by Jamal Badawi, Ph.D.

Gender Equity in Islam presents an overview of the status and rights of Muslim women as defined by the Qur'an and Sunnah. In this brief but important work, Dr. Jamal Badawi examines the spiritual, social, economic, and political aspects of women's position in Islam and, in doing so, effectively summarizes the role of women in Muslim society. Further, in explaining the sources that provide the foundations for Islam's stance on gender equity, the author discusses the role of Islamic scholars in their approach to women's issues.

Dr. Badawi is a well-respected author and scholar of Islam. I respect him highly and also recommend this book to muslims and non-muslims alike (i wish it was required reading :)) Dr. Badawi takes no profit from his books and tapes, and the cost of his books are basically the cost of printing. May we make duah for him and his family Ameen.

This book is reproduced here electronically with the permission of Dr. Badawi. - H.A.

Copyright 1995 Jamal Badawi
Published by American Trust Publications
Plainfield, Indiana.

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the desires (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well acquainted with all that you do. (Qur'an 4:135)

O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women--fear Allah, through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (that bore you): for Allah ever watches over you. (Qur'an 4:1)

The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His Mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise. (Qur'an 9:71)

by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood

How can anyone justify Islam's treatment of women, when it imprisons Afghans under blue shuttlecock burqas and makes Pakistani girls marry strangers against their will?

How can you respect a religion that forces women into polygamous marriages, mutilates their genitals, forbids them to drive cars and subjects them to the humiliation of "instant" divorce? In fact, none of these practices are Islamic at all.

Anyone wishing to understand Islam must first separate the religion from the cultural norms and style of a society. Female genital mutilation is still practised in certain pockets of Africa and Egypt, but viewed as an inconceivable horror by the vast majority of Muslims. Forced marriages may still take place in certain Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, but would be anathema to Muslim women from other backgrounds.

Indeed, Islam insists on the free consent of both bride and groom, so such marriages could even be deemed illegal under religious law.

A woman forbidden from driving a car in Riyadh will cheerfully take the wheel when abroad, confident that her country's bizarre law has nothing to do with Islam. Afghan women educated before the Taliban rule know that banning girls from school is forbidden in Islam, which encourages all Muslims to seek knowledge from cradle to grave, from every source possible.

The Koran is addressed to all Muslims, and for the most part it does not differentiate between male and female. Man and woman, it says, "were created of a single soul," and are moral equals in the sight of God. Women have the right to divorce, to inherit property, to conduct business and to have access to knowledge.

Since women are under all the same obligations and rules of conduct as the men, differences emerge most strongly when it comes to pregnancy, child-bearing and rearing, menstruation and, to a certain extent, clothing.

Some of the commands are alien to Western tradition. Requirements of ritual purity may seem to restrict a woman's access to religious life, but are viewed as concessions. During menstruation or postpartum bleeding, she may not pray the ritual salah or touch the Koran and she does not have to fast; nor does she need to fast while pregnant or nursing.

The veiling of Muslim women is a more complex issue. Certainly, the Koran requires them to behave and dress modestly - but these strictures apply equally to men. Only one verse refers to the veiling of women, stating that the Prophet's wives should be behind a hijab when his male guests converse with them.

Some modernists, however, claim that this does not apply to women in general, and that the language used does not carry the textual stipulation that makes a verse obligatory. In practice, most modern Muslim women appreciate attractive and graceful clothes, but avoid dressing provocatively.

What about polygamy, which the Koran endorses up to the limit of four wives per man? The Prophet, of course, lived at a time when continual warfare produced large numbers of widows, who were left with little or no provision for themselves and their children.

In these circumstances, polygamy was encouraged as an act of charity. Needless to say, the widows were not necessarily sexy young women, but usually mothers of up to six children, who came as part of the deal.

Polygamy is no longer common, for various good reasons. The Koran states that wives need to be treated fairly and equally - a difficult requirement even for a rich man. Moreover, if a husband wishes to take a second wife, he should not do so if the marriage will be to the detriment of the first.

Sexual intimacy outside marriage is forbidden in Islam, including sex before marriage, adultery or homosexual relationships. However, within marriage, sexual intimacy should be raised from the animal level to sadaqah (a form of worship) so that each considers the happiness and satisfaction of the other, rather than mere self-gratification.

Contrary to Christianity, Islam does not regard marriages as "made in heaven" or "till death do us part". They are contracts, with conditions. If either side breaks the conditions, divorce is not only allowed, but usually expected. Nevertheless, a hadith makes it clear that: "Of all the things God has allowed, divorce is the most disliked."

A Muslim has a genuine reason for divorce only if a spouse's behaviour goes against the sunnah of Islam - in other words, if he or she has become cruel, vindictive, abusive, unfaithful, neglectful, selfish, sexually abusive, tyrannical, perverted - and so on.

In good Islamic practice, before divorce can be contemplated, all possible efforts should be made to solve a couple's problems. After an intention to divorce is announced, there is a three-month period during which more attempts are made at reconciliation.

If, by the end of each month, the couple have resumed sexual intimacy, the divorce should not proceed. The three-month rule ensures that a woman cannot remarry until three menstrual cycles have passed - so, if she happens to be pregnant, the child will be supported and paternity will not be in dispute.

When Muslims die, strict laws govern the shares of property and money they may leave to others; daughters usually inherit less than sons, but this is because the men in a family are supposed to provide for the entire household.

Any money or property owned by women is theirs to keep, and they are not obliged to share it. Similarly, in marriage, a woman's salary is hers and cannot be appropriated by her husband unless she consents.

A good Muslim woman, for her part, should always be trustworthy and kind. She should strive to be cheerful and encouraging towards her husband and family, and keep their home free from anything harmful (haram covers all aspects of harm, including bad behaviour, abuse and forbidden foods).

Regardless of her skills or intelligence, she is expected to accept her man as the head of her household - she must, therefore, take care to marry a man she can respect, and whose wishes she can carry out with a clear conscience. However, when a man expects his wife to do anything contrary to the will of God - in other words, any nasty, selfish, dishonest or cruel action - she has the right to refuse him.

Her husband is not her master; a Muslim woman has only one Master, and that is God. If her husband does not represent God's will in the home, the marriage contract is broken.

What should one make of the verse in the Koran that allows a man to punish his wife physically? There are important provisos: he may do so only if her ill-will is wrecking the marriage - but then only after he has exhausted all attempts at verbal communication and tried sleeping in a separate bed.

However, the Prophet never hit a woman, child or old person, and was emphatic that those who did could hardly regard themselves as the best of Muslims. Moreover, he also stated that a man should never hit "one of God's handmaidens". Nor, it must be said, should wives beat their husbands or become inveterate nags.

Finally, there is the issue of giving witness. Although the Koran says nothing explicit, other Islamic sources suggest that a woman's testimony in court is worth only half of that of a man. This ruling, however, should be applied only in circumstances where a woman is uneducated and has led a very restricted life: a woman equally qualified to a man will carry the same weight as a witness.

So, does Islam oppress women?

While the spirit of Islam is clearly patriarchal, it regards men and women as moral equals. Moreover, although a man is technically the head of the household, Islam encourages matriarchy in the home.

Women may not be equal in the manner defined by Western feminists, but their core differences from men are acknowledged, and they have rights of their own that do not apply to men

http://members.aol.com/Ruqaiyyah

Question Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Reprinted from SunniPath.com


Question: Several people I know are confused on the topic of salat ul- Istikhara. Is it meant to be prayed several days in a row until a decision is made, or only once? Is it meant to be prayed after one has pretty much made up their mind, or when someone hasn't really figured out what to do? Are their various valid opinions?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum,

When one is not clear about the result of the istikhara, the fuqaha mention that it is recommend to repeat it, up to seven times if necessary (usually done on separate occasions). [cf: Radd al-Muhtar]

Getting a Dream?

It is not necessary that you get a dream or even a "feeling." Rather, the istikhara is a prayer that Allah guide you towards that which is best (khayr) for you. If you do the prayer of guidance (istikhara) with the proper manners, the most important of which is to truly consign the matter to Allah and suspend your own inclinations, then Allah will make events unfold in the direction that is the best for your worldly and next-worldly affairs.

In general, when it is not possible to perform the istikhara prayer itself (such as when one is out on the road, or in one's menstrual period), it is recommended to simply read the dua itself. [Radd al-Muhtar]

The istikhara prayer may be made for a specific matter or be made for a general seeking of all that is best. Some scholars, including Imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha`rani and Ibn `Arafah before him saw this kind of (specific) istikhara prayer as being superior.

Others, including Shaykh Ibn al-Arabi, recommended performing a general istikhara prayer for all that is good every day, ideally at the time of the Duha prayer (after sunrise).

Before Istikhara Prayer

Imam al-Nawawi mentioned that before the istikhara prayer, one should seek advice (istishara) from those whose knowledge, wisdom, and concern one is confident.

Ibn Hajar al-Haytami and others mentioned that one of the benefits of this is to further distance oneself from the desires of one's own egotistic inclinations.

Opening the Prayer

It is recommended to open the dua of istikhara [below], with praise of Allah and sending blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), and to close it in this manner, too.

Like other duas, it is recommended that one face the qibla. It is disliked to 'hasten' in seeking the answer to one's istikhara, just like other duas, because the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, "Your prayers are answered, unless you hasten, saying, 'I prayed, but no answer came.'"

One should be pleased with what Allah chooses for one, and not seek to follow one's whims after the answer to one's supplication becomes clear.

Question Two:

There is a pious lady in our community who has offered to pray istikhara for me to help me make a decision for marriage.... [ .... ] my question to you is if you know if this idea of relying on someone else's istikhara is a good idea and compatible with the teachings of Islam on how to make dua and decisions. Should I follow her advice (according to her dreams and feelings) to me on this issue or not?

Answer:

This is one means you can take: to seek the istikhara of a pious person. The permissibility of this was mentioned explicitly by the Malikis and Shafi`is. The Hanafis do not appear to have discussed this issue [al-Mawsu`a al-Fiqhhiyya, Kuwait], but there is nothing in it that would indicate its impermissibility. Rather, it is merely the taking of a means, which is permitted as long as one knows that the one who gives and takes, benefits and harms is Allah alone.

In such cases, though, one should not leave doing the istikhara oneself...

Salat al-Istikhara

CONCERNING THE RITUAL PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE IN CHOOSING THE BEST OPTION [SALAT AL-ISTIKHARA], AND THE PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION [DU'A'] APPROPRIATE TO IT.

According to a traditional report transmitted on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, it was Jabir ibn 'Abdi'llah (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father) who said:

"Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to teach us how to seek guidance in choosing the best option available in a practical enterprise [al-istikhara fi 'l-amr], just as he would sometimes teach us a Chapter [Sura] from the Qur'an.:

"'If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, or about making plans for a journey, he should perform two cycles of ritual prayer [rak'atain], not as an obligatory observance [farida], but voluntarily. Then he should say:

'"O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.

(Allahumma inni astakhiru-ka bi-'ilmi-ka wa astaqdiru-ka bi-qudrati-ka wa as'alu-ka min fadli-ka 'l-'azim fa-inna-ka taqdiru wa la aqdiru wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu wa Anta 'Allamu 'l-ghuyub):

O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is in the best interests of my religion, my life in this world, and my life in the Hereafter, and can yield successful results in both the short term and the long term, then make it possible for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it.

(Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha 'l-amra khairun li fi dini wa dunyaya wa akhirati wa 'aqibati amri wa 'ajili-hi wa ajili-h :fa-'qdir-hu li wa yassir-hu li thumma barik li fi-h):

If not, then turn it away from me, and make it easy for me to do well, wherever I may happen to be, and make me content with Your verdict, O Most Merciful of the merciful.'"

(wa illa fa-'srif-hu 'an-ni wa yassir liya 'l-khaira haithu kana ma kuntu wa raddi-ni bi-qada'i-ka ya Arhama 'r-rahimin)."

The information presented here is copyright of Al-Baz Publishing, Inc. and may not be reproduced by any means for distribution or commercial gain.

Copyright holder grants to reader license to print single copy for personal use or study only.

http://www.al-baz.com/shaikhabdalqadir/Books_and_Text_of_Wisdom/Special_Prayers/ Salat_al-Istikhara/salat_al-istikhara.html

The South African Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal collected this:
The Etiquette of Du'â

These etiquettes are narrated in the Hadith. For reasons of brevity, only the following summary and reference of each Hadith is mentioned instead of the entire Hadith.

* To abstain from haraam food, clothing and earnings. (Muslim : Tirmidhi)
* To make Duaa with sincerity. In other words, one should firmly believe that nobody but Allah Ta'aala will fulfill his objectives. (Haakim)
* One should perform a good deed prior to making the Duaa & he should mention this during the course of the Duaa. For e.g. He should say, O Allah! I had performed so & so deed solely for Your pleasure. O Allah! accept my Duaa due to the barkat of that deed. (Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud).
* To make Duaa whilst one is paak & clean. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Nasai, Ibn Hibbaan, Mustadrak).
* To make wudhu before the Duaa (All six major hadith collections)
* To face the Qiblah (All six major hadith collections)
* To sit as in the Tashahhud position (Abu Awanah)
* To praise Allah Ta'aala at the beginning as well as at the end of Duaa (All six major hadith collections)
* To convey Durood upon Rasulullah (pbuh) at the beginning as well as the end. (Abu Dawud, Musnade-Ahmad)
* To spread out both the hands. (Tirmidhi, Mustadrak)
* To raise both the hands up to the shoulders (Abu Dawud, Musnade-Ahmad)
* To sit with humility and respect. (Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
* To mention ones helplessness and dependence. (Tirmidhi)
* To abstain from raising the eyes towards the sky whilst making Duaa (Muslim)
* To mention the Asmaal-Husnaa (the names of Allah Ta'aala ) and the sublime qualities of Allah Ta'aala. (Ibn Hibbaan and Mustadrak)
* To abstain from ceremonies rhyming of the Duaa phrases (Bukhari)
* To abstain from saying the Duaa in a "sing-song" tone if the Duaa is in a poetic form (Hisn)
* To make the Duaa in a soft voice (All six major hadith collections on the authority if Abu Musa)
* To utter the Duaa phrases transcribed from Rasulullah Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam because Rasulullah Didn't leave out a single need of the Deen nor of the dunya whilst teaching us how to make Duaa (Abu Dawud/Nasai)
* To make a Duaa that encompasses most of the needs of Deen and the dunya. (Abu Dawud)
* To make Duaa in favour of oneself first, thereafter ones parents and to include the other Muslims in the Duaa as well (Muslims)
* If the Imam is making Duaa, he should not make Duaa for himself only but he should Include all the congregants in the Duaa (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
* Abu Dawud (R.A.) Narrates that Rasulullah Said that the Imam who makes Duaa for himself only, has betrayed the people." In other words, the Imam should not Make a Duaa that is restricted to him alone. For e.g. He should not say, "O Allah! cure my son." or "O Allah! Return my lost item." etc. but he should make a Duaa that includes all the congregation for e.g. He may say "O Allah! Forgive us and have mercy upon us."
* To make Duaa with firm conviction (for e.g. he should not say: "O Allah! If you wish fulfil so and so task of mine." (All six major hadith collections)
* To make Duaa with enthusiasm & yearning. (Ibn Hibbn & Abu Awana).
* As far as possible endeavour to bring about a "presence of heart and mind" and cherish a high hope of the Duaa being accepted. (Haakim)
* To make Duaa repeatedly. (Bukhari, Muslim)
* This repetition should be at least thrice (Abu Dawud)
* Note One may repeat the Duaa thrice in one sitting or he may repeat it on three different occasions. The "repetition of the Duaa" can be interpreted in both ways."
* To make Duaa earnestly and insistently. (Nasai, Hakim, Abu awanah)
* To abstain from making Duaa of severing family ties or other sins. (Muslim, Tirmidhi)
* Avoid making Duaas of pre-determined and fixed things (for e.g. woman should not make a duaa of being transformed into a man or a tall person shouldn't make Duaa thus: "O Allah! Make me short." etc) (Nasai).Don't Make Duaa for impossible things. (Bukhari)
* Don't make a Duaa in which you ask Allah Ta'aala to confine His mercy to yourself only (Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Nasai, Ibn Majah)
* Ask only Allah Ta'aala alone for all your needs. Do not depend upon His creation. (Tirmidhi/Ibn Hibbaan)
* The one making the Duaa as well as the person listening to it, both should say 'Aameen' at the end. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasai)
* Rub both hands over the face at the termination of the Duaa (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibbaan, Majah, Hakim)
* Don't be impatient over the acceptance of Duaas. In other words, don't say: "I've made Duaa repeatedly but to no avail." (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasai, Ibn Majah)

Wassalam,

Faraz Rabbani.

by Lex Hixon Nur al-Jerrahi

One does not have to consult ancient textbooks to discover the perennial teachings of Sufism. This esoteric map of consciousness was transmitted with accuracy and clarity in a spiritual dream granted by Allah through the blessings of Pir Nureddin Jerrahi to a Mexican girl of twelve. . . . In my role as guide, I have listened to thousands of profound dreams during the last eleven years. This one is among the most astonishing. A young girl, with the simple natural imagery appropriate to her own psyche, accurately pictured the most sophisticated esoteric teaching of Islamic mysticism. . . .

Rahima dreamed that she was guided by someone she did not recognize through a large house with seven floors. The ground floor was dirt. There were absolutely no signs of human habitation or refinement. The place was not even kept clean. The second floor was an extremely simple dwelling—bare wooden floor, bed, chair, table. It was kept clean and was attractive in its modest way. The third floor was a very comfortable home, according to modern standards. There were carpets, radio, television, refrigerator, and so forth.

When Rahima was taken to the fourth floor, the fourth level of consciousness, she was amazed to find a brilliant palace—marble floors, high ceilings, large gilded mirrors, beautiful antique furniture, precious ancient vases, and other works of art. At this point in the recounting of the dream, I began to realize that certain mysteries of the spiritual path, which remained vague to me, were about to be displayed in simple, dramatic imagery. All who were present entered into a mild state of ecstasy, a gift of the fourth level. Rahima continued speaking, calmly and confidently, without any self-consciousness.

When the dreamer was guided to the fifth floor, she encountered total darkness, filled with a deep, rumbling music that she, as a twelve-year-old, found rather unsettling. When taken to the sixth floor, she found an empty candlelit space where a circle of dervishes, wearing white and kneeling on sheepskins, were engaged in the ancient ceremony of Divine Remembrance.

Arriving at the seventh floor, Rahima entered a brilliant, sunlit room, illuminated through large skylights and filled with lush green plants. No person was present, nor were there indications of human habitation. The golden light and the dark green of the leaves created a joyful, expansive feeling. Suddenly, one of the plants reached toward her with a long creeper, wrapped around her waist, and gently threw her out an open window. She fell with equal gentleness to the earth below, landing on her feet.

Almost as an afterthought, Rahima mentioned that her guide took her back through the same sevenfold structure several times, so that she was perfectly clear about the various levels. Each time, she was thrown out the window again. I asked her how many times she ascended these floors. She thought carefully for a moment, then replied definitively, "Four times."

The interpretation of this dream can be extensive. I offered a seminar in Mexico City on the seven levels of consciousness, during which I spoke about this dream for several hours.

The first level is the domineering self, basis for the aggressiveness, territoriality, and violent urge for survival that seriously threaten the coherence of our personhood, our society, and our planet. There is nothing intrinsically human here. There is no possibility for hospitality. There is not even the cleanliness that is essential for human dignity. Although most human beings experience disconcerting flashes of this domineering ego, very few persons remain focused on this level. Only war criminals and other enemies of humanity could be said to live primarily on this first level of consciousness. Nevertheless there is nothing intrinsically evil about this first level. It provides a biological ground floor for human reality. Through this consciousness, the lungs breathe and the heart beats.

The second floor in the dream represents the critical or inquiring self. Most of humanity is focused on this level, where basic human refinements are beginning to appear. This dream imagery has nothing to do with social standing or affluence. There are persons living in presidential palaces who are occupying the dirt floor of the first level of consciousness, as well as persons living in thatched huts who are enjoying the glorious palace of the fourth level of consciousness.

The evolutionary efforts carried on by this second level of the self constitute the critique of the domineering ego, the critique of selfish impulses. The search is carried on here for truly human and humane values, for disciplined and fruitful ways of life. There are many dimensions within this second level of consciousness. They are all essentially positive, honorable, and evolutionary, unless they remain dominated by the first level, obviously or subtly.

The third floor of this structure of consciousness is the fulfillment of our humanity. Human potential is here unfolded harmoniously. Perhaps the majority of human beings reach upper regions of the second level, but only excellent persons of good will become established on the third level. Her ethical and religious ideals are in full flower. This level of development, or awakening to our true nature, is the real basis for civilization—religion, education, art, science. Sincere seekers on the second level receive certain glimpses of the third levels, but where one's awareness remains primarily focused is what counts for evolutionary development. In Sufi parlance, the third level is the fulfilled or satisfied self.

One could reasonably inquire, how can there be levels higher than this fulfillment of human aspiration to an excellent, civilized existence? The four higher levels are the fruition of the mystic path of return. They are not, strictly speaking, part of human potential and human effort. They are the manifestation of Divine Reality through our human reality.

One usually must reach the third level of consciousness to receive authentic initiation into a mystic Order, or one may be lifted by Divine Grace, through this initiation, into the fourth level. When one reaches the fourth level, Divine Attributes begin to manifest directly and adorn the human being. This is symbolized in Rahima's dream as rare works of craftsmanship and art. These manifestations are not, however, works of human hands, nor are they brought about by human efforts. The transition to the fourth level usually occurs after physical death in the realm of Paradise consciousness. Only genuine mystics can generate enough spiritual intensity to enter this and higher levels during earthly experience. Once again, we recognize that gifted persons on the third level, or even on the second level, may receive glorious intimations of the fourth level of consciousness, but to be established there is an entirely different order of existence. Not even all the members of a mystical Order become established on the fourth level, which in traditional Sufi parlance is the tranquil self.

The fifth level is that of mystic union, where no finite modes of thought or perception operate, hence the symbol of total darkness. The thunderous music in the dream represents the Divine Resonance, from which universes are taking shape and into which finite existence disappears again. This was the only floor in the dream structure that caused Rahima nervousness and concern, since this radiant blackness is so far from our ordinary level of experience. In Sufi parlance, the fifth level is the peaceful self. . . .

The final two levels of consciousness are an expression of marifa, the astonishing dimension of spiritual manifestation that lies beyond mystical union. On the fifth level, there is only Truth and its resonance. On the sixth level, creation appears once more, not through beautiful Divine Manifestations, as on the fourth level, but as the mystic crown, the sublime human form, symbolized by the circle of dervishes. One surprising piece of good news brought by Rahima's dream is the confirmation that the ancient ceremony of dhikr [Divine Remembrance], traditionally conducted by candlelight, actually affords the blessed dervishes in the circle a glimpse of the sixth level, although most of them may not even have become established on the fourth level. In the sacrament of dhikr, essential Divine Energies descend through the hearts and even through the physical bodies of the dervishes. Divine Reality becomes visible and experienceable as the human reality. In Sufi terminology, the sixth level is the complete self.

The enigmatic seventh level of consciousness is a realm of brightness, clarity, subtle humor. The human form has been transcended, even as a mode of pure Divine Expression. Thus the seventh level resembles the fifth level in its absence of human reference. Yet here the imagery of light and luxurious growth replaces the imagery of mystic darkness. The human person of Rahima was not permitted to remain but was removed instantly in a playful, humorous manner. My Shaikh, Muzaffer Ashqi, used to comment simply, "On the seventh level of consciousness, if you imagine that you exist, it is idolatry." By the dynamic golden greenness of Supreme Reality, all possibility of the idolatrous perception of duality is tossed out the window. . . . Green is also the chosen color of the beloved Messenger of Allah. In Sufi parlance, the seventh level is the pure self.

Rahima was taken through this symbolic dream structure four times, indicating that she, although only twelve years old, was already in communion with the fourth level of consciousness. As she grows older, she will have to practice spiritual discipline and experience intense yearning to become fully established on the fourth level and to progress further. This dream is itself one of those rare works of Divine Art that manifested in the palatial fourth floor of her dream.