For the partisans of the Prophets however, who attested to the uncompromised oneness of God (swt), the voyage is of a different nature. For once God (swt) has been reached and affirmed by the mind, there is a journey of the heart in coming nearer to Him (swt) through worship, love, sacrifice, hope and understanding. And like the alchemy of metals, where common substances are transmuted to precious metals, the heart also undergoes transformation and takes on a new form when rediscovered and polished. And while alchemy of metals is a myth, alchemy of the heart is not.

 Al-Ghazali: The Journey of a Giant

 Imam Abu Haamid Al-Ghazali, a colossus whose intelligence and eloquence stand out in the sky of Islamic scholarship, once fell ill with an ailment none could untangle or understand. The renowned master of theology - who lay bare and dissected every known doctrine and creed - drowned in a sea of endless pain and doubt. Perplexed physicians stood over his heaving body and told him that his illness was not one of the flesh; rather, it stemmed deep from within the chambers of his spiritual and emotional core.

 One day, while still in the depths of his crisis, Al-Ghazali gathered the courage to re-wear the turban of teaching which had brought magnificent splendour to his name. But as he began to address the disciples at his feet, Allah (swt) tore from his tongue the ability to speak – leaving him more bewildered and powerless than ever before. The now mute Imam rushed frantically from his seat of teaching and ran home with tears in his eyes as his chest thundered and his legs gave way underneath him; the reality of his heart had become too troublesome to be lived with. His turmoil had gripped over him in every way; in the words of Hamza Yusuf, Imam Al-Ghazali the 'genius, wonder boy and brilliant dialectician' was no longer who he once was, rather his restless soul was living an existence of horror in the pit of hell that had become his body.

 The cause behind this state of woe is conveyed in the words of the Imam himself, who said: 'Despite my success and my status, my doubts overwhelmed me. This doubt was not in what I believed, but in the way I was living my beliefs'. Though he knew the truth and mastered its articulation and debate, it never found home in him; he was like the whetstone that could sharpen iron but itself not be sharpened; a man whose Islam was a systematic sequence of clauses and arguments and not an effusive essence, spirituality and self-authenticating insight and submission.  

 So in pursuit of a therapeutic corrective, he set on a journey intended to purge him of the obstacles his soul could not overcome on its own. His path was of many years; each day spent in prayer, fasting, travel, limited provision, contemplation and wonder at the artistry and elegance of creation. Through the tears that could not be seen and prayers that could not be heard but by God (swt) alone, Al-Ghazali washed himself of the lower egoistical and self-centered thorns within him; he forced his truth to go beyond mere rhetoric and marvellous public debate in the courts of glory and gain; he tore open his heart, cleansed it of all it contained and accepted nothing to rest within but the guidance and provision of Allah (swt).

 All the while, Al-Ghazali went from being the misguided philosopher, to the troubled theological debater and ended a man who advocated the belief of the traditional Islamic orthodoxy. And as such, the better an ascetic he became – freeing himself from the constraints and expectation of a lowly nafs - the better his understanding of his religion and its tenets. A fertile heart gave life to a more fertile mind.

 Our Story and Journey

 Today, the very element that brought awakening to Abu Haamid can also be found deep within each of us. Every submitter strives relentlessly for one thing: tranquillity under the shade of our Islam. And though our hearts may be covered with a thousand layers of delusion and neglect, we, undeniably and at our core, yearn for a quenching tonic of the heart – just like Al-Ghazali did.

 At a point in our lives, we will be reminded of our heart's need, without necessarily knowing that we are living or witnessing that reminder. It could come in the form of weakness and debility, leading us to cling onto only that which is necessary in substance and great in value. It could come at a time of wonder and amazement, leaving us humbled and inspired to reaching a higher and grander truth. It could be at a time of realisation and understanding, forcing us to a deeper and nobler purpose. But the general principle holds: as we travel further into our interiors – moving beyond the frivolities, wounds and burdens of our lives – we come closer to knowing who exactly we are and what we need, leaving us certain of our object servanthood and our complete state of resignation and brokenness before the will and power of God.

 Indeed contemplation is the sword of discerning, for it melts away all that stands before it. In the silence of a free and weightless mind and in a personal harmony, one's identity and place in the world is truly grasped. For that, it is the path of the great warriors, ascetics and scholars of Islam to find recluse and force the self into submission, worship and remembrance of Allah. Our Lord (swt) constantly reminds us in the Qur'an to contemplate and come to grips with the world and its realities. And it is to our fortune, that the arts of the heart are to be found at the permanent stations of our religion and not to be chased and missed like the caravans of the elite.

 The Station of Belief

 Belief, which stands different to acceptance, is the basis of a heart's life. To believe is to overwhelm oneself on every level with a truth and its derivatives, while acceptance is simply to not reject; and, in the two is a great difference.

 In the example of Abu Bakr, when Quraysh questioned him regarding the miraculous and inconceivable journey of the Prophet (saw), he did not only recognise the Prophet's truth but affirmed it with all he had. And though Abu Bakr did not accompany the Prophet on the journey or even hear a narration from him in regards to it, he affirmed it wholeheartedly and convincingly when questioned by the disbelievers. But the question is why would a sane man believe an extraordinary story without any of his senses being able to testify for him?

 The answer rests in Abu Bakr, who had already believed the truth the Prophet (saw) came with, and, from that, his heart was immune to doubt and questioning. Once he understood and acknowledged that Muhammad (saw) was the Messenger of God, through the evidences provided to him, his heart submitted willfully to Islam and its Prophet (saw) in all that came before him

 For our hearts to submit a true submission, our understanding of why Islam is the truth must be raised. Before delving into any other stream, there must be a sound and strong acceptance and affirmation of Islam as the truth; this cannot be achieved except with deliberation and insight that establishes Islam in a person's capacities of reason.

 Imam al-Sa‘di (ra) writes of creation that, "All of this was created in order for people to know and to discern that His knowledge and power circumscribe each and everything."

 Truly, it is in the wonder of creation and nature that man becomes sensitive to the immensity and purpose of life and the concept of mortality. Through nature's beauty, complexity, simplicity, devastating power and vast dimensions, the heart is left humbled and intrigued, and ultimately in awe of the creator. The unity of creation and its systematic function is also a key indicator of the presence of a God and His monotheistic nature. Ibrahim (as) gave his belief to each of the moon, stars and sun till he saw their temporary attributes – leading him to what is greater than them all.

 Though nature is often incorrectly cited as a quintessential element of the material world at the expense of the spiritual realm, it is in the scale of Islam a means of attainment of truth, as Allah (swt) says:

 'Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day, there are indeed signs for those who are endowed with insight. [Those] Who remember Allaah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], 'Our Lord! You did not create this aimlessly…' [3: 190-191]

 Insight is primarily a function of the mind, but its effects on the heart are great and profound because it helps distinguish between right and wrong. For that reason, the Qur'an is cited as the most thought-provoking religious scripture known, because Allah (swt) repeatedly challenges man to utilize his faculties of cognition in seeking truth and finality. Therefore, it is the Qur'an in its miracles of eloquence, evidences and explanations that should be at the core of an individual's belief-system.

 The Station of Hope

 Hope cannot stem except from a belief in what is greater and better, and because of that, hope is the mother of all good and incentive and the daughter of belief and knowledge. To know Allah (swt) in His lordship, His oneness, His names and attributes; to appreciate the vast expanse and unmatched luxury of paradise; to realise the sweetness of a sincere prayer… in that is the source of hope and the incentive towards good.

 Once hope, based on knowledge, is attained, the mundane and profane no longer possess any leverage over the heart, but rather one's visions transcend the temporary altogether. Take the example of a woman who encourages her husband towards fighting for the sake of Allah (swt); though she knows that will lose his companionship in this life, she does it in seeking his companionship in the next. Her heart's inclination takes on such fervour and strength, that she comes to hope in the reward, which comes at the cost of sacrifice, as if it were right before her eyes.

 Hope in paradise, in particular, is entrenched in the Islamic tradition and in Islamic history; even the finer architecture of the Muslim world emphasises the recurring themes of paradise as depicted in the Qur'an and Sunnah: the gardens of brilliance and emerging light, hovering over rivers of life and abundance, encircled by breezes of serenity and calm, wherein the believers reside and never die, eating of god's provision, reclining on silks of opulence and warmth, forever safe from vice or doubt, eternally engaged in praise and elation.

Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?           

The Station of Love

 Love of Allah (swt) and His religion, and those who tread their path, is the grandest and most majestic of all love, for the heart cannot escape the allure of that which is mighty and endless. Its enchantment and the temptation of its intense sweetness are sufficient to daze the most sober of men; its combined fury and tenderness lure and satisfy each seeker's needs with an extravagant abundance; its relevance and depth wash away man's tendencies towards the doldrums; and in it, the love of Allah (swt) is a cure from love of what is wrong and an ease in loving what is right. It is a cure, gift and purpose unlike any other.

 Love of Allah (swt) and Islam rises in a manner that baffles entirely the human imagination and overwhelms the heart in all its vessels, branches and roots. However, unlike love of a man or woman in the world, there is no side effect of an intensely strong love - such as impassioned quarrel, jealousy or doubt.

 But what of a servant who is distant from his Lord (swt)?

 The servant's likeness is like that of a heart which reaches the extreme limit of contrariety, to the point that you would believe love is forbidden upon it. Yet, in next to no time, you will observe it to have vanquished disharmony and overcome hesitation in approaching its subject of desire.

 Why so? Because the love in question is the most unique of all love; and verily, even the harshest and most deadened of hearts, which has transgressed mightily against itself, cannot resist the temptation of an everlasting serenity and tranquillity.

 The heart, no matter how weakened, distant, poisoned, pained or overwhelmed, can find a light of meaning and tranquillity with Allah (swt). It takes an inkling of effort in the face of doubt; for Allah (swt) says:

  Br. Abdul-Latif