Ma’rifat - Ma’rifatullah

معرفة - معرفة الله

 

Literally: Ma’rifat is knowledge. Information. A branch of knowledge or science. Skill. Talent.

As an Islamic term Ma’rifat or Ma’rifatullah means comprehending and knowing the existence, unity, attributes, Names of The Creator, and hikmahs and purposes of His creation through learning the lessons and teachings of the Qur’an. To know the purposes and aims of Allah that are seen in beings and events within the whole universe. To attain basîrah and the unfolding of the heart as a favour of Allah through tafakkur and learning the haqiqahs of the Qur’an and Allah’s works of art in the universe. The opposite of Ma’rifat is denying, which is inkâr.

 

Know certainly that the highest aim of creation and the most elevated result of fitrah are îmân in Allah. The most exalted degree of humanity and the greatest rank of mankind are ma’rifatullah within îmân in Allah. The most brilliant happiness and the sweetest ni’mah of jinn and man are the love of Allah within the ma’rifatullah. And the most sincere joy for the rûh of man and the purest delight for the heart of man are the pleasure of the rûh within the love of Allah. Yes, all true happiness, sincere joy, sweet ni’mah and pure pleasure are most certainly in ma’rifatullah and the love of Allah. They cannot exist without them. The one who knows and loves Janâb-i Haqq is the place of manifestation of endless happiness, ni’mahs, nûr and mysteries potentially or actually. The one who does not truly know and love Him is ma’nawî and materially subjected to infinite misery, pain and wahm. If an impotent and poor man, in this forlorn world, among the desolate mankind, in a fruitless life without an owner or protector, even becomes the sultân of the whole world, it would be worthless. Thus, everyone understands how wretched and bewildered the man is if he does not know his protector and find his owner among the desolate mankind, in this forlorn transient world. If he finds his protector and knows his owner, then, he may seek refuge in His rahmah and rely on His qoudrah. The dreadful world turns into a place of recreation and pleasure, it becomes a place of trade.

The Twentieth Letter

 

It means that man came to this ‘âlam to be perfected by means of ‘ilm and du'â. Everything is tied to ‘ilm regarding their essence and disposition, and the foundation, source, nûr and rûh of all true ‘ilm is ma’rifatullah, and its fundamental foundation is îmân in Allah.

The Twenty-Third Word - Fourth Point

(Please refer to 26th Letter-Second Matter, Compilations on Allah Jalla Jalâluhû)