By Muhammad Umer Mumtaz
Man on the first level, or - logically speaking - Man as a species, is in the intermediary stage between the Absolute and the world, and, as an intermediary, occupies the highest position in the hierarchy of the created beings. As soon as we begin to consider Man on the individual level, however, we cannot help noticing the existence of many degrees. Otherwise expressed, on the cosmic level Man himself is the Perfect Man, but on the individual level not all men are 'perfect'; on the contrary, only a few deserve the title of the Perfect Man. Ibn 'Arabi recognizes in the Perfect Man a particular kind of mystifying power. This is hardly to be wondered at, because the Perfect Man, as a "knower" (Arif), is by definition a man with an unusually developed spiritual power. His mind naturally shows an extraordinary activity.
All those civilizations which have renounced faith as a unifying force have yet to discover new principles to construe the disintegrated vision of modern man. Ironically the Muslim world where Din-e-Islam is still believed, at least, in theory, to be a wellspring of all moral and legal codes, finds itself in the grips of an even more intensive schizophrenia. Ours is a confused situation: a cauldron wherein radically different chefs are simultaneously jockeying to get their favorite dishes cooked, unmindful of the fact how heterogeneous the broth will ultimately turn out.
This onslaught on our consciousness is infinitely many: religious, political, cultural, and educational. The traditionalist with a strong dose of medievalism in blood, the politician with his eternal hunger for power and above all, the Shylock clamoring for his pound flesh, leave no room for the rotting humanity to lift itself above the subsistence level and meditate on the fundamental issues of human existence.
Undoubtedly, for centuries, Sufism has remained popular in the East for its in-built humanism and equally congenital rebellion against the out-war line of the jurist. Working as a unifying force through spiritual influences, Sufis fashioned the moral behavior and attitudes of the multitudes who thronged their hospices (Khanqahs). Thus, even if gnosis is not something real, through this it was a popularity - and hence a direct contact with masses, Sufis enjoyed penetrating insight into the psyche of people.
In the face of rapid urbanization and vastly expanding populations traditional hospices cannot possibly flourish. But here is a man, named Professor Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, who never sits like a saint among people. He is the most auspicious star on the shadowy and cloud-capped galaxy of the Islamic world whom God has blessed with knowledge, guidance and eloquence to steer the rocking world of Islam through the tempestuous billows of strife and dissension to put it back on the rollers to make it self-reliant and self-sustaining. It seems God has chosen him for a specific divine mission, which is of course the restoration of the pristine glory of Islam and the reawakening of Muslim from the slumber induced in them by Western morphia and their consequent derailing from the right track. His very presence is a source of consolation for the teeming millions who are the victims of all sorts of world-weariness and hallucinations.
As Sa'di remarks in his Gulistan, "Intellect without firmness is craft and chicanery; and firmness without intellect, perverseness and obstinacy", Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri possesses the same twin virtues of knowledge and integrity as integrity without knowledge for him is weak and useless, and knowledge for him without integrity is dangerous and dreadful. His curiosity is not motivated by a utilitarian interest but by a sense of genuine pride to extend the frontiers of knowledge and to illuminate the dark corners of the world with its luminous rays. He is internally organized; he does not drift as his inner discipline never lets him swerve from the path of righteousness. The direction of the mind is more important for him than its progress because he does not measure success; he applies his mind and does not let his intellect rest.
Shaikh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri is definitely an answer to the monopoly of the unlettered clergy over our lives. He is the shield against the clerical tendency to emphasize the doctrine in lien of an intellectual understanding of Islam. His gift of speeches clarifies, and then offers a definition that brings to consolation without causing alienation from our current civilization.
His good reputation which is current among the people, the renown of his eloquence which has spread on the surface of the earth, the products of his friendly pen which are consumed like sugar, and the scraps of his works which are hawked about like bills of exchange, can be ascribed to his "perfection". The most fascinating aspect of his entire life is that he completely believes in total dedication to Prophet's (P.B.U.H) Ummah.
He has delivered over 20,000 lectures in international conferences, universities and institutions all over the world on all types of issues which are available on DVDs, Video/Audio Cassettes and CDs. His lectures broadcast on many TV channels in Arabian and Western countries, too. As part of his vast struggle for equality for all, he has written over 400 books on all kinds of modern, religious, spiritual and secular issues in English, Urdu, and Arabic. His intellectual and social services to the welfare of mankind are globally recognized. He and his organization are great sources for inter-sect and interfaith peace, harmony and unity.
His style of speeches touches base of everything with the religion Islam to keep the dialogue culturally anchored. He is master of the analyses of feelings of human inter-relations of passions between the sexes; he reconciles materialism with a life of the spirit and offers solace even to those whose life has little meaning beyond the pursuit of wealth.
Finally, I would like to quote few words of Professor Sheikh Iftikhar Ahmad for Shaikh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri: "A glimpse into the personal life of the Professor is quite consistent with the practice of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) and it is not intended as an exercise in self-display. Its main purpose is to warn people not to suffer from any misunderstanding on account of ignorance of facts and to serve as a source of inspiration for all those who are actively engaged in the struggle for preserving their faith". Besides, every aspect of his life really looks like an open book so that people are thoroughly familiar with the inside and outside of his personality and evaluate his contribution in a broader and more catholic perspective. He is definitely our PERFECT MAN.
All those civilizations which have renounced faith as a unifying force have yet to discover new principles to construe the disintegrated vision of modern man. Ironically the Muslim world where Din-e-Islam is still believed, at least, in theory, to be a wellspring of all moral and legal codes, finds itself in the grips of an even more intensive schizophrenia. Ours is a confused situation: a cauldron wherein radically different chefs are simultaneously jockeying to get their favorite dishes cooked, unmindful of the fact how heterogeneous the broth will ultimately turn out.
This onslaught on our consciousness is infinitely many: religious, political, cultural, and educational. The traditionalist with a strong dose of medievalism in blood, the politician with his eternal hunger for power and above all, the Shylock clamoring for his pound flesh, leave no room for the rotting humanity to lift itself above the subsistence level and meditate on the fundamental issues of human existence.
Undoubtedly, for centuries, Sufism has remained popular in the East for its in-built humanism and equally congenital rebellion against the out-war line of the jurist. Working as a unifying force through spiritual influences, Sufis fashioned the moral behavior and attitudes of the multitudes who thronged their hospices (Khanqahs). Thus, even if gnosis is not something real, through this it was a popularity - and hence a direct contact with masses, Sufis enjoyed penetrating insight into the psyche of people.
In the face of rapid urbanization and vastly expanding populations traditional hospices cannot possibly flourish. But here is a man, named Professor Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, who never sits like a saint among people. He is the most auspicious star on the shadowy and cloud-capped galaxy of the Islamic world whom God has blessed with knowledge, guidance and eloquence to steer the rocking world of Islam through the tempestuous billows of strife and dissension to put it back on the rollers to make it self-reliant and self-sustaining. It seems God has chosen him for a specific divine mission, which is of course the restoration of the pristine glory of Islam and the reawakening of Muslim from the slumber induced in them by Western morphia and their consequent derailing from the right track. His very presence is a source of consolation for the teeming millions who are the victims of all sorts of world-weariness and hallucinations.
As Sa'di remarks in his Gulistan, "Intellect without firmness is craft and chicanery; and firmness without intellect, perverseness and obstinacy", Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri possesses the same twin virtues of knowledge and integrity as integrity without knowledge for him is weak and useless, and knowledge for him without integrity is dangerous and dreadful. His curiosity is not motivated by a utilitarian interest but by a sense of genuine pride to extend the frontiers of knowledge and to illuminate the dark corners of the world with its luminous rays. He is internally organized; he does not drift as his inner discipline never lets him swerve from the path of righteousness. The direction of the mind is more important for him than its progress because he does not measure success; he applies his mind and does not let his intellect rest.
Shaikh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri is definitely an answer to the monopoly of the unlettered clergy over our lives. He is the shield against the clerical tendency to emphasize the doctrine in lien of an intellectual understanding of Islam. His gift of speeches clarifies, and then offers a definition that brings to consolation without causing alienation from our current civilization.
His good reputation which is current among the people, the renown of his eloquence which has spread on the surface of the earth, the products of his friendly pen which are consumed like sugar, and the scraps of his works which are hawked about like bills of exchange, can be ascribed to his "perfection". The most fascinating aspect of his entire life is that he completely believes in total dedication to Prophet's (P.B.U.H) Ummah.
He has delivered over 20,000 lectures in international conferences, universities and institutions all over the world on all types of issues which are available on DVDs, Video/Audio Cassettes and CDs. His lectures broadcast on many TV channels in Arabian and Western countries, too. As part of his vast struggle for equality for all, he has written over 400 books on all kinds of modern, religious, spiritual and secular issues in English, Urdu, and Arabic. His intellectual and social services to the welfare of mankind are globally recognized. He and his organization are great sources for inter-sect and interfaith peace, harmony and unity.
His style of speeches touches base of everything with the religion Islam to keep the dialogue culturally anchored. He is master of the analyses of feelings of human inter-relations of passions between the sexes; he reconciles materialism with a life of the spirit and offers solace even to those whose life has little meaning beyond the pursuit of wealth.
Finally, I would like to quote few words of Professor Sheikh Iftikhar Ahmad for Shaikh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri: "A glimpse into the personal life of the Professor is quite consistent with the practice of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) and it is not intended as an exercise in self-display. Its main purpose is to warn people not to suffer from any misunderstanding on account of ignorance of facts and to serve as a source of inspiration for all those who are actively engaged in the struggle for preserving their faith". Besides, every aspect of his life really looks like an open book so that people are thoroughly familiar with the inside and outside of his personality and evaluate his contribution in a broader and more catholic perspective. He is definitely our PERFECT MAN.
Muhammad Umer Mumtaz Rawalpindi, Pakistan Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Muhammad_Umer_Mumtaz |
