Sulam Nurul Muttashil Chapter V: Obstacles to Ma'rifah - Unraveling Veils

Sulam Nurul Muttashil Chapter V: Obstacles to Ma'rifah - Unraveling Veils and Spiritual Accidents

CHAPTER V

سُلَّمُ النُّورِ الْمُتَّصِلِ

SULAM NURUL MUTTASHIL

The Ladder of Connected Light

Chapter V: Obstacles to Ma'rifah

Unraveling Veils and Spiritual Accidents

ATTENTION: It is recommended to read Chapters I-IV first to understand the foundational concepts of the soul's journey, the spectrum of light, the method, and the stages of wushul in Sulam Nurul Muttashil.

"Many people climb mountains only to boast about their feet, not to admire the peak.

So do not make your Shalawat and Dhikr a mirror to see how great your inner self is,
but make them a broom to sweep away the dust of 'I' that covers your vision."

Foreword

The distance between you and your Lord is not an expanse of earth to be traversed by foot, but a pile of ego dust that must be swept from the mirror of the heart. How ironic, a servant drowning in the middle of an ocean, yet dying of thirst because he closes his mouth with presumption.

Introduction: The Paradox of Closeness

وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ

"And We are closer to him than his jugular vein."

Source: Surah Qaf (50):16

Meaning: The closeness of God is absolute, yet human consciousness is often veiled by barriers (hijab) that he himself creates—frequency fog resulting from wrong actions and thoughts.

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1. Wrong Intention: Spirituality as a Tool to Satisfy Desires

Many travelers seek inner comfort, not the Creator. This is a form of hidden shirk. When trials come, they blame God, whereas their original goal was not Wushul (arrival to God), but the satisfaction of desire.

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَىٰ

"Verily, deeds are judged by intentions, and every person will get what they intended."

Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari: 1; Sahih Muslim: 1907

أَنَا أَغْنَى الشُّرَكَاءِ عَنِ الشِّرْكِ مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا أَشْرَكَ فِيهِ مَعِي غَيْرِي تَرَكْتُهُ وَشِرْكَهُ

"I (Allah) am the most self-sufficient of all partners. Whoever performs a deed in which he associates others with Me (including spiritual desires), I abandon him with his association."

Source: Sahih Muslim: 2985

Meaning: Intention determines the direction of the spiritual journey; without sincere intention, ma'rifah becomes futile.

2. The Prison of Authority and the Death of Spiritual Independence

Ma'rifah requires spiritual independence. Absolute dependence on a teacher/guide (murshid) kills the potential of light within. The guide is only a signpost, not a substitute for a personal relationship with Allah.

وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَتْ تَزَاوَرُ عَنْ كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَتْ تَقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِي فَجْوَةٍ مِنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ ۗ مَنْ يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُرْشِدًا

"And you might see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were in its open space. That is of the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the rightly guided; but he whom He leaves astray—never will you find for him a protecting guide (waliyyan murshidan)."

Source: Surah Al-Kahfi (18):17

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ اللَّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا عِبَادًا لِي مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ

"It is not for a human that Allah should give him the Scripture, wisdom, and prophethood, and then he would say to the people, 'Be servants to me rather than Allah.'"

Source: Surah Ali Imran (3):79

Meaning: Independence to receive guidance directly from Allah is the main goal. The teacher is a means (wasilah), not a substitute for personal effort.

3. The Chains of Dogma Without Evidence and Superstition

Another obstacle is doctrine without foundation in evidence. Example: "Whoever studies ma'rifah without a teacher, their teacher is Satan." Fact: There is no authentic evidence for this. Satan has no power over a heart that honestly cries out to Allah. Learning ma'rifah requires broad knowledge, inner guidance (Lubb), and experience from books and nature, not blind imitation.

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ

"And fear Allah, and Allah will teach you."

Source: Surah Al-Baqarah (2):282

This verse is a legitimacy for Ladunni Knowledge (Divine Inner Knowledge). It proves that inner teaching can come directly from Allah through the path of taqwa, not only through human transmission.

4. Paralysis of Striving (Mujahadah) - Lack of Sincerity

Ma'rifah requires real struggle (Mujahadah). Without sincerity in istighfar, consistency in shalawat, and devotion to parents, the gates of heaven remain closed.

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا

"And those who strive in Our way, We will surely guide them to Our paths."

Source: Surah Al-Ankabut (29):69

Meaning: Mujahadah is the key to opening the door of Wushul. Without sincerity, the journey of light becomes bland.

5. Spiritual Intoxication (Sakratul Ma'rifah / Jadzab): The Accident of the Intellect in Light

The phenomenon of Jadzab is often misunderstood as a high spiritual station, whereas it is a spiritual accident. It occurs when the intellect is forced to see high light without preparation.

وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ

"And do not throw yourselves into destruction."

Source: Surah Al-Baqarah (2):195

Meaning: An unprepared intellect can become "unstable" in the frequency of light, losing balance between body and spirit. A true saint remains clear-minded in the ocean of light.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ

"O you who believe! Do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying."

Source: Surah An-Nisa (4):43

In an esoteric sense, "intoxication" (sukara) can be interpreted as losing consciousness of the intellect due to uncontrolled frequency. Allah commands His servants to "know what they are saying" (ta'lamu ma taqulun).

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Clarification of Direction: Straightness of Intention, Method, and Journey

All the obstacles to ma'rifah outlined in this chapter essentially stem from one common root: inconsistency between intention, method, and journey. When these three are not in a straight line, the light that should guide turns into a trial.

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ

"And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion."

Source: Surah Al-Bayyinah (98):5

The meaning of this verse affirms that intention is the foundation, not just the opening of deeds. In the journey of ma'rifah, intention not only determines the validity of actions, but also determines where the soul is directed. An intention that shifts—even slightly—will give birth to a subtle but dangerous veil (hijab).

A straight intention is an intention to return to Allah, not to:

seek spiritual experiences,
pursue inner feelings,
collect spiritual stations,
or prove one's own specialness.

As for the method, it is a means (wasilah), not a goal. When the method is treated as a technique, a method, or a tool to force unveiling, then that method itself turns into a veil. Shalawat, dhikr, contemplation, and striving are not tools to "see," but paths to be seen by Allah's mercy.

إِنَّ هَذَا الدِّينَ يُسْرٌ

"Indeed, this religion is easy."

Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari: 39; Sahih Muslim: 2816

Its meaning: the spiritual path is not built on forcing the intellect and inner ambition, but on harmony with fitrah (primordial nature). The right method always gives birth to adab (etiquette), tranquility, and balance between body, intellect, and soul.

As for the journey, it is a long process that demands consistency. Many travelers go astray not because of a wrong intention at the beginning, but because they enjoy the journey as the goal. When inspiration, feeling, or inner guidance begins to be held as the main support, the soul slowly stops walking and begins to "tell stories" to the intellect to be enjoyed, not to be directed back to Allah.

وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الْمُنْتَهَىٰ

"And that to your Lord is the final return (the end of all journeys)."

Source: Surah An-Najm (53):42

This verse is the closure of all spiritual journeys: not feeling, not light, not unveiling that becomes the end, but Allah alone. Everything other than Him is only a signpost, not a place to stop.

By straightening the intention, keeping the method as a means, and undergoing the journey without clinging to experiences, a seeker will avoid:

subtle shirk in intention,
dependence on authority,
dogma without evidence,
paralysis of striving,
and the accident of the intellect in light (jadzab).

Conclusion of Chapter V

Understanding these obstacles is the first step in dismantling the veils (hijab) within oneself. Ma'rifah requires:

Honesty of intention
Independence of the soul
Health of the intellect

Whoever breaks free from the snares of dogma and inner illusion finds that the God they sought never left them for a single moment.

"One drop of water of consistency that pierces the stone of the ego is more beloved to Allah than a flood of spiritual emotion that overflows yet quickly recedes."

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رَشْحَةُ الْبَابِ الْخَامِسِ

THE ESSENCE OF THE FIFTH CHAPTER

The distance between you and your Lord is not a space to be traversed,
but a veil to be torn.
And that veil is the ego that envelops the heart,
thickening the barrier between you and the All-Near.

The obstacles to ma'rifah stem from one source: inconsistency of intention, method, and journey.
An intention that shifts even a handspan gives birth to subtle shirk that ruins the goal.
A method treated as a technique turns into a veil that separates.
A journey enjoyed as a goal makes feelings and inspiration into new idols.

Straighten your intention: only to return to Allah, not to seek experiences.
Keep the method as a means: shalawat and dhikr are brooms, not mirrors.
Undergo the journey with consistency: do not fixate on inspiration, keep walking.

Beware of five snares that trap travelers:
Subtle shirk in intention disguised as spirituality;
Dependence on authority that kills spiritual independence;
Dogma without evidence that chains the intellect in blind imitation;
Paralysis of striving that leaves the gates of heaven closed;
The accident of the intellect in light (jadzab) that disturbs balance.

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Truly, God was never far.
What is far is only your consciousness veiled by ego.
So sweep the dust of 'I' from the mirror of the heart,
and you will see He has long been waiting,
closer than your own jugular vein.

"One drop of water of consistency that pierces the stone of the ego,
is more beloved to Allah than a flood of spiritual emotion that overflows yet quickly recedes."

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