The Paramount Need for Higher Spiritual Education

Mi’raj means a ladder or a series of steps or stairs, or the occasion of Holy Prophet’s vision of the Divine light in the higher world. Let us study upon the higher dimensions of Mi’raj by studying the following questions:
 

1. What is the meaning of the word “Sûr”?
   “Let us first analyse the word “Sûr” literally. The root of the word is “s-w-r” and its derivatives are: sara yasiru sawran, meaning “to call”, “to cause to incline”, “to cut”, “to separate”; as-sûr, trumpet, bugle …” (Source: Psalms of Lovers, p. 31)
    
2. What is the function of “Sûr-i Israfil”?
   “… Hazrat Israfil, who is the custodian of the Sûr, is (an angel) to wake people up, both today and tomorrow (36:52).” (Source: Healing Through Knowledge, p. 24).
    
3. What is the function of “Sûr-i Israfil” from a ma’rifat point of view?
   “According to the people of ma’rifat, to conceive as-sur as a trumpet or bugle is nothing more than a veil, for the reality is that through the angel Jadd (72:3), it is the soul-seizing and soul-giving melody of Divine love, i.e., it is a living, unique, unprecedented luminous flute, which for the friend of God, has the effect of fana’ fillah (annihilation in God) and baqa’ billah (survival in God). In the above examples you have seen that among the meaning of the word “sûr” are “to call (= da’wat-i-haqq)”, “to cause to incline (= to make humble)”, as well as “to cut (= to slaughter)”. The slaughtering, however is not with the usual knife, but with a dagger of Divine love. With it, Hazrat Ibrahim slaughtered his beloved son Hazrat Isma’il in the path of God. Otherwise, the appellation Dhabihi’llah (Sacrifice for God) does not have any real meaning.” (Source: Psalms of Lovers, p. 31-32). 
    

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