Time Relevance In Spiritual Terms.
What is "Time"? Hallaj said, "A man’s "time" is an oyster shell in the ocean of his bosom.Tomorrow these shells shall be thrown down and shattered on the plain of Resurrection." There is a Hadith Qudsi in which Allah the Sublime says: Do not curse "Time" for I am Time. "Time" following Aquinas and Eckhart is the "spreading of the mode of being" where "existence is identical in being". Shah Nematollah Vali explains this as, " Know that time cannot be contained in place. In origin it consequently belongs to beings,and the Master of Time, is One Being among all beings. According to the capacity of the containers, God manifests Himself in the determined forms of possible beings, appearing in a variety of ways, according to the potential of each capacity." For Ibn 'Arabî relative time, together with motion and space, is illusory and dependent on the question "when?". Whereas the real time represented by "spiritual entities" is co-existent with God. Subtle dimensions of time have been described by Mulla Sadra, al-Kashânî and Sadruddin Konevî who identify the aeon (dahr) as the "root of time", it being the eternal time within which the totality of relative time (zaman) exists. Waqt (the concrete "now" as opposed to the zaman (the continual relative flow of time from past to future). The waqt is the state you are in - either with God or with the world, joyful or sad. As Sahl al-Tostârî said; "Sufism is nothing but the silence of the waqt." It is the changing state of the waqt in the heart that brings the Sufi to the station of "son of time" (ibn al-waqt) and to the state which is free of change - the "father of time" ('ab al-waqt). Ibn 'Arabî saw waqt flowing from the past (the remembered now) to the future (the projected now) and ended by quoting Rumi: "The past and future hides God from all eyes. Put them on fire and all problems are solved".The Holy Qur'an contains two suras, the names of which are related to time: sura 76 (al-Dehr) and sura 103 (al-Asr). Sura 76 is alternatively named as Insan (Man), significantly pointing to the connection between time and man. The Qur'anic vocabulary for time is rather large. It includes:'Asr ("time through ages", "afternoon time"), mentioned in aya: "By (the Token of) Time (asr)" (103:1).Dahr ("continuum of time"), mentioned in 76:1,Waqt ("fixed moments of time"), mentioned in 15:37-38: "(Allah) said: 'Respite is granted thee (Iblis)- till the Day of the Time appointed (waym al-waqt-al ma'lum).'" Other derivatives from the same root are also used such as mawqut ("fixed times") in 4:103 and miqat ("appointed time") in 7:142, 143 and 155.Hin (" at the time when", "a while", "season"), such as in aya "…On earth will be your dwelling place and your means for livelihood-for a time (hin)"(2:36).Yawm ("a day", "a period"), the first meaning of which could be found in the description of the Last Day, Resurrection and Judgement (34:30, 28:41, 37:20, 1:4 etc.). The second meaning of this word could be found in the description of the creation of heavens and earth (7:54, 25:59, 11:7). Sa'a ("hour", "Hour", "time"). First meaning of sa'a was used, for instance, in the Qur'anic warning: "To every people is a term appointed (ajal): when their term is reached, not an hour (sa'a) can they cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance (it in anticipation)" (7:34). The second meaning of this word was used in the description of the Last Day and the Day of Judgement: "On the Day that the Hour (sa'a) will be established, the guilty will be struck dumb with despair"(30:12).Mudda ("a period", "a term"), mentioned in aya "…So fulfil your engagements with them to the end of their term (muddatihim)…"(9: 4).Amad ("term", "space in time") is used in the following description of the Day of Judgement: "On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done, and all the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance (amada) between it and its evil"(3:30).Huqub-ahqab ("a long time", "many years"), mentioned in the aya: "They will dwell therein for ages (ahqaba)" (78: 23).Al-an ("now", "present time"), mentioned in aya: "Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until Death faces one of them, and he says: "Now (al-an) have I repented indeed …" (4:18).Sarmad ("perpetual time"), mentioned in aya: "Say: See ye: If Allah were to make the Day perpetual (saramada) over you to the Day of Judgement, what good is there other than Allah who can give you a night in which ye can rest. Will ye not than see?" (28:72).Ajal ("a term", "limited duration"), used in aya: "To every people is a term (ajal)" (7:34) The Holy Qur'an indicates that there are different kinds of time and emphasizes on a kind of time which is significant for man - time which is measured by the movement of the sun and moon. This time is important for ibadat, discharge of human duties, protection of his rights and organization and function of human society. The classification of Time varies according to different scholars but generally speaking it can be divided into two kinds. They are (1) this - worldly time and (2) metaphysical time.This - worldly time (al-zaman al-dunyawi), also known as particular time or physical time, is time measured by movement of heavenly bodies (planets and stars). Man's life is measured by this kind of time, most of ibadat is related to it and accountability on the Day of Judgement will be based on it. The Qur'an emphasizes this type of time. For man, this time is divided into past, present and future. The Qur'an advises man to learn from past, live fully in present and have hope for future (4: 123).Within this - worldly time there is a phenomenon of personal experience of time. This phenomenon some scholars call "psychological time" (al-zaman al-nafsi) and some call it "the expansion of time" or "the existential time". These terms refer to a phenomenon whereby experience of time varies from person to person: in danger a minute could be experienced to last like a year; in happiness a year could seem like a minute. Indications to this phenomenon or this type of time could be found in many Qur'anic ayats such as 9: 118.In contrast to this - worldly time is metaphysical time (al-zaman al-ghaybi). This type of time is one which existed before the creation of heavens and earth and which will exist after their end. Alternatively it is referred to in literature as "pre-creational time", "eschatological time" and "Divine time". This time particularly includes: time of the creation of Throne (Arsh) and water (al-zaman al-arshi), periods of the creation of earth and heavens (zaman al-khalq al-samawat wa'l-ard) time of Ascent of Angels and the Spirit (zaman al-uruj) and time of Hereafter (zaman al-akhira).Man does not possess the ability to measure this kind of time. Its measurement is different from this - worldly time. "The Angels and Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day the measure where of is (as) fifty thousand years" (70:4). "He rules (all) affairs from the heavens to the earth: in the end will (all affairs) go up to Him, on a Day the space whereof will be (as) a thousand years of your reckoning" (32: 5).
The Surah Al-Asr is a short surah in which Allah swears by "Time". "W’al Asr!", Allah declares by the truth of time that man is in danger of losing. Mankind is being warned against the depreciation set into motion by time. But right after the warning comes the reassurance for those who believe, do good, call towards the Truth and encourage patience. In worldly terms we lose time when our accomplishments run behind the ticking of the clock, and we gain time by doing the maximum at the earliest in a given moment. This measure of time is based on a profit and loss mechanism of the material/commercial world. Success is weighed in material achievement and accomplishment. Loss in material loss and destruction. In spiritual terms the concept of losing and gaining time is totally different to the material understanding. In Sufic understanding , time or waqt which is spent in the absence of self, void of ego-consciousness, is considered gain and profit, whereas time spent with the involvement of self, is considered waste and loss. Time spent in selfless service and devotion to Truth takes us into the dimension of spiritual existence which is free of the constraint of planetary time. Whereas engagement in the material, devoid of spiritual realization, secures us more within the prison of determinate temporality. The three qualities that Surah Al-Asr enumerates as the attributes that would make man victorious with regard to time are, faith, virtue and patience. All these qualities may be attained only with the surrender of the self. In order to have faith or proper iman we have to look beyond the self and fix our vision on That Which is the Source of the self. Virtue may only be practiced when man comprehends the reality of Truth, Oneness and Being. When we see the inner and the outer as one, ourselves and the others as one, the whole universe as nothing but a reflection of Allah’s Infinite Being then can we do other than good? Against whom would we be contesting? Patience is something that we practice very well with ourselves but when it comes to others , we run out of it very fast. Why is it so? It is because we are so in love with ourselves that we fail to be irked by our own tardiness or stubbornness. In the case of our dealings with everything that we consider separate from us we do not have the patience to allow it the time to unfold and manifest according to its best innate potential. We in our limited, individuated point of view are intolerant of everything alien to our ego-self. Actual loss of time and deprivation set on by it is because of our misuse of it due to our wrong attitude, focus and concentration and not by its passing. Let every moment become an opportunity for us to gain an advantage over the passing time, which like Hallaj said, "is an oyster shell" waiting to be shattered and cast open on the plain of resurrection. By being resurrected in life by relinquishing personal will to Divine Will, the pearl of the human soul would find release from the shell of time, and become "Ab’ul Waqt" , as one who has time at his command because of the wisdom that he exercises in employing it in his true interest. And the true interest of man lies in establishing within his being the three qualities that rule over time: faith, virtue and patience. Spiritual Exercise: Faith, Virtue and Patience or Iman, Ihsan and Sabr are the three qualities we must contemplate if we want to be victorious over time. The month of Ramadan is a special time for practicing all these three qualities. Ya Momin, Ya Mohsin , Ya Saboor. Let your being be permeated and irradiated by the strength and beauty of these Divine attributes. Recite into the heart Ya Momin, Ya Mohsin and Ya Saboor 11 times morning and evening. Experience these qualities taking root and blossoming in the fertile soil of your hearts, Inshallah. May the Holy month of Ramadan bring Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness down upon us and may our hearts become radiant with His Infinite Nur.
Amat-un-nur.