The light upon a light

There’s a proverb tells,

خَيْرُ جَلِيْسٍ فِى الزَّمَانِ كِتَابٌ

“khoiru jaliisin fizzamaani kitaabun”

Book is a good friend ever in a time

That would fit by me, remembering that my friends are taking a vacation with their lovely family. And me? Sitting here in front of you…

Last Friday, I read a book written by Pa’ Quraish entitled “Yang Tersembunyi” which is a gift from a friend. I’ve had it since May but I’ve just read the preface in September.

Can you imagine it?

Here’s the story,

For hard reading book, sometimes I didn’t read it as a whole but I read it based on the sub theme that I like or the content supported for some answers of a question that I have at the time. So, I already read it but I started it in random.

Today, I read chapter 5 and the next day, I read chapter 3. Actually, it’s not a good habit in reading activity. That’s why I can tell now that my hobby is getting a book, not reading a book.

In the preface, the book said about “The light upon a light”.

In the book stated that Imam Ghazali gave a description of it as a potential of human’s absorbing power. The potential itself is in phases.

The first phase is gained from the five senses, symbolized by a hole which is not pierce.

And the second phase is the light in the hole. The light is a mind that can get information from the sense.

Then, their combination, mind and sense produce meaning and ideas which are still unclear in the boundaries. The boundary is parable of a tube that covers the light. The tube will follow how the light formed.

Then, where does the light get the power to lit ?

It comes from the olive, got from a blessing tree. The tree is symbolized as God’s vision and inspiration, called as an intuition. There’s how God gives you His lead. It’s in phases.

While Pa Quraish reminds us truly not to stop in the first phase coz the information or vision we get from the sense could make a mistake or even trick us. For that, you can put out the light. So, you have to combine it with your mind.

But….. he also warned us not to stop on the second phase coz the information in mind could put out the light also.

Then… we have to find a good oil to keep the light lit.

He told us to pick special oil, that is God’s Vision.

If you can unite those potentials, mind, sense and intuition, then you’ll got the light upon the light. At the time there’s no hazy or blurred view on you, Insya Allah.

The question is…

How we can achieve God’s vision to keep the light in the tube ? There are some ways to achieve but in the end….

All things happen based on Allah’s will. I have not enough knowledge to describe “That Ways”. I just can say that the ways are lied on how great your effort to get close to Allah.

From the description, it realized me some points.

Everything which might be good according to eyes and mind, it doesn’t mean that it is good. Coz you have to reach Allah’s light to inform you that it is good for you. Here… there’s no doubtful for you to continue.

Everything that you plan might go not in the same way that you plan coz the plan itself is organized by mind and it hasn’t been interrupted by The Greatest Controller.

Everything that you understand might not be the true one and the only one coz the truth of what you think are still products of mind, His light would just make you understand that the only truth lies on His. You don’t have a right to make a statement that yours are the true one.

At last, I’d like close it with this bright words written by a friend

The light upon a light

Shining light has been there.

Passing over the boundaries of will

Coming and slipping into all base

Pointing a sign of the beginning of a life

Ya lahi… allow us to feel Your Light

The light that can shine

Ease us in doing Your command

Uniting a pure bond of Yours