The Ignorance of Those Who Do Not Recognize Value
In Islamic belief, the greatest blindness a person can have is not having eyes that cannot see, but rather having the eye of the heart (basiret) completely closed to the truth. Those who object to divine commands due to pride and self-importance, those who place their limited minds before absolute wisdom, are actually betraying their own souls. The pitiable situation of these heedless people is expressed in the Makâmât-ı Şâh-ı Nakşibend work as follows: “How can deniers know its value / They do not know that sharia is faith.” Just as the existence of the sun means nothing to a bat squinting at it; but failing to appreciate the worth of the sun does not diminish its magnificence, it only causes the bat to remain in darkness.
Sharia Is Not Just Rules, But Faith
Many people see the commands and prohibitions of religion (sharia) merely as a social legal system or restrictive rules from the past. However, the truth emphasized in this exalted work is: “They do not know that sharia is faith!” Sharia is itself faith. Believing that a command comes from Allah and submitting to it without any doubt is the sole proof of how deeply faith has taken root in the heart. A person whose faith is only on their tongue but denies or takes lightly Allah’s commands in action is uprooting the seed of faith in their own heart.
Sincerity and Submission Within Obedience
Imam Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him) says that a person’s acts of worship should not only be done out of fear or expectation of paradise, but because it is the command of Allah, due to the love felt for Him. This is precisely what deniers fail to recognize: the “pleasure of obedience” inherent in those divine commands. Crushing one’s ego and being able to say, “Your command be upon my head, O Lord!” creates immense expansion (inshirah) and peace in the heart. The disbeliever is deprived of the psychological and spiritual tranquility that comes with this obedience; they are always tossed about in the storms of their desires, whispers, and worldly concerns.
Clinging to the True Guide
If a person, on the verge of drowning in a stormy sea, rejects the solid rope (guidance) extended to them by saying, “I do not need this rope,” their end will be disaster. The couplet “Having sent you for guidance / Avoiding the blessed host is sharia” reminds us that divine laws are like lifebuoys sent to save us from those dark seas. No matter how alluring the paths of deniers may seem, their ends are loss. The wise believer is the one who clings tightly to this divine guide, blocks out the whispers of deniers, and takes steps always in the light of the Quran and Sunnah.