Becoming Non-Eternal Through One’s Own Will
One of the deepest secrets of Sufism is that a person must experience a “spiritual death” by detaching themselves from their selfish desires, will, and passions before the physical body dies. Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani (q.s.) emphasizes that the path to true resurrection passes through this spiritual death (state of annihilation). When the servant dies to creation, to desire, and ultimately to their own will, they become worthy of the glad tidings: “May Allah have mercy on you and resurrect you with a life free from death.” This death is when a person inclines towards nothing but the Will of God, completely abandoning their illusory self.
Transitioning From the Station of Annihilation to the Station of Subsistence
The servant who sheds their own existence and vanishes in the Will of God (experiences annihilation) is subsequently resurrected to the station of “subsistence” (being with God). Shaykh Gilani describes this process, saying: “Pass beyond yourself, then Divine discernment will come to you, and you will attain subsistence.” The servant who abandons satisfying their own desires and worldly aspirations begins to be drawn by destiny, and Divine grace assists them. The Divine Will compels the servant to obey its own essence; the Most Noble and Exalted God elevates them to great heights. The actions of a servant in this station are not through their own will but entirely through the manifestation of God’s power and action.
The Reward of Abandoning Claims of Existence
A believer who surrenders their will to Allah becomes the most free person on earth and in heaven. They are endowed with a wealth without poverty, a generosity without deprivation, and knowledge without ignorance. That servant becomes a precious ruby (kibrît-i ahmer) that no eye has seen. Calamities are averted from the elite, the common folk, the flock, and all people thanks to them; they are elevated to the position of spiritual protector and leader of lands and servants. These distinguished servants, who die to their own will and are resurrected through the Will of God, are like the spiritual pillars of the earth.