world to the great mosque at Mecca. The ritual is of an obligatory nature to the Muslims, requiring them to observe certain protocols as the worship to Divinity that involve many mysteries and wonders for a spiritual sort of dedication to the ideals of Islam. The total duration of this ritual usually takes about a week for its completion, with certain indispensable activities that have to be performed regularly by the participants. Let us briefly review those ritualistic actions of mystical significance that very much represent this holy pilgrimage.

1. Ihram: Muslims have to wear white unstiched clothing to begin the ritual, making them ready for the path of light.

2. Tawaf: It is a circumambulation of Kaaba, the circular movement in the anticlockwise direction done seven times, with three times quick movements in the proximity of the center, representing the three faster moving planets (Moon, Mercury, Venus); and four times slow movements at a distance from the center, representing the four slower moving planets (Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn).

3. Saee: The word ‘Saee’ literally means an effort. The ritual consists of slow running movements between the two hills called ‘Safa’ and ‘Marwa’ for a total of seven times, representing the constant oscillation of human efforts sandwiched between the ideals of life and light.

4. Waquf: This is the most important segment of the ritual Hajj, mainly because all of the participants have to perform it at the same time and in the same manner, in which they have to do nothing whilst sitting together from noon to sunset. In other words, it signifies contemplation on the Divine mercy and power that can unite the humanity in peace, and guide them towards the purity of light. One may also consider it as the prime most ritual for the regeneration of human soul in the Islamic traditions.

5. Rami: The ritual comprises of the symbolic stoning of devil by Muslims through the act of throwing seven pebbles each at the three huge columns protruding from the ground called the Jamarat. The three pillars are always stoned in the middle of the day, representing the destruction of evil from mineral, plant, and animal existence of human life. The stones may also be considered as the purging aspect of the mineral part of humanity.

6. Nahr: The animal sacrifice by the pilgrims is called the ‘Nahr’. It is considered an essential part of the Hajj because of it being encouraged by the Divinity in Quran many times. It can be considered as a symbolic act of purging the animal aspect of life from the soul of a human being, and consequently making the person pure for the domain of light.

7. Halq: The most popular aspect of an Hajj experience is the look of a shaven head Hajji. The hairs can be categorized as the vegetable parts of human body, because they can be cut or trimmed just like vegetation on a field. The Halq ritual therefore, would represent the purging of a human life from the negative influence of the plant kingdom.

The End Note

The chapter 22 of Quran extensively deals with the Hajj ritual as the Divinely ordained and prescribed manner for the regeneration of human soul, and the main significator for the resurrection of humanity into the dimension of light. The wisdom of Quran therefore, serves as the living testimony of the dedication of human endeavor towards the true path of light, whose direction is sanctified by codes and conducts of the supreme spiritual value from the best of mankind.

78. And strive for Allah with the endeavour which is His right. He hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship; the faith of your father Abraham (is yours). He hath named you Muslims of old time and in this (Scripture), that the messenger may be a witness against you, and that ye may be witnesses against mankind. So establish worship, pay the poor-due, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protecting friend. A blessed Patron and a blessed Helper!