‘AWÂM - عوام

 

A class of community that does not have profound knowledge. An unlettered person. In tasawwuf, one who could not reach complete haqiqah and not learn the profound haqiqahs of Tawhîd.

There are differences between the ‘awâm of an Islamic community and the ‘awâm of a fitnah community. For in the Islamic community, most of the conversations are about religion and the âkhirah, the understanding of goodness and badness is according to the laws of the Sharî’ah and community inculcates virtues like the sense of responsibility and religious zeal. For example, concerning the abode of Islam that is the Islamic community:

In the land of Islam, however, the environment teaches the concise meaning of those sacred words to the Muslims through the language of being. The conversations of Muslims about Islamic traditions and history, all the Shaâ’er of Islam and the pillars of Islam, constantly instil the concise meanings of those sacred words to the people of îmân. Even the gravestones in the graveyards of this country, aside from its places of ‘ibâdah and madrasas, serve as reminders and teachers, instilling and reminding those sacred meanings for the people of îmân.

 The Twenty-Ninth Letter/Seventh Section

As a comparison of the Islamic community and the community of fitnah:

Just as different merchandise is sought after in the marketplace according to the seasons, different merchandise becomes popular from time to time. So too, in the exhibition of ‘âlam, the market of the social life and civilisation of mankind, in every age, different commodities become popular and gain currency. They are displayed in the market of that age, and attention is drawn to them, gazes turn towards them, and minds are drawn to them.

For example, at this time the demand for commodities of politics, securing worldly life and philosophy... And, in the age of Salaf as-Sâlihîn, and in the market of that era, the most sought-after commodity was to deduce from His Word the wishes of Al-Khâliq of the samâwât and the earth from mankind and the things with which He will be pleased, and to obtain the means to gain eternal happiness in the ‘âlam of âkhirah, which was opened to an unclosable degree by the nûr of nubuwwah and the Qur'an.

Thus, at that time, since minds, hearts and rûhs were turned with all their strength towards understanding the things with which Rabb of the samâwât and the earth will be pleased, the conversations, discussions, events and circumstances of the social life of mankind all focused on these aims. Since these were occurring in accordance with those aims, whoever had a good disposition, his heart and fitrah unconsciously were receiving a lesson of ma’rifat from everything. He was learning from the circumstances, events and conversations that were taking place at that time. It is as if everything was becoming a teacher for him, instilling in his fitrah and his disposition a prepared and trained disposition for making ijtihad. This fitrî lesson was illuminating and firm to such an extent that he was acquiring the ability to make ijtihad without effort and acquiring nûr without fire... Thus, when a capable person who received this kind of fitrî lesson began working to make ijtihad, his disposition, which was like a match, became the place of manifestation for the mystery of

‌نُورٌ عَلٰى نُورٍ1 ;

he became a mujtahid instantly for a short time.

… at this time, due to the domination of European civilisation and the hegemony of natural philosophy and the conditions of worldly life becoming heavy, minds and hearts have become scattered, and endeavour and attention divided. Minds have become strangers to the ma’nawî matters.

The Twenty-Seventh Word-The Third

(Please also refer to the compilation on Shaâ'er.)