The Meaning of Spiritual Death and Abandoning the Ego
One of the most fundamental principles in Sufi path is the secret of “die before you die,” which signifies not the demise of the body, but the annihilation of egoistic desires and bad character traits. Abdülkadir Geylani (q.s.) describes spiritual death as follows: “Destroy obedience to the nafs, eliminate bad deeds. When there are commands from God, do not rush to obey the orders of people… Do not expect or desire anything from anyone other than God. Be silent before His decree. If you do these things, you will be considered dead. Know that this is true life.” This is a genuine station of fanā (annihilation). For select servants (havas), death means erasing all creation from the heart and completely relinquishing personal preferences and wills. The person who reaches this level, even though they move around with their body in the world, is spiritually present in God’s presence and acts according to His will.
Overcoming Fear of Physical Death
Most people fear the grave and the angel of death. However, for a believer who has spiritually died and attached his heart to God, physical death is merely a short sleep, a momentary pause 25, 26. Because for him, true death occurs when he deviates from remembering God. When bodily death comes, the veil of paradise and the blessings of the afterlife opens for the faithful, thus lessening the torments of death. Geylani (q.s.) advises, “Find spiritual death before the soul leaves the body. Kill your evil with patience; oppose your nafs,” thereby announcing that a divine resurrection will come as a result of this difficult struggle. The person who dies naturally has detached themselves from worldly things; the grave for him is itself the path to God, the very essence of union.
Resurrection: Finding Life with God
To the servant who has stripped himself of his own existence, will, and desires (spiritually dead), God grants an eternal and infinite life 25, 30. This resurrection is a feeling of divine nearness. When the person of gnosis finds this state, worldly sorrows, losses, or gains no longer affect him. As Sayyid Ahmed er-Rifai said, “If they had known what death is, they would know that death is the true life for people.” In short, becoming blind and deaf to material desires, whims, and everything other than God (masiva) allows the heart to beat only with the remembrance of God. Those who attain this exalted station are in constant conversation and contentment with their Lord spiritually while living physically in the world.