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Jung believed that Individuism was used in tribal society as a way for the shaman to
transcend the shaman sickness and attain special gifts of the psyche as the wounded
healer. Through doing this he would be able to contribute to the collective after
returning from his hero’s journey. The maturation process was assisted by ritual and
Archetypal self
“The Archetypal self was seen originally by Jung as the totality of consciousness &
& giving meaning to the psyche. The self is the centre point of the psyche, the origin
of the psychic development & goal of wholeness. And its totality cannot be fathomed
by the ego. The goal of individuation as a process is that the archetypal self evokes
images and fullness of potential and unites the personality as a whole. The unifying
principle of the whole is the archetypal self which has the psychic life and in the
process of individuation, much like the idea of the “spirit of a God like quality”. The
by images. Those images are Symbols of self, Symbols with extra ordinary
nominosity, as if before a God image, images of God around the world, which are
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of the polytheistic pantheon as perceived b y the Hindu’s as “Brahma” and the Malays
as Batara Guru. The same situation exist with the Germanic Polytheist who view this
“Powerful “Being” as Odin the granter of “Wunsche” (Wishes, desires, and victory)
Odin was also believed to grant “Megan” or Semangat, spiritual energies capable of
giving victory and success in all things. This common perception that the elementals
of the “Godhead” can grant all things is explained psychologically by Jung1. The two
layers are: The personal unconscious and the collective unconscious The
collective unconscious is were the archetypes are to be found, according to Jung they
are “potential” constructs of the collective unconscious which manifest by the will of
the individual who wills them into existence through the concept of the “Psychoid”. It
is exactly this “Psychoid which, shape matter in nature and produce what the ancients
perceived as theurgy2.
In order to produce the “Psychoid” or spirit, the Malay and Germanic magic
users needed as times to summon up their faith and energies through the use of
symbolism. It is this use of symbolism which most directly affected the Malay social
world via the use of magic or “Psychoid” manipulation.3 However the psyche is
1
The idea of the collective unconscious is introduced and its role in the process of transference in
psychotherapy is discussed. Guidance for the existence of the collective unconscious is found in ancient
myths and primitive religions. Robert Mayer's discovery of the conservation of energy is presented as
evidence of the workings of the transpersonal unconscious, and of the manner in which the archetypes
or primordial images may contribute, at times, to our intellectual advancement. On the other hand, the
harmful effects of introjection and projection are also pointed out. The transition between the two
stages of life, instinctual and cultural, is examined in terms of Heraclitus' psychological law of
enantiodromia or the force of opposites. Calrle Gustove Jung, A study in the process of individuation.
Collected Works of Carle Gustove Jung, v. 7: The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious: Two
Essays on Analytical Psychology), 64-79.
2
Another aspect of modern physics brings us back to the meaning of intelligence and conscientiousness
themselves. The study of a particle like the electron means to relate, in a much more direct manner than
in classical physics, the intelligence of the agent which knows to that which is known. ....mans
conscientiousness must be seen even in physics as an integral part of that reality which the physicist
seeks to study, to the existent that Eurgene Wigne, one of the founders of quantum mechanics, calls
conscientiousness the first absolute reality and outward reality secondary reality. Nasr, Seyyed
Hossein.. Knowledge and the Sacred. (The Gifford Lectures, Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981),
115.
3
“In his early work, Jung was convinced that the archetypes are “Psychoid” , that is, “they shape matter
111
viewed in Islam as only a part of the soul and it should be understood that in
presenting this aspect of the soul we are not negating the other aspect. However due to
the limited space in this paper we will have to summarize by advocating the position
presented in brief below and that it is equally applicable to the Malay and all peoples
of the world.4
Dr. Jung’s view of a higher state of thought was drawn from his views of Samadhi
and Mosksha, ideas pioneered by Buddhism and Hinduism come close to Sufism in
their interpretation of the Sufi concept of annihilating the destructive elements of the
nafs which spring from the animal nature or as Jung calls them the ego. When the ego
become subservient to the true self as Jung calls it the perfected state occurs. This is
of course in the Sufi view a pre-gnosis state missing only the specific views of
monotheism5.
rise to a number of questions. First of all if one can achieve this state through Jung’s
method a problem arises in that Islam believes that one can only arrive at salvation
through monotheism due to the fact, that, shirk or attributing the mode of deliverance
(nature) as well as the mind (psyche). Houston smith, Forgotten Truth: the common vision of the
world's religions,(San Francisco, Calif. : HarperSanFrancisco, repr 1992, 1976), 40.
4
Thus the psyche (the inner senses) is just one part of a larger totality of the feminine principle of the
soul, incorporating the outer senses, which moves on the mystic… Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of
the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 20.
5
The church dream which followed represents the attempt to seek refuge from this fear in the shelter of
a church religion. The third dream, in speaking of the “transformation of animals into human beings,”
obviously continues the them of the first one, that is, the ape is reconstructed merely for the purpose of
being transformed later into a human being….the man two thousand years ago would have rejoiced in
the hope of a magical rebirth and renewal of life. But our modern attitude looks back proudly upon the
mist of superstition and of medieval or primitive credulity and entirely forgets that it carries the whole
living past in lower stories of the sky-scraper of rational consciousness. Jung, Carl Gustov. Psychology
and Religion, (Yale University Press, Binghamton. New York, 1966, 1st printing 1938), 40-41.
112
to any other source rather than Allah is association something with him; which under
the concept of Tawhid is impossible, since there does not exist in Tawhid and
disconnectedness between man and Allah. However, if a person could actually achieve
such a state through Jung’s method, the state of true self would make the distinctions
in religion and in dogma irrelevant due to the fact that it would no longer be relevant
to distinguish between dogmas of various religions and therefore only the oneness of
The debate whether this is possible continues around the world. However, here
we are more concerned with the fact that Jung’s method gives us a strong
psychological method through which to judge the experience of dreams, the true self,
and the archetypes we associate with our traditions via the subconscious mind and
collective subconscious. As has been illustrated in the sections found above and in this
thesis we see that the archetypes of both the Bumi and the Irmani have indeed gone
through the process of taping into the spiritual energies which Jung believed to have
been drawn from the psyche78 via symbolism that formed Mandalas from the
6
They forgot their promise, they forgot their source, their way home….But people who remembered
Him, who turned toward Him, people who wished to return to their divine origin, people who arrived at
their origin, became fewer and fewer with time….the two must become one. Truth cannot be attained
only through the tangable knowledge of the senses, of the material universe. ….True worship
necessitates both religion and wisdom. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great
Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul
Majeed & co publishing, 1994), p.7-9
7
In his early work, Jung was convinced that the archetypes are “Psychoid” , that is, “they shape matter
(nature) as well as the mind (psyche). Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames
and Hudson, London, 1976), p . 20.
8
Descriptions, interpretations and examples of the manifestation of the spirit archetype in the form of
an animal are presented. The assumption of animal form is seen as significant in that it shows the
psychic contents in question to be beyond human consciousness, in the sense of the
superhuman/demoniac or the subhuman/bestial. Thus in many fairytales helpful animals appear with a
knowledge superior to man's, or wicked ones with superior power. A detailed analysis of one fairytale
demonstrates the functioning of the animal figure in terms of its relationships with other archetypal
symbols such as wholeness and polarity, and the privileged number of the quaternity. The implication
for psychology of triad and quaternity symbolism is discussed in terms of the four functions of
consciousness, three of which are susceptible to differentiation, while one remains connected to the
unconscious and inaccessible to the will. The complex relationships among these functions and their
striving toward wholeness are seen to correspond admirably to the structure of the fairytale in question;
this correspondence is seen as natural, given that fairytales as a whole are unusually naive and
113
collective unconscious and projected into the world. The traditional tribesmen called
them “spirits” or “Dewa”, “Alfar” etcetera, and Jung called them archetypes, the Sufis
call them Jinn, angels, Divine essence and many others, categories in accordance to
their usage by Tawhid or Allah. And so then, having found that they exist under many
names and are in fact metaphysical in nature, it becomes clear that we may refer to
them generally speaking by the term “Energies”9 10. These energies affect the Body of
humans, animals, and all life on earth, each has a give amount and variety of energy
and that energy interacts with other energies in a variety of ways. The manner in
which these energies interact with the human body, mind, heart, and soul however is
the primary focus of this section. Because the body, mind, heart and soul of humans
the healing process and the role of all ritual specialists mentioned in this thesis. The
role of the Dokun’s important in several ways. First, the manner in which he treats the
body, the mind, and heart in other words, the human soul. The manner in which he
treats contains connotations as to the origins of his energy, the level of its potency and
uncontrived products of the psyche. Carle Gustove Jung, Collected Works of C.G. Jung, The
phenomenology of the spirit in fairytales. IV. Theriomorphic spirit symbolism in fairytales. Gerhard
Adler, R. F.C. Hull, Collected Works of C.G. Jung Vol.9 Part 1: The Archetypes and the Collective
Unconscious , C. G. Jung, Books 230-242.
9
Thaumaturgy (from the Greek words θαῦμα thaûma, stem thaumat-, meaning "miracle" or "marvel"
and ἔργον érgon, meaning "work") is the capability of a saint or magician to work miracles. It is
sometimes translated into English as Wonderworker....The English name for a practitioner,
thaumaturge, implied in the adjective thaumaturgical (recorded in 1621), derives from thaumaturgus,
the Latinized form of the Greek word thaumatourgos, meaning wonder-worker.the name was ascribed
to a number of Christian saints. .... [including] Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea, also known as Saint
Gregory Thaumaturgus, Saint Nicholas of Myra [santa clause] , and Saint Andrew Corsini (1302-1373.
In medieval times, miraculous powers such as healing were ascribed to persons (as well as things)
....The word was first anglicized and used in the magical sense in John Dee's book Mathematicall
Praeface to Euclid's Elements (1570), about an "art mathematical" called "thaumaturgy... Thaumaturgy
<www. Wikipedia.com>
10
Extraordinary things proceed to the realm of nature due to three principles. The first is the above-
mentioned psychical dispositions. The second is the properties of terrestrial bodies, such as properties
of the magnet to attract iron by means of a force that belongs to the magnet. And the third is the relation
between the celestial powers and the mixtures of terrestrial bodies that are specifically disposed to a
certain position.....Magic is of the first kind. Prodigies, miracles worked by saints, and incantations are
of the second kind. Ismail bursevi transl., Fusus al-Hikam by Muhyiddin Ibn arabi(Kegan Paul
International, New York, NY, 1996), 106-107.
114
the stance he takes as far as religion or spiritualism is concerned. Secondly we see that
number one directly affects how he interacts with the community and whether or not
the community accepts his healing arts; three, the different ways in which the skills he
employs by using these energies and how they affect the body, mind, heart, and soul.
While a treatment may assist the body and mind, what effect do they have on the soul?
And while one remedy may assist the healing of the mind, does it adversely affect the
soul? Here we arrive at the pinnacle of this debate, which is of course “what” role
does “religion” play in the transference of energies from one point in Tawhid to the
tell you the usage is completely un-acceptable, this was obviously not the case among
the Irmani and Bumi for the first 400 years of their development from animist to
part in the spirituality of both cultures. Point in case, both Amish of Germanic descent
and Malay of today make use of the art of Talismana for protection from “evil
spirits”, both make use of herbs for healing, both employ monotheist mystics for all
However both are extremely monotheistic. How can this be if the conservatives are
correct? First of all the dogmatist have a distorted view of spirituality, this includes
those who are celibate and live in monasteries, but also extends to those who seem to
think that they can hide behind the reality of sacred scripture to institute their own
11
Rather than contemplating the infinite the endless mirrors of the world of creation that reflect the
divine attributes and qualities, man turns to the material world….with the result that it transforms the
order of nature into chaos and ugliness we observe so painfully today…spiritual creativity is
replaced….this misdirecting of yearning of the soul for the infinite to the material world…change the
direction of the arrow of progress….only traditional religions, with their roots sunk in the divine and
their means of directing the soul to its ultimate goal, that can provide a real cure for t illusion of a
centerless soul seeking the infinite in the multiplicity of nature… Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Religion and
the Order of Nature. (Oxford University press, 1996), 270.
115
views of sacred laws and force the rest of us to live in a world ruled by fear rather than
reason, this is not the way in which a profession should approach the study of
Therefore let us end once and for all that argument that interacting with nature
and fertility is a woman; women are not Haram and the human body is not Haram.
While many exstreemist and misguided supposedly “religious people” around the
world seem to believe that outer appearances equal iman, they are wrong. Therefore,
the attack upon cultures that respect both females and nature is nothing more than the
symptom of this neurosis and their own individual lack of understanding of the tenets
of their own religion1314. It should be noted here that Sufism as a branch of Islam as
well as Islamic science both see the creative spirit of existence as a feminine principle,
12
An old man stands at the door…. The old man at the door tells me [about those who enter]…. when
they leave they are pure.’ …Religion is not a tax, which thou payest in order to get ride of the woman’s
image, for this image is indisputable. Woe to those who use religion as a substitute for the other side of
the souls life…Religion is no substitute, but it is the ultimate accomplishment added to every other
activity of the soul…the dreamer is inclines to use religion as a substitute for the “image of the
woman,” …the “woman” refers to the anima. …. the anima is the “other side,” as I explained
before…..You try religion in order to escape from your unconscious. You use it as a substitute for a
part of your souls life. but religion is the fruit and the culmination of the completeness of life, that is, of
a life which contains both sides…Being like that meant a neurosis for this man, and it means the same
for a great man other people. Jung, Carl Gustov. Psychology and Religion, (Yale University Press,
Binghamton. New York, 1966, 1st printing 1938), 42-52.
13
This religion [of Islam] is very easy, and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not
be able to continue in his way. So you should not be exstreemist,...(Al-Bukhari)….My Whenever
Allah’s messenger was given the opportunity to choose between two things, he would always choose
the easyer and the more convenient things (Al-Bukhari)….My followers [i.e. Muslims] are excused for
[unintentional] erro, forgetfulness and that which they have been forced to do against their will. (at-
Tabarani) al-Arabi Abu Hamzah Abu Hamzah;edited by Abdul Rahman Abdullah (42:13). A Glimpse
at the Beauty of Islam, Darussalam,(Riyadh : Darussalam, 1999), 4.
14
…Our signs came to them, that should have opened their eyes, they said: “this is sorcery
manifest!” And they rejected those signs in inquity and arrogance, though their souls were convinced
thereof: so see what was the end of those who acted corruptly! The Holy Qur’an, Abdulah yusuf Ali,
27:13-14.
116
not a masculine one and that the two complement each other in a similar manner to the
way it is mention here by Jung15. When we examine this relationship in the Jungian
method we will discover that the view of synchronicity and the others mentioned
provide solid proofs of the irrationality of removing these arts from the scientific
study of the natural realm and of humanity. Next we will turn our attention to
examining how Jung’s views on this can be taken by people who accept the existence
of the Natural and Sublime realm existing in metaphysical balance as a reality related
Jung’s view of the cosmology of the oriental mind can be seen in two examples
that of Yoga and that of the I-Ch’ing. The example of the I-Ch’ing and Yoga can be
examination of the relationship between the natural realm, the realm of the mind, and
physics began when Jung, Albert Einstein and Wolfgang Pauli all came together in
cooperation. Jung attended several lectures by Einstein and then met him for quit
some time to discuss the relationship between physics, metaphysics and psychology.
The meetings were very productive and Jung set out to formulate new theories with
the help of Wolfgang Pauli. The result was the law of Synchronicity as presented in
15
The soul, the feminine principle of the reflective moon within, is united with Spirit or Intellect,
the masculine principle of the sun within….then the ‘desire’, which sought knowledge, becomes
known. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976),
18.
16
Aspects of this argument are an abridgment of the views of J.J. Clark in the book Jung and eastern
thought, other thought are my own and are freely combined into the section you see here.
17
…one which breaks down absolute barriers between entities and between space and time, but also
between observer and observed …between mind and matter…in other words…a Holistic concept of
being. J.J. Clarke, Jung and eastern thought: a dialogue with the Orient, (London : Routledge, 1994),
98.
18
In a foreword to "Ostasien denkt Anders" (East Asia thinks otherwise) by Lily Abegg (1950),
differences between Eastern and Western psychology are discussed. Knowledge of Eastern psychology
is said to be a helpful basis for criticizing Western psychology and understanding Occidental
117
“meaningful coincidence”, however for our study it is much more precise as I will
related events. Jung’s example of the Egyptian scarab, which simply appeared outside
his office window during a session with a patient who only a moment before was
talking of an Egyptian scarab is a fine example. Many authors quote the event,
however what most western psychologist won’t tell you is that when Jung caught the
scarab and took it to the zoologist they couldn’t identify it. Then he took it to an
Egyptologist who was in wonder and gleeful happiness to see what he thought was an
extinct species of “Egyptian scarab”. Now let us ask ourselves a question “how does
an Egyptian scarab” fly all the way from Egypt to Europe and find its way to the
exact window of Jung at exactly the right time, or was it Coincidence? It would seem
Therefore we must postulate that there is some higher order at work in the events,
which took place. Dr. Jung saw them as “Synchronicity” controlled by the law of
nature and the workings of the psyche. This brought into being Jung’s conception of a
new view of reality in contrast with that of the “Modern “Scientific” view, and
challenged traditional physics. Jung drew from the new concepts of Einstein’s physics
complimentary form of events not in conflict with the casual principle but one, which
was complimentary.
prejudices. A parallel is noted between the Western unconscious psyche and the manifest psyche of the
East. Our Western unconscious has a demonstrable tendency to ward wholeness. In the East it is
consciousness that is characterized by an apperception of totality, whereas in the West a differentiated
and onesided awareness has developed. With it goes the Western concept of causality, as contrasted
with the Eastern one of synchronicity, which is said to be the key to understanding the Eastern
apperception. Psychology and religion. Herbert Reed, Michael Fordham, and Gerhard Adler (eds.);
William McGuire, exec. Edt., The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, , Foreword to Abegg: "East Asia
thinks otherwise." ("Ostasien denkt anders.") In: CW v. 18: The Symbolic Life: miscellaneous writings (
London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1953, Princeton, N.J. Princeton Univesity Press, 1967), 654-655
118
Schopenhauer, and Newton, he presented a new way of viewing reality which was in
balance with the old way of the Germanic tribesmen and yet was understood on a
mirroring the same views of natural law manifesting into the physical realm aspects of
the sublime realm. The unifying element in Jung’s examination into this subject was
the I-Ch’ing; the I-Ch’ing added an understanding of the organic unity of the physical
of nature that run parallel yet do not conflict. The oneness of the Tao as seen in the I-
Ch’ing and other esoteric aspects of eastern traditions shed light on the role of
and macrocosmic elements of reality are in balance and function together in the
reality however reflects the importance of the metaphysical aspects of reality, which
Only when one accepts Einstein’s theories on relativity and those of on quantum
physics and all of these when combined with other significant theories of examination
into the overlapping realms of physics and metaphysics, only then can modern science
come to grips with the totality of “true reality”. The downfall of modern science will
be if they refuse to accept the concept of “true reality”. This having been said we turn
to the examination into the relationship between the Runes and the I-Ching. Both the
Runes and the I-Ching are Oracles, which purport to have the ability to foretell the
future. There is no doubt that the use of fortune telling falls into the realm of practices
frowned upon by orthodox Islam; however there are other ways of seeing Oracles. For
119
example Jung saw the I-Ching as a unifying form, which gave philosophical order to
the Chinese form of cosmology. It should be noted here that the I-Ching is based upon
the magic square of the Chinese ancient oracle casting, that has its bases in the Aryan
runes of the Tocharian and Taklamakhanians of the western area of china, once
referred to as the Central Asian kingdom of Khourisan and is directly connected to the
Caucasian community of the conch Daria river area of east Turkistan. The same truth
120
CHAPTER FIVE
PSYCHOLOGY
The use of symbols in the ritual, protection, and daily life style of magic users from
the tribal to the polytheistic periods in development are roughly equivalent among all
peoples in the world. However in the case of the Germanic and Malay peoples there is
an even closer parallel in their use of symbols. This is attributed directly to the way of
perceiving symbolism as related to Nature and the elemental powers of spirits, which
reside in nature. In my view symbolism is not just nature, but also link to the divine
The above understanding was held by the tribal Malay, with the exception of not
19
It is through symbols that one is awakened; it is through symbols one is transformed; and it is
through symbols that one expresses…..Symbolism is perhaps the most sacred of Sufi sciences, for it is
through seeing symbols that one continues to remember, to invoke…..Symbols are vehicles of
transmission of divine realities, which transform us by carrying us to the higher states of being which
they originate. Known as a world unto them selves known as (‘alm-i-mithal), they are the place of
encounter between the world of archetypes or intelligible and the sensible, phenomenal
world…..“Everything in creation is a symbol: for everything perceived by the outer senses may be
conceived through the inner senses as a sign of a higher state of reality….the light is the knowledge of
illumination, which arises after the mystic has passed through the divine law, gained the knowledge of
certainty through knowledge of the doctrines of Sufism, seen through the inner meaning of practices
and rites with the eye of certainty, and reached the center …….the cosmic mountain, Qaf, refers to the
renewal of the world, the rejuvenation of the universe…the mountain symbolizes the infinite expanse of
the sky, the single and highest place in space. It is the source of the whole of the cosmos, and yet only a
point in the divine infinity. As one descends towards the lower states of being, the horizontal dimension
expands. …one is moving away from the centre. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest.
(Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 25-26).
121
understanding of Tawhid, which would be brought to the Malay via such scholars of
Islam as Hamzah Fansuri and others. The knowledge of Islamic scholars such as Ibn
Arabi, al-Jilani and others have their roots in Arab and Central Asian cultures which
natural realm. However the concept of a Omni present and all powerful God is not and
never has been the exclusive property of the Semitic intellect; an intellect whose
cosmological outlook was affected early in it’s development through interaction with
the Aryans. The belief in such a God as Omni Deus existed among the Aryans long
before they brought this God to the Semites of the Fertile Crescent area of the Middle
East in the dawn of the Proto-Elimites and Sumeria2021. The effects of both these
cultures and their cosmological outlook can be seen visibly in the adoption of Sufism
in its esoteric aspect and the compatibility of Sufism with their own cultural view of
cosmology, phenomenology and the natural realm. Due partly to this position and
view of nature, with the arrival of Sufism we see Sufism and in particular Islamic
It was the respect for nature as the Qur’an of creation, their understanding of
metaphysics, and the patience which Sufis displayed that made them a magnet to the
20
Aryan peoples first emerge from the gloom of prehistory on the northern border of the Fertal Crescent
of the ancient East. …To the east lived the elimites…and pssesed a high civilization of their own….Our
sources give us no indication of the precense of Aryans within their purview down to 2,000 BC…. But
by the middle of the II millinium we find Aryan princes installed within the fertile crescent. Gordin
child, The Aryans, ( Routledge, New York, NY, 1st printed 1926, 1996), 9-10.
21
Accepted by Gunter and Dumezil were by it comes from the Indo Aryan root uer “to Bind”….Their
supreme God “creator of the earth”….”the most high master”….add to the term turem the qualification
of “Great”, “Luminus”…”White”, …”Lord master my father”…light from on high, and so on. In
prayers and in written text the sky God is often called “father”…….he who makes the world fruitful.
….that is to say universal sovereign. …in the titles of God the notion of… commander, is clear….As
creator, knowing and seeing all, guardian of the law …ruler of the cosmos; ….The Summerian term for
divinity (Dingir was translated into Akkadian [Semitic] as ellu, “Bright, shinning”)….Eliade, trans.
Rosemary Sheed, patterns in comparative religion, (Sheed and Ward, 3rd ed. 1993), p.64-70.
122
Pre-Islamic Malays2223. Having already gained a foothold in Ache Indonesia and
Malacca, the Sufi mystics and scholars such as Hamzah Fansuri and al-Raini were
through its relationship to Allah as the divine essence and lord of all worlds. By using
ideas like man as the microcosm, the Organic Unity of the natural realms, the sublime
realm of the jinn and that angelic realm, the Sufis were able to amaze and give awe to
the stories they told of Sufi saints and greatly interest Malays in this wonderful new
understanding all worlds. The earliest form of worship among the Malay peoples was
that of panentheism not strict animism. Syncretism with early Bronze Age remnants
of the Neolithic panentheism, not animism but indeed an earth God form of Neolithic
panentheism. The above understanding was held by the tribal Malay, with the
Islamic scholars or Hakim who sent emissaries to Malaya. It was the respect for
nature as the Qur’an of creation, their understanding of metaphysics, and the patience,
which Sufis displayed, which made them a magnet to the Pre-Islamic Malays. By
using ideas like man as the microcosm, the Organic Unity of the natural realms, the
22
Sufism had already been well laid in Malacca as early as 1488 for we hear of the sultan himself
being a disciple of a mystic….Winstedt rightly acknowledges…the skill with which these Malays with
a vocabulary lacking in abstract terms were able to grasp and introduce Sufi mysticism to their world is
remarkable…in no other field has the Malay mind ever displayed such intellectual ability and subtlety.
Syed Naquib Al-Attas, Edited by Shirle Gordon. Some Aspects of Sufism, (Malaysian Socialogical
Research Institute LTD. Singapor, 1963), 21-24.
23
In return the Malay magician let Islam affect his pretensions and his technique. It led him often to try
to emulate the living Muslim saint, to whom folk resort for advice ….Originally to become a shaman he
had kept vigil beside an open grave or waited in the dark forest for the coming of a tiger familiar; he
would now sit fasting and shrouded to hear the prayers for the dead read over him and he would repeat
the name of Allah 5,000 times until hysteria brought nightmare visions of tiger or serpent to be
succeeded by visions of angels and saints instructing him in mystic knowledge. Sir Richard Olaf
Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The Malay Magician, Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of
Malay Magic, (Oxford University press, 1969), 72.
123
sublime realm of the jinn and that angelic realm, they were able to amaze and give
awe to the stories they told of Sufi saints and greatly interest Malays in this wonderful
new way of magic, which was in reality a fist look at the transcendence of magic to
Science, Islamic science, a Monotheistic form of understanding all worlds. Islam was
carried to Malaysia via Sufi scholars, as well as a small number of Indian and Arab
traders. These traders brought the Arab socio-cultural view of life, a view that is
intertwined with the Islamic faith. This Arab/Islamic view of life had strong moral
The following Is an examination into the ‘hero’s journey’ as described by Dr. Joseph
Campbell in comparison to the stations of development of the Sufi in the form of what
is generally referred to as the ‘path of Wilaya’2425. The states of the Sufi journey to
enlightenment or gnosis are comparable to the ‘hero’s journey’. The Khalwah will be
compared to the wizard in the western tradition and the Wali’s journey will be
24
The word tussually translated as “saint,” wali, means “someone who is under special protection,
friend”: it is the the attribute given by Shiites to ‘Ali, the wali of Allah par excellence….a wali is one
whos affairs are led …by God….The concept of wilaya developed during the early centuries of Sufism.
An authority of the early tenth century, …defined the saints as “those recognizable by the lovliness of
their speech, and fine manners, and submission, and generocity, showing little opposition, and
accepting the excuse of everyone who excuses themselves in front of them, and perfect mildness
towards all creatures, the good as well as the bad”…thus the ideal Sufi is called wali. The wilayat
‘amma, the “general saintship” commone to all the sincier faithful…, is usually distinguished from the
wilaya khassa, that of the advanced mystics, “who have become annihilated in God…. Annemarie
Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam, (University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975),
199.
25 Descibing the four pillars or rules in terms of how they are understood by the aspirant (murid) and the verifier (muhaqqiq), he speaks of them as spiritual state (hal) and a
spiritual statiopn (maqam) and a bearing of fruit in a particulare domain of spiritual knowledge (ma’rifa). ....True Governance (hukm) is the fruit of wisdom (hikma), and True
Knowledge (ilm) is the fruit of Gnosis (ma’rifa). Thus one who does not posses wisdom, has no true governance. while one who does not posses Gnosis has no true knowledge.
one who posseses true governance and knowledge (al hakim al-alim) belongs [utterly] to God firmly existent (lillah qa im) , were as one who posseses wisdom and Gnosis (al
hakim al arif) existe through God, halted (billah waqif). Those with true govenance and knowledge are the people of the latter [letter] lam, and those with wisdom and Gnosis are
the people of the [letter] ba.
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examine how the training of young adepts who become apprentices of the wizard and
Khalwah respectively is trained and how symbolism plays a major role in their
is a metaphorical ascension of the tree of life, this ascensions is one which begins long
before the ascetic leaves the society in which he is a member. It begins at childhood
and becomes a pre-ordained destiny picked for the ‘hero’, one which he has to decide
to accept or deny. Often a hero denies his destiny for many years until God test him
severely, hounding his mind body and spirit with unhappiness or emptiness, through a
deep seated need for answers; answers which the world cannot provide, springing
from emptinessof the soul, which only God can fill. God places the young man in a
position so very insane that he can either accept the challenge or be who he was born
to be or he can go insane. One of the best examples of this is the case of Oedipus who
was orphaned at a young age, lost everything, and went through a truly ‘rags to riches’
life. Through accepting the challenge of the ‘heroes journey’ in purely physical sense
and in the exterior form of consciousness though he denied the interior aspect of the
challenge; never truly understanding that he had been picked for a spiritual journey he
failed to see the metaphorical nature of his journey. This is seen metaphorically in his
physical blindness and failures in life which sprung from his inability to grow
internally and ultimately led to the total destruction of his life and the life of those he
loved. This was Oedipus’s ‘fall from grace. Oedipus’s story is a classic example of a
‘hero’s journey’ that did not end with ascension but rather with failure in life and
sorrow. Even in the end he could not escape his destiny, after all was lost, Oedipus’s
ego was utterly destroyed. The empirical life was lost to him completely, and he leaft
the social world in complete ruin becoming a blind ascetic beggar. The end of this
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story inferres that eventually, weather we like it or not, God will accept no
Sufism this is called the ‘gate’ or the ‘door’, it is the door through which all ascetics
and mystics must pass through before they can ascend the tree of life. Among the
for the Sufi the ‘gateway’ is the point of full acceptance of total submission to God in
every aspect of his life and goes beyond the basic practices of the typical Muslim,
making it truly a ‘heroes journey’. The hero’s acceptance of this is his acceptance of
the path of Willayah; a path which takes him through many states and stations. States
are metaphysical experiences which can effect the murid or the adept in many ways,
visions, astral projection, psychic occurrences etcetera. These experiences are similar
to the effects of states however do not indicate levels in iman or spiritual elevation,
and are temporary effects of prolonged Dthikr or prayer coupled with profound faith26.
Stations on the other hand are permanent levels of spirituality which remain, once the
person has experienced them they are at that level of spirituality until they rise again.
It is through states that the Sufi raises in the ascension of the tree of life. These states
and stations have been recorded by many Sufi sheiks and Walis.
In the second stage, the stage of ‘quest for the grail’ the heroes in western
legend are called upon to quest for a sacred object which will save the kingdom and
restore the fertility to the earth; this quest also brings a gift of untold riches. However,
the untold riches are usually not the physical gold that the every day person would
26
But the distinctive ritual of the Sufi is Dhikr …the remembrance of recollection of God—a
recollection that can be performed either silently or aloud ….The Sufi practices were founded upon the
Koranic order, “and recollect God often” (Sura 33:40), for, as another word attest, “ the recollection of
God makes the heart calm” (Sura 13:28). Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam,
(University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975), 167.
126
expect, but rather spiritual treasures of the soul’s ascension. To reach these riches the
hero must subdue or destroy the ‘great dragon’ a serpent that is always guarding the
treasure and gnawing upon the tree of life. This is best known in Germanic mythology
as the dragon nidgogg of the Elder Eddas, also known as Fafnir and regin in other
renditions of the tale. Nidhogg gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil the world tree. This
destructive act towards the tree of life is symbolic of the damaging of faith and the
destruction or the subduing of the ’great Dragon’ is seen in Islamic culture as the
subduing of he animals soul by the true soul27. Once the dragon symbolic of the
animal soul or spirit has been subdued, the hero is able to continue on his path through
the woods at the base of the mountain. The motifs of the woods symbolize coming out
Plato’s analogy of ‘the cave’ Orpheus’s ascension into the underworld in some ways
not unlike the journey of the prophet Khalid into the cave of death. The mountain is of
Germanic mythology this is Asgard and can only be found by crossing the rainbow
bridge, the rainbow bridge is the Axis-Mundi by another form of symbol as seen in
many shamanic cultures around the world. In fact all of the symbolic motifs seen in
the hero’s journey are found to be universal symbols, although many have undergone
primary motif. The mountain is symbolic of the foundation supporting the Axis-Mundi
27
Look well upon these two Dragons, …which sages have not dared to show to their own children. He
which is undermost without wings , he is the fixed or the male, that which is uppermost is the volatile,
or female, black and obscure, which goes about to get the domination for many months….these
serpants and Dragons which the ancient Egyptians have pained in a circle, the head biting the tail….are
so full, that there is no philosopher that ever was, but he hath written of it, from the time of the truth;
telling Hermes Trimegistus… pythogorious…even unto myself….These are the two serpants wrapped
and twisted about the Caduceus, or rod of Mercury, with which he excersiseth great power, and
transformith himself as he listeth. Syyed Hossein Nasr, Islamic Alchemy and the western world, in:
Science and Civilization in Islam, (Harvard University press, 1968, 2nd ed. Islamic text society,
Cambridge, UK, 1987), 288-289.
127
or the tree of life which the hero must ascend. As such the mountain with the tree at
the top symbolizes not only the foundation of the ascension it’s self but also
symbolizes the the attainment of the treasure at the end of the journey. At this moment
I would like to digress briefly to explain two primary symbolic motifs which are very
important to the examination at hand, that is the sword and the chalice. First of all the
sword in western mythology symbolizes the Axis-Mundi and is seen in its other
variations as the staff, the wand and the Kris; it is the point through which the wizard
directs his energy and it is the object which the hero must poses as his weapon against
the dragon28. Therefore symbolically the one who poses the sword or staff posses the
means to subordinate evil or base nature within the kingdom, which is symbolic of the
self via the microcosm macrocosm reflection theory. Therefore the symbol of the
sword or staff is extremely significant in its role as found in western legend and in
Germanic Talismana as Ingwaz the rune of the tree of life. The eastern equivalent of
this is of course the lngam or the Kris which is the eastern version of the Axis-Mundi
as found by H.G. Qartich Wales and other scholars of religious history. The chalice or
grail is symbolic of the divine feminine principle which is believed in Islamic science
to give birth to the empirical world. The symbol of the feminine giving birth to the
world is a universal symbol which takes on many differing forms through regional
symbol pethro representative of meinen and natural fertility. During the medieval
28
Khidr took him to a ruin in the desert and said, ‘stay here and don’t leave this place’. He remained
there for three years. Every year Khidr would appear to him and tell him to remain were he was….. At
the end of seven years I heard a voice at night: ‘O Abdul Qadir, you are now permitted to enter
Bagdad….In the year of 560 I was at the school of Hadarat ‘Abdul Qadir. One day I saw him leaving
his house with his staff in his hand. I said to myself ‘I wish he would show me a mirical with that staff!’
He looked at me and smiled and struck the staff into the sand. Instantly it turned into a beam of intense
light rising out of sight into the sky, illuminating everything for an hour. Then he held that beam of
light. It turned back into an ordinary staff. He looked at me and said, ‘O zayal, is that all you wanted?,’
Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted
by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (Islamic text society, 1992), XXXI.
128
period the Celtic mabingong was written down from oral tales going back into an
updatable Celtic time of antiquity. At this time, the strong Christian influence can be
seen in that the Celts adopted a method of disguising their sacred symbolism which
later came to the point of combining symbolism as in the Celtic cross a product of
later syncretism. Sacred symbolism of the Celts was also disguised in the form of
Christian legends which were interwoven with pagan tales in the Arthurian legends of
the grail. Another contributing factor was the fact that the grail itself may have been a
part of mystery cults of the Roman Empire which were adopted by the roman
Christians before arriving in Europe. Thus when these tales were adopted into the
realm of Germanic legend they were wedded to Germanic legends by writers such as
von eishenbach. Thus in Germanic and other European mythology and later literary
works such as the Arthurian cycle we see the sword and the chalice or grail as the
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CHAPTER 6
The ancient Germanic people called Irmani were a part of the Saxon tribal
confederation. The Irmani were originally an agricultural people, the word Irmani is a
Germanic equivalent of the Malay word Bumi or children of the earth; more precisely
Irmani mean ‘children of Irminsul’, the ‘lord of the earth’. Irmin is another form of
Ingwaz, from which the earliest Saxons get their name the Hirmanoni also called the
Irminoni or Irmani. This name can be traced as far back as the time of Tacitus in the
The Irmani had within their holiest of holies a holy tree, which they called
Irminsul or the tree of life. Irminsul was venerated as a direct symbol of Irminsul and
as such was sacred because of its symbolic representation of the God’s power over
130
Irminsul was cut down deliberately, in an attempt by the Christians to destroy
the faith of the Irmani, which failed. The Irmani were the only tribe to refuse to
capitulate with the Christians long after all other Saxons and Germanic tribes had been
Christianized. It is among the Irmani that we find the strongest traces of the green man
myth among the Germanic tribes. All of the names mentioned above are in one way or
another linked to the cult of Woden or Odin. In fact each name is from a root word
Irmin which is one of his names. The true names mentioned above do not include the
suffix Vones which is from the Roman language and means ‘sons of,’ it is a Roman
translation. It is fairly certain that Germanic tribesmen named their tribes, according to
cult affiliation and clan orientation. Thus Irmani were a clan and tribe that were
dedicated to Odin. We find evidence to support this fact in that three tribes gave birth
to a confederation of tribes known later as Saxons; one of these three was the Irmani.
From the year 100 to around 800CE the Irmani remained a part of the Saxons as a
whole. This clan and cult affiliation underwent drastic changes in during the time of
Thion-ville. In Gothic dialect the god would be Thiudiska, in OHG. Diutisco, the offspring of the
people (thiuda, diot) itself. And the national name Teuto, Tiuto (OHG. Dieto) might be near of kin to
Tiudisco. But an entirely different derivation, suggested by Lachmann, seems preferable: Tuisco =
Tuisco, the twin, S/Su/Ao?, OHG. Zuisco, meaning perhaps one of the Dios-curi,... The form Tuisto
least of all lends itself to explanation, though there are some derivatives in -st, -ist ; and to connect AS.
Taetwa with Teuto or Tuisto ...it is enough to have proved that in Tacitus s German theogony we see an
unmistakable connexion with later traditions.....Wunsch, wisli, seems akin to Sansk. Vdngksh, vanch
Opto, desidero, Bopp Gl. 315*. …Wunsch is god of bliss and Love, who wishes, wills and brings good
to men. We still speak Of God as the giver of all good, all gifts, Kl. Schr. 2, 327-9. ….Mit wunsch, by
divine power, WODAN. 1329 Tifc. 347 ; and conversely verwilnsclien to annihilate, wunschen Lernen,
to learn conjuring, Miillenh. 395. 402….P. 141.] ….figuring, imaging, thinking, faculty, Hence also
imagination, idea, image, figure. There is about Wish Something inward, uttered from within : der
Wunsch tihtef, Tr.oj. 3096, uz tiefer sinne grunde erwunschet mit dem raunde 2960. …Yapiviv
atreikacre, but, as God imparts wishing, it is said of Hermes : o… Ovrafet, Od. 15, 319. ….P. 145.] As
Wuotan sends wind and weather, and stills the Stormy sea, it is said of the Christian God : daz er uns
alle tage Dienet rnit weter ioch rnit wint, Diemer 89, 18…. Perhaps the rushing god himself, as we
know that osinn Bears the surname Yggr, and is always figured as the rider in the Air, the furious
hunter. In that case Yggdrasils askr (Pref. Li.) Is The stormful god s ash. ....To Saxo s Othinus os pileo
obnubens } answers His surname Grimnir larvatus, from grima. As Grimnir he 1332 WODAN. Shews
himself to men in the guise of a beggar to try them, e.g. To Geirrosr ; as Gestr blindi to hersrekr, as
gangrivsr to Vaf- J?Ru"Snir. Compare the German marchen of the old Beggarwoman, KM. 150,
whose clothes begin to burn, as Grimm s did. Grimm, teutonic mythology, p. 1334…. The sentence in
the Prol. Legis Salicae : Mercurius Trismegistus Primus leges ^Egyptiis tradidit, comes from Isid. Orig.
5, 3. Tervagan, Teruigant may have to do with Trebeta, Gesta Trev. (Pertz 10, 131). P. 154.] …Grimm,
teutonic mythology, p. 1334.
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Wittican due to his war with Charles de-grosse. Charles de-grosse or charlesemagne
was a usurper of the Merovingian kings of the Istaovonies, later called Franks.
However while the other tribes went along with the Franks and submittmed to their
power, and converted to Christianity, it was the Irmani refused. Waging guerrilla
warfare against the Franks they refused to “Bend a knee¨ to the Frankish Christian
invaders. The
Charlemagne’s deliberate attack upon their most sacred place, the holy tree Irminsul.
It is also clear from the above statement that the Irmani who lived in the coastal area
of Schleisveg-Holstein were of the Hirmanoni tribal group while the inland Hirminoni
were called Irminoni (Irmani). The Hirmanoni were children of the Hof or the Grove,
which they lived in, worshiped in and were most deeply moved by. It is clear from the
previous statement that the Irmani who lived in the coastal area of Schleisveg-Holstein
were of the Hirmanoni tribal group. The Hirmanoni or Hirmanduri were children of
the Hof or the Grove, it was the Hof/Grove, which they lived in, worshiped in and
were most deeply moved by32. To be certain there was a time when all Germani
worshiped in the groves, however it is the Irmani who continued the practice and
became almost certainly the forefathers of the modern Herbal healer of Europe. Their
knowledge of growing things and the groves make the most likely candidate for the
bases of such myths as the Merseburg charms healing by Odin, the Great Lacunas
opening incantations to Odin the healer and many others which look to the assistance
of the Irmin, Ing, Odin for the healing powers that only he the Green man master of
32
Islam sees the doctrine of unity (al-Tawhid) not only as the essence of its own message but as
the heart of every religion….assertion of al-Tawhid and all religions are seen as so many repetitions in
different climes and languages of the doctoring of unity. Moreover, wherever the doctrine of unity may
be found, it is considered to be of divine origin.”(Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Knowledge and the sacred,
( Albany0 University or New York University Press, 1989) p. 71).
132
the groves and father of the Irmani could give. To be certain there was a time when all
Germani worshiped in the groves, however it is the Irmani who continued the practice
and became almost certainly the forefathers of the modern healers and sages of
Europe. Their knowledge of growing things and the groves make the most likely
candidate for the bases of such myths as the Merseburg charms healing by Odin, the
Great Lacunas opening incantations to Odin the healer and many others which look to
the assistance of the Irmin, Ing, Odin for the healing powers that only he the Green
man master of the groves and father of the Irmani could give. As such, his priest or
shamans were also healers.33 The first healers among the Germanic tribes to gain wide
spread popularity as great healers were the Irmani of the Hof groves, children of the
Green man; their belief in holy groves of the Hof and the Lord of the grove, Irminsul
refered to as “Lord of all” in their definition or as they call him “All-father”. It was
just this, a “Common faith” which was the binding connection between Saxons,
something far more profound and heart felt that politics. Jacob Grimm discusses the
truth of Odin’s connection to the green man and Irminsul34. The Germanic form of
Green man and wild man of the groves are both related to the earlier cult of Germanic
shamanism among Again, the Halstat cultures that are credited with the Neolithic
33
If rightly used, would enable them to annul and destroy the machinations of evil spirits, and
bring to naught the works affected by them, and even alter the course of natural
phenomenon….“magic” has been given , and through primarily the word “magic” only described the
learning of the priest and sages of the Medes and Persians, ….for the use of it a man ceases to be a
supplicant of the Gods….as time went on those who applied this natural wisdom to the relief of
suffering of humanity magnified their office, and introduced into their operations incantations…
astrology, and at a latter period alchemy….During the nineteenth century the craft of the herbalist fell
into disrepute, chiefly because of men’s minds…endeavoring to establish a scientific system of
pharmacology. Jerry Stannard, Herbs and Herbalism in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, (Ashgate
Variorum, Brookfield USA, 1999), chapter 1: Divine Origin of Herbcraft,P.2
34
Among the GermanicGermanic tribes, the veneration of the trees and the use of wood in their
burials can be traced back to their Siberian roots and was easily accepted by the newer
GermanicGermanic tribes of the migration period. This tradition is clearly manifest in the Saxon
symbol “Irminsul” or “the tree of “Irmin”. Irmin is another name for the Saxon God Odin. Irminsul
has also been considered by many scholars such as Professor H.R. Ellis Davidson as the “Axis mundi”
of the GermanicGermanic world. Mircea Eliade, Archaic Techniques of ecstasy, (Bollingen series
LXXVI, Princeton University press, N.J. Princeton University Press, 1974.) p. 3
133
Luo-Shu geometric symbols were also related to the Germanic tribes; these symbols as
can plainly in the plate are the Runes. Later Celtic peoples used a different form of
symbolism called Ogam. Apparently when the Halstat culture split, the half or section
of the tribe which used Runes stayed and became the people who intermarried with the
ancestors of the Germanic tribes, thus imparting the use of the runes as semi-
Pythagorean geometric and numerological symbols of mystic value. There were then
because of the location of these beliefs it is very likely that this was linked to an over
abundance of wooded areas in north-central Germany. The runes which can be seen in
the image of Irminsul are ehwaz the hanged man, Inguaz or the tree, and Gebo the
coming together of male and female, the Germanic symbol for “so above as below”.
Just as the roots and branches of a tree mirror each other, the wedge and challace
mirror each other and in Gebo they both come together as the victory over duality.
Through these runes we can assume that the historical Odin had some idea of the
relationship of these runes to the Tree of Life and that this transcendence is the
symbolic nature of Irminsul he was contemplating, otherwise all the elements of self
sacrifice, the ancient hourglass symbol, the raven & Eagle as his helpers, the
identification with Mercury (Hermes Trimagarious) & Gold, the alias of Yulnir, to
name only a few are extremely strong proofs as to the transcendental experience of
Odin actually taking place, although when and were remains a mystery; which makes
logical sense when one considers that Northern Germany was where the Bronze Age
woods and groves of the Hof would have been their primary place of contemplation.
134
Tacitus attests to this in his remarks on the religion of the Germanic tribes when he
there are indeed aspects of his memorate in the form of his archetypal persona that can
be seen among the Germanic tribes, this is especially true of the archetype as viewed
by the Irmani.
In examining the archetype of the most important of the Norse Gods, Odin, the
archetype used is that of a shaman or wizard sky God who rules as king among a
pantheon of other lesser Gods. Odin, he is first historically mentioned through the
retelling of ancient oral teachings of Germanic priest in the Ynglinga saga’s tale. This
tale explains his migration to Europe with his tribe whom he brought to Europe from
the east of Gariktha which is roughly equivalent to modern day Turkey; therefore we
can only assume it was central Asia or the Russian steppes. After viewing the
overwhelming evidence to support the concept we must accept that the Odin
Archetype began its evolution at this point. In addition if we look closely at the wizard
like behavior and the earliest connections to the Historical Odin or person whom the
myth has sprang up around, we will see that he was in fact , originally, a Sage from
135
Central Asia, and most probably a Taklamakhanian Chieftain353637
may find that these subjects are related to the degeneration of pre-Mohammaden
Prophetic teachings given to the Malay, we must first realize that the earth father is
archytypically related to the cult of Osirus as the earliest example of sky god
penetraiting the earth and creating fertility and through the Djed (tree of Life) which
brought about the communion between sky and earth, father and mother.
prophetic teaching infected with aspects of anthropomorphism and fertility cult views
in the first stage of degeneration. This can also be seen inn Tius, Zeus, Tiuwos [from
Deowas Aryan root of I.E. Deus], and all forms of the Aryan Godking archetype. One
of the oldest is that of Pan, Pan obviously retains aspecfs of shamanism within his
persona. In fact the very term “Pan”-thesitic is reflective of its meaning; the God pan
among the Greeks was in fact none other than the green man in another version of the
compared with Lucifer or the so called “Devil” because of the fact that pan pre-dates
35
Yggdrasil [Irminsul], that is, at the “centre of the world”. We even hear of nine subterranean
levels; …a giant professes to have obtained his wisdom through descending the “nine worlds below”.
Here we have the Central Asian cosmological schema of seven or nine hells corresponding to the seven
or nine heavens…. Mircea Eliade, Archaic Techniques of ecstasy, (Bollingen series LXXVI, Princeton
University press, N.J. Princeton University Press, 1974.), 2.
36
The well-preserved desiccated Caucasoid human remains unearthed from these tombs had
deep-set eyes, pointed noses, thin lips, and light brown hair over their shoulders.….The skulls were
definitely Europoid and closely resemble the Proto-European pattern with some Nordic features. Susan
Nacev Skomal and Edger C. Polome, ed., Proto-Indo European: The Archeology of a Linguistic
Problem Studies in Honor of Marija Gimbutas, vol. 23, Prehistoric Caucasian Corpses of the Tarim
Basin (Washington, D.C.: Institute For the Study of Man, 1995), 291.
37
This type of skull has rarely ever been found outside of Europe back around 2000 BCE, except
in the Western Russian Steppes and in the Eastern European Caucus region. So it is clear from those
physical features that “the early inhabitants of the Tarim Basin were primarily Caucasoid. Ibid, Proto-
Indo European: The Archeology of a Linguistic Problem Studies in Honor of Marija Gimbutas, vol.
23, Prehistoric Caucasian Corpses of the Tarim Basin (Washington, D.C.: Institute For the Study of
Man. , 1995) 292.
136
these Christian manufactured persona38 Therefore the attempts by fundamentalist to
link the two are nothing more than the newest angle of pseudo-historical conjecture.
Qur’an Allah has not abrogated any of these teachings. Therefore from the perspective
of Islamic science, all Prophetic teachings must be preserved, examined, and gleaned
in order to separate anything altered erronusly and keep for the good of humanity all
that is correct according to the Divine books of revelation. In refrence to the personas
of archetypes we must examine thoughly in what way has the persona developed in
order to illustraite its part in myth, society, and the degenerative affects of
Thus, when we find that the name “Pan” means “all”, that is to say pan-theism
means that one believes that the God (Pan) who is supposedly one with all and all is
38
The notion of the Devil and of devilish spirits, which has by degrees acquired so wide a compass and
struck such deep root even in the popular religion, was unknown to our heathenism…An all-pervading
idealistic distinction between a good and an evil spirit, Ormuzd and Ahriman, …is known neither to the
Indian and Greek theologies, nor to the Teutonic. Before the might of the one all-governing God the
kakodæmon's power fades away. Then out of this unity there grow up trilogies (Brahma, Vishnu, Siva;
Zeus, Poseidon, Pluto; Wuotan, Donar, Frô; Hâr, Iafnhâr, Thriði), …. The Jewish monotheism accorded
to its Satan only the subordinate part of a tempter and traducer, as is plainly shewn in the book of Job,
and confirmed by the Greek term diaboloj …and New T. use alternately with satan, satanaj (Arabic
shaitan) or daimonion (usually for Hebr. shéd). After the Captivity the Jews were more familiar with
the idea of Dualism, and in N.T. times their whole demonology had largely expanded… Thus what the
Christians believed about the Devil received at the hands of the Heathen a twofold enlargement:
heathen Gods and spirits already malign and gloomy in themselves readily dropt into the Christian
category of devilish beings; … the transmutation of the good Gods of old into spectres and demons. In
this process names for the most part got suppressed or disguised; myths and stories were not so easily
to be abolished…..….All these influences so diverse in kind have joined to produce such popular
notions of the Devil's being and character, as have existed from the N.T. to our own times. The Devil is
Jewish, Christian, Heathen, a false God, an elf, a giant, a spectre, all in one…. the legends of our Mid.
Ages by the intrusion of an all-too positive Devil, we see that the contrast comes out not so much in the
original texture of the popular beliefs, which is everywhere the same or similar, as in the colour laid
upon it;…. Oðinn taunts the Vala with being 'þriggja þursa môðir,' Sæm. 95b. …. As in that passage of
Wernher's Maria (p. 1006) which describes the Devil as chained in hell, so through the Mid. Ages in
general he seems to have been imagined as lying bound till the dawn of the Judgment-day; then he will
get loose, and appear in company with Antichrist. …Deut. sag. no. 9. In other tales a noose of bast is
slipt over his head, which like the chained wolf he is unable to break, and in that state is mauled on the
anvil with a hammer, which leaves him lamed…so Loki is bound; not only in Germany, but in
Scandinavia the expression 'the Devil is loose,' Nethl. 'de duivel is los,' has been handed down through
many hundreds of years in the people's mouth. Jacob Grimm, Teutonic Mythology, Vol. III – The Devil
(George Bell & Sons, London: 1888), 1-6.
137
one with him, and that the world is God, in every particulare object, they find God in
and is therefore not identical with the Odin Archetype. However the two personas are
not entirely identical; while Odin reflects more of the memorate, pan reflects more of
the mythological aspects of a perrsona rather than a complete archytype. This fact will
scholar of Pagan studies, Oberon Zell Raven-heart, and founder of the neo-Pagan
movement in the North America, who says that the Odin archetype, pan and Fanus are
all aspects of the same All-father archetype who ruled over the Earth39.
Apart from the obvious missing Orinic aspects of a solar deity, the Germanic
term God comes from the Germanic word Gud or Guod originating in the word
Guodan another form of Odin. According to Germanic mythology Odin was the all-
powerful pantheistic God. However Pan and Odin are not the identical, they are two
variations on the ancient Aryan idea of Godhead, as is the case with Brahman in
Hinduism (also from the Aryan root archetype Omnis Deus).40 The fact that Odin was
a Germanic Godhead as found in Germanic mythology and that he alone was the one
who could grant Wunsche or ‘The granter of ‘all wishes’. Thus, when taken together
with the above implies that he was indeed the equivalent of pan in Greek mythology,
yet more in alignment with the original Aryan root archetype Omni Deus. That is to
say, there may have been a time when aspects of Odin as a later version of Tius
(Deus-Omni) were the victom of anthropomorphic projection. This would have taken
39
Florus the Green man, is the masculine aspect of the vegitable kingdom….Fanus is often called the
horned one – pan and cernunnos (which means horned one) …he is the masculine personification of
the spirit of all animals, and thus he wears a crown of hons…Fanus is the God of fields, and sheperds,
and prophecy….called pangenitor “all-begetter.” Oberon zell Ravenheart, Grimoire for the apprentice
wizard, (New Page Books, US (2004), 63-64.
40
According to this Wuotas, Odin would be the all powerful, all penetrating being, qui omnis permeat .
Jacob Grimm, Teutonic Mythology, Vol. III – The Devil (George Bell & Sons, London: 1888), 132.
138
the form of identifying Godhead with a historical prophet and with aspects of fertility
cult worship that would have superimposed upon his meorates a false persona of
of historical memory which have degenerated, often into panthentheism and the
which we are concerned with our selves with here. As a part of this archetype the
historical persona of Khidr can be seen in continuance as a memorate that takes the
nature and godhood upon a historical figure, in this case a prophet. As we see here the
scholars are in agreement with the fact that Odin was as an archetype indeed a ‘pan-
like’ all powerful all penetrating Godhead of the Groves and the animal kingdom, in
the view of pagan Germans. Once this was accomplished the manner in which the
Germanic people viewed Prophetic teachings was indeed degenerated. The name
Irmin is the Name of the Odin archytype which is used to referr to the lord of Wunch
and Fertility mentioned above. Irman which means “Green Man” is in all probability a
memorate of the Germanic prophet Khidr. Thus it becomes important to know just
exactly who Irmin was and who were his people the Irmani?
When we examine the practices of the Irmani, we will see that, it was in fact
originally the prophet Khidr who first taught the science of thaumaturgy to the
Germanic tribes. The Irmani are the best example of this, for the Irmani were the
original ancient Germans and formed one third of the Germanic peoples from the 2 nd
century BCE to the 1st century CE. We will established in chapter 6, that the Irmani
were the origin of the Green man archetype among the Germanic tribes, and that the
139
Irmani were animist believing in the sacredness of the Lord of beast and nature ‘the
all powerful God’ they worshipped and referred to as Irman or wunsche, they we’re
priests or shaman, healers. The priest of the Irmani performed healing among the
Germanic tribes, and belonged to a select group of theurgist referred to as Gothr. Let
us see now how they affected the other Saxons and Germans.
Here we have firmly established that the Irmani (translated as Irminoni and
Irmanduri by the Romans) and their fellow Saxons have the right to be called Irmani
or people of the woods or groves as members of the cult of Nature or the “Earth”, or
more properly and specificly the people of the natural realm of fauna, spirits and
animals.
Seubi; however originally all Saxons were known by the name Irmani41.None the less,
the other Germanic tribes share in this heritage. One example of this can be found
among the Goths who where of the oldest Germanic tribes and whose dialect of
the closest to Aryan. The Goths too claim descent from the Irman (Odin the green
man) from the time when they inhabited the same area of the Irmani homeland and are
in likelihood the link which establishes the kinship of all Germanic tribes to the
Irmani through their worship of Irminsul42 in one manner or another. It was the
language of runic, reputed to have been brought to Europe by Odin that brought these
cult groups into communion with each other. When taken in combination with the
earlier citation from Cornelius’s Tacitus Germania, the above information makes
41
The three GermanicGermanic cult-groups is well known. These were the ingvaeoni, irminonim and
istvaoni….They were cult-groups, and to that end to a common feeling of origin may be attributed any
concept of unity that existed. Owen, Francis (1990). The GermanicGermanic people: their origin,
expansion, and culture. New York: Dorset Press. 87.
42
This can be seen linguistically and historically in place, object and surnames e.g. Erminnac (Irmans
son) in Gothic was the name of a Gothic king.
140
clear that, the kinship of all Germanic tribes were in fact in one way or another
Irmani. This is clearly proven above, and shows that all Germanic people are Irmani
or people of the Earth and therefore the European parallel to the Malay term ‘Bumi’.
An important note here is that Irmani is synonymous with later connotations of the
The most prevalent aspect of Germanic paganism which existed throughout all
of these periods was also the most prominent symbol; the life tree (Yggdrasil) which
translated means literally “Odin’s horse”. Yet we know quite clearly that the name of
Odin’s horse was sleipnir. What then is the meaning of the term “Odin’s horse”?
Symbolically it has been suggested by H. R. Ellis Davidson in her book “Viking and
Norse mythology” that this may imply that the world tree was Odin’s means of
transcendental travel from this world to the world of the dead through a type of
type of meditation used, I do agree with the basic concept. Odin’s horse implies
43
The figure and myth of Odin - …sovereign and great magician – displays several strangely
“shamanic” features. To acquire occult knowledge of runes, Odin spends nine days and nights hanging
in a tree. Some Germanists have seen an initiation rite in this; Otto Hofler even compares it to the
initiatory climbing of Siberian shamans. The tree in which Odin “hanged” himself can only be the
cosmic tree….as Hofler supposes, that slypnir is the mythical archetype of a many footed hobbyhorse
that played an important role in the secret cult of men’s society. But this is a magico-religious
phenomenon that goes beyond the bounds of shamanism….indeed, we may ask if Odin’s two ravens
Hugnin (“thought”) and Munin (“memory”) do not represent, in highly mythisized form, two helping
spirits in the shapes of birds, which the great magician send (in true shamanic fashion!)…. Mircea
Eliade, Archaic Techniques of ecstasy, (Bollingen series LXXVI, Princeton N.J., Princeton University
press, 1974), 1.
44
A variation on the disc was the swastika, used as a symbol in many parts of the world at
different periods. . . It is a major symbol on some of the splendid funeral urns. . . It is likely that it was
linked with the cult of Woden (Odin). . . For the first time we see clear traces of a deity or deities
connected with the sky …. Governed by the movements of the sun. H.R. Ellis Davidson, Viking and
Norse Mythology. (Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1996), 55.
141
However it is my view that the world tree (as the Axis-Mundi) for Germanic
paganism was not a physical vehicle, but, rather a meditative motif for a historical
Germanic sage named Odin in a similar fashion to the sage Sakamoni Buddha who
went to India. This symbol was probably used as a symbolic meditative focal point
(energy) this is referred to as Megan in Irmani and Semangat in Malay. The value of
May have been due to his views, on nature, and the sacredness of trees.
Mandalas as they appear among the Malays of the animist and modern age were
utilized in a similare
The Mandala was seen by Jung as the Axis-Mundi of the archetypal self. He
believed the Mandala to be the special symbol of the archetypal self. The word comes
from the Sanskrit word for magic circle. In the context of this particular usage the
Madala also act as a Yantra or a spiritually awakening symbol. The symbol was
represented the potential for wholeness and the potential of the archetypal self on both
cosmic and personal levels. The Mandala appears before people who are fragmented
psychically and helps to stabilize people who are distraught during crisis. The Yantra
furthers this process to Cosmic Unity through awakening the Origin of Cosmic Unty,
the True Face or Self. The sage uses this sort of ritualistic tool, by having the patient
142
lay or sit inside of the Mandala during the cleansing process, healing or meditation. Its
use is that of central orienting one. This gives the patient reconstruction of the psyche
through the safety and comforting affect of the Mandala on the psyche. As the Axis-
Mundi of the archetypal self the Mandala provides a sense of safety and order. Jung
believed that it is possible to find meaning in living your own myth, and through
taking orientation from the inner centre of the psyche, the archetypal self and its
that purpose considering its importance to the wholeness of the psyche. This Mandala
of sorts could conceivably have been seen as a metaphor of the tree of life as seen in
the Kabala of ancient Hebrews. If this is in fact true or a similar process took place,
then ancient rune Stafr of pictographs found in Germanic lands depicting a cross or x
shape in the form of having tree roots and limbs at both ends would make sense.
sages refer to as Hex , Hex are created in the same fundmental orientation as Mandala
and Yantra . When taken in the context of possibly being used as a type of tree of life
the Mandala performes the function of a metaphoric symbol in a simailar way to the
concept of ascention to oneness or Tawhid by the murid through stages and states.
When such a process occurs, it is viewed through symbolism, but it fuctions through
the mystical aspects thaumaturgy to cleance the heart. This is done by knowing the
self or psyche and its relationship with the Cosmos in its entirety as Tawhid. This has
sages45. It cannot be claimed that the” so above as below” hourglass symbol didn’t
45
The symbol of the mandala is described and numerous examples of mandalas from various parts of
the world are offered. The Sanskrit word mandala, meaning "circle," is identified as the Indian term for
the circle drawn in religious rituals. The function of the mandala is described as a narrowing down of
the psychic field of vision as an aid to intensification of concentration. The goal of the Yogi in
contemplating the processes depicted in the mandala is to become inwardly aware of the deity; through
contemplation, the practitioner may realize himself as God, and return from the illusion of individual
existence into the universal totality of the divine. The basic psychological motif of the mandala is of a
143
exist among the Aryans, for this symbol has been found on Proto-Sumerian reliefs
carved in stone dating back to the 5th millennium BCE , as well as artifacts found
among artifac Halstat Kultur dating back to 2,000 BCE. When Odin looked at the tree
during meditation would have summoned a type of Semangat (energy) which the
Germanic Wizards called Megan. It should be noted here that the I-Ching is based
upon the magic square of the Chinese ancient oracle casting, that has its bases in the
Aryan runes of the Tocharian and Taklamakhanians of the western area of china, once
referred to as the Central Asian kingdom of Khorasan and is directly connected to the
Caucasian community of the conch Daria river area of east Turkistan. This is not the
only archeological or geometric evidence linking the Tocharians who spoke a dialect
of Saxon. Furthermore as we stated at the start of this chapter, Odin brought his
a great deal of explanation as to the complexity of the evolution into a almost Hindu-
like form of Paganism, and then to Occultism. Unfortunately the detailed explanation
of that transition and evolution are beyond the scope of this paper.
center of personality to which everything is related, by which everything is arranged, and which itself is
a source of energy. The energy of the central point is manifested in the compulsion to become what one
is, this desired presence may be called the self. The self is surrounded in the mandala by an area
containing the paired opposites that make up personality; the totality of the mandala contains
consciousness, a personal unconscious, and an indefinitely large area of collective unconscious whose
archetypes are common to all mankind. Some of these archetypes are within the scope of personality
and may acquire an individual stamp, such as the anima, the animus, and the shadow. Other religious
mandalas and mandalas spontaneously produced by patients during the course of analysis are discussed.
The production of mandalas in a therapeutic context is felt to occur in states of chaos or panic as a
rearranging of the personality toward a new center. Patients are said to appreciate the soothing effects
of these pictures, which emphasize wholeness, order and balance. It is noted that the reality of the
collective unconscious is often first impressed upon a patient by means of his mandala productions.
Numerous mandalas drawn by patients are reproduced and described. . Herbert Reed, Michael
Fordham, and Gerhard Adler (eds.); William McGuire, exec. Edt., The Collected Works of C. G. Jung ,
Concerning mandala symbolism: v. 9.1: The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, ( London:
Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1953, Princeton, N.J. Princeton Univesity Press, 1967), 355-384.
46
This also belonged to Odin by virtue of his position as All Father, the high God, which he appears to
have usurped from Tiwaz. H.R. Ellis Davidson, Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, (Pelican books,
New York, New York, 1964), 153.
144
The shamanistic characteristics of the God Odin are very solidly represented in
Norse mythology. In the Prose and elder Eddas we see Odin performing many
shamanistic deeds such as transcendental meditation, spirit travel to the under world
and other places in the nine worlds. Other abilitys which link him to shamanism are
,control of the elements, travel through the sky, his talent as a healer(Merseburg
charm), his shape shifting ability’s which he shared with his followers, especially
Berserkers. The berserks or Berserkers were a group of young men who spent most
of their young lives devoted to the worship of Odin, Wizadry and warfare.
In the ancient myths and legends we often see Odin take on the semblance of
an eagle or raven, but the most popular of all Odin’s forms was his identity as Harbard
or Grey beard, an old man who generally appeared humbly dressed yet extremely
wise;47 it is in fact the meaning of Harbard, which translates in meaning rather than
In the archetype of Odin, we also see the ability to see the future, which
is often found in most magic workers regardless of their specialty skills. In literature,
the use of prophecy is as old as literature itself, and Odin is one of the first to use it in
a variety of ways. As we move along in history we see that there are many forms of
Galdr which were used by the Germanic Wizard in his various forms of healing. This
is of course combined with Herbalism to form the earliest form of holistic healing in
the Germanic world. Some of the ways in which this was done for example, earth
runes were graven into cups and steins for protection against drunkenness, for
protection from the earth, and Thorstein or thunderstone was worn as well as Thor’s
47
Then Odin turned himself into an eagle,…then the eagle Odin dived in over the wall . . . .
Harbard or “Grey beard” is of course Odin in disguise,…Odin’s boast relates to his … magical powers.
H.R. Ellis Davidson, Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, (Pelican books, New York, New York,
1964) p. 145-146.
145
hamirmer for protection against lightning strikes. In this way the use of mythological
and animistic beliefs as a way of warding off the coming of injury or sickness
combines the preventive measure of magical protection with the use of Herbalism for
curing illnesses.
Jacob Grimm discusses the truth of Odin’s connection to the green man and
Irminsul in the following passage. The translation of the last line of the above footnote
in ancient Saxon is: “God [Odin] gave to wish full leave…upon Irminsul …him they
call merchant [God of] (Mercurious) [and] on Irminsul they buried him”. The tale of
Odin sacrificing himself on the great tree Yggdrasil is common knowledge among
students of Germanic mythology. More clearly illustrated here is the fact that, Odin as
Osci and Irmin is both the Mercury mentioned by Tacitus and the God of Irminsul or
Green man. His sacrifice on Yggdrasil and on Irminsul can easily be attributed to
dialectical tribal differences between the northern Viking version of the myth and the
Saxon (Irmani) version. Therefore there is no doubt that Odin is in fact Irmin lord of
Irminsul and therefore also the green man lord of fertility, lord of the wild beast,
merchants and cargos, healing and wisdom, Wunsche (wish granter), ect. In addition
further proofs will be presented presently to illustrate that he was also the lord of the
animals or lord of the woods and that through his persona of the “lord of the wild hunt
and lord of fertility he is in fact the “Guod or God” or “all Being” Godhead of the
146
degeneration to that of the Hindus.
In the death of Odin on Irminsul and Yggdrasil, and his rise from death, we
find a resurrection tale which is identical to the archetype of the green man as
illustrated by the writings of Frazier in his golden Borough. Thus proving that Odin is
in fact both the Lord of May or May king, Green man, Straw man, Wild man of the
wood, etcetera. And that this archetype originated from the Irmani, Germani, and
other tribes as a primordial memorate that developed independently among the Irmani
into the specific type of archetype that we see in the green man. Therefore it would be
safe to extrapolate that the Irmani are the best candidates for the origin of the “Green
Fraziers tale presented here are a compilation of three out of hundreds of such
traditions among the Germanic tribes. This one in particular is directly related to the
Irmani and is from the area of Thuringia which was a part of Hesse in Germany and
Hessians are Saxons of the Irmani line as are several other areas of modern
Saxony. The persona which the Odin or Allfather archetype is mentioned in above is
that of the “Green man and the “Wildman of the Groves”, the name of the Green man
the mounds of the dead as something connected with memories of…the cult of Odin….temporary
forgetfulness from Odin…[lesser gifts from other Gods] belief in rebirth…protective strength…were
not in themselves sufficient to a silence the threat of the dragon and the monsters….Odin represented
the other side of life, inspiration granted to…the poet, and the secret wisdom won by communication
with the dead….In his cult and in the religion …the emphases on mans powers to reach out beyond this
harsh and limited world. H.R. Ellis
Davidson, Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, (Pelican books, New York, New York, 1964) p. 153-
212.
50
In Saxony and Thuringen there is a “fetching the Wild Man out of the wood.”; the Wild
Man… The executioner announces that the leaf-clad man has been condemned to death, and cuts off his
false head. a Artificial neck, with an artificial head and a false face on the top of it. Then the riders race
to the May-tree….Then a May-tree is cut, generally an aspen or beech about ten feet high; and being
decked with colored handkerchiefs and ribbons it is entrusted to a special “May-bearer.”…he [wild
man/green man] becomes to life again. At his they rejoice, and, binding him fast on a wagon, take him
to the village, where they tell all the people how they have caught the Wild Man, At every house they
receive a gift. Sir James Frazer, The Golden Borough , (NY, the Macmillan Company, 1954, Toronto,
Canada) p.301-311.
147
is obvious exemplified in his name, he is the persona which dealt directly with the rule
of the earth and faunna, but that of the “Wild man” can seem to some to vague.
Therefore I will explain the relationship between the two and how they relate to the
Old Norse form of Irmin was Jormund and interestingly, just like Ygg, it was one of
Odin’s names52. Each of these names is an attribute of God, and may very well prove
anthropomorphic form among the Irmani from the perspective of Islamic science.
When and where did the two personas of the Odin archetype develop into the two
respective manifestations of that archetype? Let us firstly define the nature and role of
the original versions of each and then move on to their function in Germanic culture,
and then thirdly explain how they came to develop into their final form.
The Green man as the one of the final forms of the Odin archetype has
52
Yggdrasil [Irminsul], that is, at the “centre of the world”. We even hear of nine subterranean
levels; …a giant professes to have obtained his wisdom through descending the “nine worlds below”.
Here we have the Central Asian cosmological schema of seven or nine hells corresponding to the seven
or nine heavens…. Mircea Eliade, Archaic Techniques of ecstasy, (Bollingen series LXXVI, Princeton
University press, N.J. Princeton University Press, 1974.) p. . 2.
53
The complex of Lord of the Animals is one of the characteristic elements of this primitive
culture and its religion. The lord of the Animals is not a reflexation of a transcendent supreme being.
He, who assist man in the hazardous adventure of hunting, so full of unknown and dangers…he and no
other is himself mans supreme being, for on him depends, day by day, mans existence, since he has
mans life and death in his hand”. pre-history and religion in south East Asia,(London Quartritch Publ.
148
As we can see from this footnote, there was a time when the green man also
Lord of beast was the primary origin of the “wild man of the groves” persona and has
existed in the mythology of Neolithic cultures around the world. It was this first and
primary form of the earth bound supreme being which developed into the Pan of
Greece and Wunsche persona of the Odin archetype in Germanic lands. This
Emalgification will be examined as the final stage of the development of the two.
Once the two become one they are completely considered one and as a later
manifestation of the Odin archytype. The Green man began as a two fold God
represented in Germanic society as both Frey lord of the earth in Vanir worship,
which is most likely a reflection of the fertility cult of the agricultural societies we see
in existence in Eastern Europe in 35,000 BCE. The second group is that of the Aesir
cult brought into Europe by the first Germanic peoples to migrate there from the Ural
Mountains of Russia and was represented originally among the Germanic peoples as
who came to be the original chief of the Germanic pantheon, after being
anthropomorphised. Tacitus reports this fact in the first century CE54. Tuisco As well
as Manus, were names for the original father Gods from which Odin assumes the
mantle of king of the Gods and represents the old Aryan Gods (Deauwas), who are
beginning by this period to be usurped by the cult of Odin. All of the before
mentioned names are cognates of the name Deus5556. From the view of Islamic science
1957), P. 16, (from pettazzoni, op. cit., p.445).
54
“In their ancient songs, their only way of remembering or recording the past they celebrate an earth-
born God Tuisco, and his son Mannus, as the origin of their race, as their founders. To Mannus they
assign three sons, from whose names, they say, the coast tribes are called Ingaevones; those of the
interior, Herminones; H. Mattingly transl., Tacitus: The Agricola and Germania, (Penguin classics,
Penguin Books Ltd, 375 Hudson street, New York, New York, 1970.) p. 102).
55
Jon R. Stone (edt.), The essential Max Muller: on language, mythology, and religion, New
York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2002), 101.
56
This belonged to Odin by virtue of his position as all father, the highest God, which he appears to
have usurped from Tiwaz [Deus] ….perhaps we should regard stories of the living being shut inside the
149
the start of the degeneration of Aryan conceptions of Omni-Deus was prier to their
arrival in Europe through diffusion. This most probably occured shortly after they
came into contact with fertility cults inhabiting Europe around 3,000BCE. Marijah
The Ingaevones are linked to the cult of Frey through the root of their name
“Ing” who is the “Earth God” of the Ingaevones and therefore represents the survival
of the old Vanir cult of the Tizan and Wullendorf culture. The root of the Herminoni is
Hirmin or Irmin, who has already been described as the original lord of the trees later
identified as Odin. Here we have established that both Odin and Frey were
represented as lord of the earth by two Germanic tribes, one affected by fertility cults
and the other not. However since Odin as an archetype is represented in many ways
and forms, he is like the Brahma Godhead of Hinduism and not a singular entity in
Germanic mythology. Note that the name God comes from the name Gud, from Guat
or Guodan. This can be seen in the use of the word Wunsche which gives him the
identity of all penetrating being identical in usage with the God Pan in Greek
mythology and in the Eddic story of Grimmnir in which he is represented by all of his
many names5758. In addition, the role of Odin as the “Master Wizard” is extremely
mounds of the dead…. H.R. Elis Davidson, Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, (Pelican books, New
York, New York. 1964) p. 153-155.
57
I am called Grim, I am called Gangleri, ….and Har,… Grîm and Grimmnir, and Fiِlsvid,48.
…by one name I never have been called, since among men I have gone.49. Grimnir I am called at
Geirrِd's, …and Kialar, when a sledge I drew; Thrôr at the public meetings, ….Jafnhâr and Biflindi,
Gôndlir and Harbard ….Odin thou now shalt see: draw near to me if thou canst.54. Odin I now am
named, Ygg I was called before, before that, Thund, Vakr and Skilfing, Vâfudr and Hrôptatyr, with the
Gods, Gaut and Jâlk, Ofnir and Svafnir, all which I believe to be names of me alone. (The Project
Gutenberg EBook : Title: The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre
Sturleson, Author: Saemund Sigfusson and Snorre Sturleson, Release Date: January 18, 2005 [EBook
#14726], p. 28).
58
As it was, Wuotan or Odin was chosen as the nearest approach to mercury, the character which
they share in common, and which led to their identification, being most likely their love of travelling
150
intertwined in the Irminsul or Green man legends far too thoroughly to consider Frey
as a candidate. More likely Frey is represative of the Tizan version of Tammuz, cosort
to the “Godess” of European Fertstility Cults. Most likely we are seeing the existence
of a synthesis between the remnants of fertility cults among the Tizan Neolithic cults
and the cult of Odin in respect to the “lord of the earth” archetype we call the Green
man. Furthermore, this ads support to the view of Islamic science that in the absorbion
of these elements of fertility worship we see the degerative affect upon Germanic and
with the relationship between Odin and Irmin already established above make the fact
that the Odin archetype was indeed the green man apparent. Let us examine these
categories and the relationship between the Allfather archetype and the wizard priest
who emulated him. First and foremost Odin was a Sage and Wizard, his ability to
travel the dreamscape, heal, fight witches and demons is common knowledge to those
acquainted with Germanic studies and literature. In fact no other figure in Germanic
mythology has fought the powers of darkness or sacrificed more than Odin. Odin’s
shamanic and Sagely practices begin with his intimate relationship with trees and
specifically with the tree of life5960. Not only was Yggdrasil called the “steed of Ygg
through the air, also their granting of wealth and fulfilling of the wishes of their worshipers, I which
capacity Wuotan is known under the name Wunsche….his travels in Greece and even Tyrkland
[Central Asia], and his half historical character as a mere hero and leader of his people, are the result of
the latest Euhemerism. Jon R. Stone (edt.), The essential Max Muller: on language, mythology, and
religion, New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2002), 101.
59
“Otto Hofler …compares it to the initiatory tree climbing of Siberian shamans. The tree which
Odin “hanged” himself can only be the cosmic tree, Yggdrasil [Irminsul] ; … Mircea Eliade, Archaic
Techniques of ecstasy, (Bollingen series LXXVI, Princeton University press) p . 33.
60
Uprose Odin lord of men and on Sleipnir he the saddle laid; rode thence down to Niflhel. A
dog he met, from Hel coming... It bayed and widely gaped at the sire of magic
song:--long it howled. Forth rode Odin--the ground rattled--till to Hel's lofty house he
came. Then rode Ygg to the eastern gate, where he knew there was a
Vala's grave. To the prophetess, he began a magic song to chant, towards the
north looked, potent runes applied, a spell pronounced, an answer
demanded, until compelled she rose, and with deathlike voice she said:
Vala_.
"What man is this, to me unknown, who has for me increased an
irksome course? I have with snow been decked, by rain beaten, and with
151
(another name of Odin), but it was also represented as the metaphysical link between
the subtle world and the world of men for the ancient Germanic tribes. In fact the tree
Archaeological record and historical information linking the Germanic tribes with the
support to the theory which I have just purposed. Through his various “faces” Odin is
capable of presenting a role model to all nobles in the Germanic social world. Odin’s
origin myth tells us that he came from beyond the Russian steppes, in Asia. Odin’s
most prominent traits are that of a Siberian or Central Asian Sage, wandering ascetic,
and warrior king. These attributes are usual displayed under various guises such as
“Vegtam the wanderer”, Grimnir, Oski and others. This particular aspect of Odin has
evolved from a later Norse myth, and is related to the image of Odin in the Volsunga
saga.
152
ODIN THE GERMANIC HERMIES (MERCURY)
Tacitus tells us very clearly in his Germania and Agricola that Odin was the
figure which the Romans considered to be Mercury. Before Odin was a sage and
called Odin, he was known as Wodan a war leader; however after his ascension on the
performing miraculous feats of white magic. We know that the roman figure Mercury
was associated with Hermes, and that Thoth of Egypt was also almost identical with
Odin in many ways, both are masters of white Magic, wisdom, writing, healing, ect.
Therefore in this section we will present all of the proofs that Odin was in fact a sage,
who was among the Germanic peoples estreemly similare to Mercurious or Hermes in
Greek; the same figure identified by most scholars with none-other than the prophet
Khidr 61; furthermore this historical sage was in fact evolved over the centuries and
projection via symbolic and litterary myths that altered his historical character making
153
Prophet by the degenerative affects mentioned in the previous section.
When we talk about the tree of life, we are referring to the cosmic tree, the
is a symbol of authority and a guarded secret in some cultures due to the oppression of
seraph, snake, serpent, or other mystical creatures such as griffins, dragons, eagles and
ravens, why64? Because they are the guardians of the tree and their role is to turn back
those who are egotistical, greedy and power hungry for the evil use of magic or
miracle and it is those individuals who do not comprehend the potency and
responsibility in the investment of the holy staff symbolic of the tree of life. And it is
those same individuals vwho must not be allowed to hold it, we are referring of course
to Sorceres. Ancient sages have always acerted that these individuals must be turned
away from the tree so that the assume power of divine light would not be misused 65.
However for those who love the divine light, whose love the tree, ascend the tree with
the help of the guardians who become their close friends and are capable of ascending
to the sun which is symbolic of the sacred light of arnoch or heaven66. For this reason
64
n alchemy, the eagle, especially the double-eagle, is a symbol-- along with the raven -- for
mercurious, the double natured symbol of the philosophers stone. The eagle is synonomous with the
phoenix, ...raven....From this derives the meaning of ‘aqaba as a place that is difficult top ascend. The
root also has the meaning of a ‘cheif’ or a ‘lord’. The eagle plays the role of a grand old shaykh. He is
adam as first viceregent of God (kalifa). The word ‘uqab is also associated with the prophet
muhammad. Arabi, al-Ittihad al-kawni, The Universal Tree and Four Birds, Angela Jaffray, p. 89.
65
Khidr took him to a ruin in the desert and said, ‘stay here and don’t leave this place’. He remained
there for three years. Every year Khidr would appear to him and tell him to remain were he was….. At
the end of seven years I heard a voice at night: ‘O Abdul Qadir, you are now permitted to enter
Bagdad….In the year of 560 I was at the school of Hadarat ‘Abdul Qadir. One day I saw him leaving
his house with his staff in his hand. I said to myself ‘I wish he would show me a mirical with that staff!’
He looked at me and smiled and struck the staff into the sand. Instantly it turned into a beam of intense
light rising out of sight into the sky, illuminating everything for an hour. Then he held that beam of
light. It turned back into an ordinary staff. He looked at me and said, ‘O zayal, is that all you wanted?,’
Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted
by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (Islamic text society, 1992), XXXI.
66
Khaqa ni alluded to the sufis “who carry in their water bowle the water of life, like Khidr, and whose
rods are as miraculous as the rod of Moses” ….Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam,
(University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975), 17.
154
the tree of life is forever linked to the swastika, seal of Solomon, the Triskel (three
pronged swastika), and all other symbols of divine light which are particularized
symbols found in each culture for their goal of ascension. All however, have the same
ultimate goal to ascend the tree into the light of heaven, regardless of the root they
come from or the branch that they use to ascend to heaven. For all holy branches of
the tree of knowledge lead to heaven and all rainbow bridges that take one across the
illusionary river separating the world of the empirical and the divine realm. In Islamic
science these various Traditions are seen as branches of the Primordial Religious
Tradition.
we are taking a journey through the world of archetypes. This is a world of the
imagination, subtle realm and the empirical world. All three of these worlds are linked
in the view of Germanic tribal cosmology;; they are connected through the existence
of divine and subtle energies, archetypes, universal and particularized symbols. The
The tree of life is the symbol of the ascension of the soul from its fundamental
roots in the particularized symbolism of the ancients upwards we travel to the trunk
which represents the symbolism of religion proper, next we come to the branches
which symbolize the many differing religious traditions in the form of the inner
dimension, at this stage all the various religious traditions attempt to make the journey
to the divine experience of coming before God in the ecstatic experience, bathing the
soul in His divine power, majesty, and Omnipotent perfection. For all religions which
make this journey the practitioner can only use the vehicle of love67. The reason for
67
Islam sees the doctrine of unity (al-Tawhid) not only as the essence of its own message but as
the heart of every religion….assertion of al-Tawhid and all religions are seen as so many repetitions in
different climes and languages of the doctoring of unity. Moreover, wherever the doctrine of unity may
be found, it is considered to be of divine origin. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Knowledge and the sacred,
155
this is clear, once the mystic crosses the line between the dogmatic and the inner
dimension; he enters a realm which can only be experienced and not spoken. The
language of words can no longer disseminate the higher knowledge which can only be
given from God himself, this knowledge comes in two stages, one the stage in which
God issues to him symbols which enter the mind as epiphanies or subconscious
direction. This direction is not the total meaning in and of itself, but rather signs or
symbols which point the way to his knowledge, from this point which is analogous to
the beginning of the upper branches of the tree, he begins to understand that the higher
manner determined by God himself. He is seeking to destroy the ego, to transcend the
attachment of this world that he may experience the omnipotent reality of the other
worlds through union with the divine. The final stage symbolic of the upper tips of the
highest branches and the meeting with the divine light symbolized by the sun as seen
in the seal of Solomon is the attainment of the goal. 68 Almost all magico-religious
systems use symbolizm to denote this process. The development of the process of
theophany, this has has been seen historically as rising from the merging of pre-city
68
….and Solomon was not ignorant of the divine knowledge; rather that this knowledge was of
that possession that was bestowed upon Solomon, so that it was not suitable for any other person to be
manifested in the universe of witnessing with the same quality. …..the arabic interpretation of these two
names is ar-rahman, ar-rahim, which means that the names that Solomon used to mean ar-rahman, ar-
rahim, are not the arabic words ar-rahman, ar-rahim, but the arabic words ar-rahman, rahim are the
meanings of these two words that Solomon used. Thus what the sheikh intends, the two compassionate
beatitudes were attributed to the Haqq and that Solomon mentioned these two compassions in two
names. Fusus Al-Hikam, Muyyadin Ibn al Arabi p.771-773.
69
Almost everywhere the religious phenomena we see are complex, suggesting a long historical
development….in embarking, therefore, on this study we must choose a few among many
religions….This choice, even if confined to the major manifestations, is a delicate matter. If we want to
limit and define the sacred, we shall have to have at our disposal a manageable number of expressions
of religion. Mircea Eliade, Rosmary Sheed Transl., Patterns in comparative religion,(Sheed and Ward,
3rd ed.1993.. p. 1.
156
Symbolism as connected to theurgy and tribal cosmology is a multi-continental
phenomenon which has several if not many roots. Furthermore the nature of universal
symbolism is also known in every culture in the world, yet has distinct cultural value
and meaning to each particular culture. It is for this reson we distinguish between
associated with Jack o Green, Jack o lantern, Jack Barley corn, squire Jack, to name a
few Jack is Odin the youthful Yulnir come to bring the light and the spring into the
natural cycle of the year. Prof. Douglas Frazer devoted an entire chapter of The
Golden Bough to this persona, and was convinced that the many examples of this
of mythological archytypes. The old man is of course Odin himself in the form of the
same Green man persona of his Archetype who is buried on May 1 as the in the
festival of may called ‘Burying the carnival’ were the old man Odin is executed or
buried and the young Green man Jack is reborn to symbolically bring in the new
season. Traditionaly this was the role of Yullnir and Irmin, both epitaphs of Odin.
The heart is the cosmic tree, the tree of knowledge and the story of jack and the
beanstalk is and example. Jacks climb on the tree is symbolically and metaphorically
the ascension through the levels of knowledge which is also symbolic of the story of
creation70. Jack ascends the bean stalk (identified with the tree of life71) with the help
of Odin in the form of an old man, an ascetic like or sagely figure. With the gift of the
70
“Yggdrasil [Irminsul], that is, at the “centre of the world”. We even hear of nine subterranean levels;
…a giant professes to have obtained his wisdom through descending the “nine worlds below”. Here we
have the Central Asian cosmological schema of seven or nine hells corresponding to the seven or nine
heavens…. Mircea Eliade, Archaic Techniques of ecstasy, (Bollingen series LXXVI, Princeton
University press, N.J. Princeton University Press, 1974.) p. 2.
71
see the Frazers the Golden Bough
157
magic beans sybolic of the start of knowledge, jack ascends the tree of life and
overcomes many trials symbolic of the trials of the path of a murid seeking divine
knowledge. But why did jack undertake this peralus journey? His mother and he were
starving and the house needed repairs, in short they were destitute. And so jack
undertook the dagerouse jouney for the good of his family, puting his own safty aside
in a selfless gesture, which made his ascention possible. Once in the other world at the
top of the beanstalk or tree of life, what did he find? He found Treasures of various
sorts, each sybolic of divine gifts to the seeker of true knowledge. The golden eggs
symbolic of the renewal of Cosmic oneness of macro-cosm and micro cosm or the
truth in the book of Har, and a magic flute symbolic of the lost note of spiritual
trascendance. His arrival in the realm of the divine was not the end of his journey.
Jack must kill the giant, although it may not be aparent to the untrained eye, but in
many European legends the giant has replaced the dragon as the mythical guardian of
the tree of life; who wants to greedly keep the tree and all of its gifts for himself. As
mentioned before it was nidhog the dragon in ancient Germanic tails who nawed and
tortured Yggdrasil. Jacks descent or return to the world of middle earth is also
symbolic of what sufis call the return to sobriety. Away from the beutyful cloud world
of the divine at the top of the stalk, jack must return to middle earth and share the
wealth he has erned, clearly symbolic of the sharing of divine gifts inherant in the
actions of all great mystics who have reached the exsperience of gnosis and retuned to
help the common folk to make the journey. However as is the case in most cultures,
this legend has degenerated into a simple childrens story and lost it’s profound effect
upon the minds of men. This role and acention of the hero is comparable to both the
158
Jack and the Old man he meets who gives him the seeds for the beanstalk are
both symbolic representatives of the green man. Each is a sybol for one season in the
development of man, youth and elderly, spring and winter, one at the time of Yule
when he arrives and the other just before death at the autumn equinox of Sahween;
and both are represented in the Beltane or Walpurgisnacht celebration of may 1st as
the death and resurrection of the green man which is called burying the carnival. The
use of various folk lore motifs such as gold symbolic of knowledge, and the good
symbolic of the spiritual practices mentioned below are tools of the candidate for
ascension, the story guides the would be student through the ascension process. It is
interesting to note that there is an Ascension feast among the Hessians (aka-Volsungs
in Scandinavian) who are descended of the Irmani, and they, are the human guardians
of Irminsul. In celtic folk lore and legend it is the Griffin that guards the tree, and in
other cultures the seriph, however the precensce of the snake is a later inovation which
usurpted the position of the griffin in Persia; that was not the case among the Celtic
people.
The Christianization and the hiding of folk myths of Odin made it necessary
for each priest and bishop in each Germanic and Celtic community or province to
“demonize” the archetype of the Allfather in a different fashion, with the coming
together of these many different versions we see an unbalanced and un-uniform type
of syncretism. This syncretism created both the new pseudo archetype of the “Devil”
and the “saints” which represented Germanic Deities. On the positive side there is
little doubt that the Christians could not completely destroy the Odin archetype and so
the people were allowed to keep certain aspects of the archetype such as the saint who
159
best represented his archetype, “saint” John saint George and others; these saints were
none other than Odin himself in the guise of Christian saints, thus creating yet another
In the early middle ages the practice of Sorcery was an un-acceptable practice
for men, but not for women, why? Primarily due to the fact that women of the Celtic
regions were originally wise women of clans, tribes and sometimes even queens or
leaders of clans, such as the famous queen Bodica. In the Germanic world the reason
was similar; the Christians feared the strength of character and independence of the
Germanic woman. Throughout the ages many woman warriors and great sorceresses
have existed and been written about in Germanic culture. For example Brunhild,
Kremhild, the Valkiri’s of Odin, The Amazon’s, all warriors and strong women.
However the Germanic women did not want for women of magic- Freya, Heidi
(author of Volupsa), Guliveg, and many others, powerful sorceresses all. It was this
strength of conviction placed along side of healers, midwifes, and wise women who
all resisted the primitive and restrictive dogmas of early Christianity, and what we
ways, however I would like to illustrate for you two important points which are
implicitly implied and of great importance to the examination of those Wizards who
followed or immolated him. When Odin hung on the tree of life this was a symbolic
gesture of the sacrifice of the ego for the one and only true self, God73. The ancient
72
(john is Odin) El Khidre in the populare religion of Turkey, f.w. hastuck, Christianity and Islam
under the sultans Koranic saints, vol. 2, (Oxford university press, 1929), 319-336.
73
The earliest written forrm of the GermanicGermanic word God comes from the 6th century
Christian Codex Argenteus. The English word itself is derived from the Proto-GermanicGermanic
*Guđan. Most linguists agree that the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form *hu-tó-m was based
on the root *hau(ə)-, which meant either "to call" or "to invoke". Main article: God (word),
www.wikipedia.com.
160
scripture of the Elder Eddas are related to us by Saemund Sigfusson a Germanic
Gothar who was trained in astrology and the sciences in Andalusia by the Muslim
Islamic scientist there7475. While reports are scant we have no reason to doubt this due
to the fact that this is not something that would readily be claimed in medieval
Christian Europe; such a claim could have easily had Saemund Sigfusson burnt at the
stake. Therefore it is without doubt not something which one would lye about unless
they were either insane or somewhat stupid neither of which charectoize Saemund
Sigfusson. We know from his Elder Eddas he was quit brilliant and skilled in
cosmology. In Saemund Sigfusson’s Edda and in Snorri Sturlesson’s Edda we see that
Odin sacrificed himself to himself, inferring a similar concept of the ‘God within’
spoken of by al Hallaj in his famouse “anal al Haqq” and several other famous Sufis.
74
…Saemund's predilection for the sagas and songs of the old heathen times (even for the magical
ones) was so well known, that among his countrymen there were some who regarded him as a great
sorcerer, though chiefly in what is called white or innocuous and defensive sorcery, a repute which still
clings to his memory among the common people of Iceland, and will long adhere to it through the
numerous and popular stories regarding him (some of them highly entertaining) that are orally
transmitted from generation to generation.[1] S وmund died at the age of 77, leaving behind him a work
on the history of Norway and Iceland, which is now almost entirely lost….. S وmund's predilection for
the sagas and songs of the old heathen times (even for the magical ones) was so well known, that
among his countrymen there were some who regarded him as a great sorcerer, though chiefly in what is
called white or innocuous and defensive sorcery, a repute which still clings to his memory among the
common people of Iceland, and will long adhere to it through the numerous and popular stories
regarding him (some of them highly entertaining) that are orally transmitted from generation to
generation.[1] S وmund died at the age of 77, leaving behind him a work on the history of Norway and
Iceland, which is now almost entirely lost….. S وmund was residing, in the south of Europe, with a
famous Master, by whom he was instructed in every kind of lore; while, on the other hand, he forgot
(apparently through intense study) all that he had previously learned, even to his own name; so that
when the holy man John Ogmundson came to his abode, he told him that his name was Koll; but on
John insisting that he was no other than S وmund Sigfusson, born at Oddi in Iceland,…. one dark night,
they betook themselves to flight. No sooner had the Master missed them than he sent in pursuit of them;
but in vain, and the heavens were too overcast to admit, according to his custom, of reading their
whereabouts in the stars. So they traveled day and night and all the following day. But the next night
was clear, and the Master at once read in the stars where they were, and set out after them at full speed.
Then S وmund, casting his eyes up at the heavens, said, "Now is my Master in chase of us, and sees
where we are. The Project Gutenberg EBook : Title: The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the
Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson, Author: Saemund Sigfusson and Snorre Sturleson, Release Date:
January 18, 2005 [EBook #14726].
75
….the magician must study how to compel these forces by carving images on stones (talismans),
chanting and singing mystical songs, making certain gestures and producing appropriate odours – all of
these at astrologically propitious times. Geoffrey Scarre, Witchcraft and magic in the 16th and 17th
century Europe,( Basingstoke, Eng. : Macmillan, repr 1992, 1987), 7.
161
How can we be sure of this? First of all, we have seen that there was both a
historical Odin and a Mythological Odin (merged with Deus through syncretism and
anthropomorphism), we have also seen how the mythological Odin took on the mode
of a sky God and earth God through syncretism and came to be called ‘all father’ in a
similar fashion to Brahma in Hinduism. Thus, we know that before hanging on the
tree of life Odin was often referred to as Wodan, Woden, Voden, Vodan and a host war
like names. Many historians believe that these are the names which all originate from
a historical Odin, a living man, who was a great war leader of exceptional high moral
standards who swept into Europe from across the caucus mountains and waged war on
the fertility cults of the Wullendorf and Tizan cultures mentioned by Marija Gimbutas
in her book Bronze Age Cultures in Central And Eastern Europe. In fact several
scholars are convinced that the Tizan or Wullendorf Goddess. As is inferred to in the
title this cult was centered on the idea of a Goddess rather than a father God, who had
a consort. This was a central them in the traditions of the Wullendorf fertility Goddess
complex culture of Neolithic Eastern Europe area which may have spread to central
Asia and northern India76. This was a matriarchal culture in which the male was a
weak male by Aryan standards. Furthermore it has been proven that this religion
survived as a small cult among the Vikings and other Germanic peoples. However it
was the historical Odin who waged war upon them, making incest illegal, orgies
illegal, and the practice of Sorcery illegal for men. We are told in the Eddas that after
Wodin hung on the tree he was called Odin, Harbard, Har, Grimmnir, and a host of
76
….at any rate we are now confronted with clear evidence of the formation in northern India of a new
type of culture organically combining Traditions of the local bronze age civilization and new features
clearly connected with…the culture of the first Aryan princedoms….there are indeed links between the
culture of eastern Kazakhstan Taklamakhanians] remains and …the timber-grave culture of eastern
Europe….in the second millennium B.C …thus in the Indus valley the immense capitals of Harrapan
culture, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, …life declined in …centers of habitation….Alone with the
decline…there was a transformation of culture rather than a break…” V.M. Masson, the decline of the
Bronze Age civilization and movements of the tribes, p. 337.
162
other names, strangely all of these names make inference or directly state a sense of
‘wisdom’ or Weiss in German. That is to say, that, when Woden hung on the tree of
life he was Woden warlord, but when he came down he was Odin the wise, holder of
‘Runes’. And that it was runes which formed the center of ValGaldre “Heavenly
From this we can clearly see that the tree Irminsul which Odin hung upon was
metaphorical for the ascension of the microcosm to macrocosm, and that when the two
become one, spiritual equilibrium on a Pre-Islamic level was the result. But a
shockingly true fact that further supports this is that the idea of the
before Odin ever came to Europe. In the 5th millennium B.C.E we see a relief
sculpture in Sumeria (the other side of the caucuses) representing the exact same
artifact also has a sun symbol at the center of the macrocosm in one symbol and the
tree of life rune Ing or Inguz (exactly as is seen among Irmani) in the center of
another. Next to these two symbols is another symbol of the solar cross. all are
represented together and illustrate that the Sumerians, who’s language was based upon
proto-Elam a Aryan language akin to the Gothic of Odin, and that they had some
understanding of the concept ‘so above as below’ together with the tree of life and
ascension in some form and that they related these symbols to God.
Thus, we can say without fail, that, the culture from which the historical Odin
77
…the runes were usually associated with charms (Galdr), the recital of rhythmic formulas of
magic, sometimes fixed formulas, some times improvised for the occasion. In charms certain numbers
with magic significance, and verse-forms based on numbers, played a great part, as among the ancient
Indians. Such magic songs were used for various purposes’ to … than heal wounds, abate fire or
storm… (Valgaldr) and many others. Haakon Shetelig, and Hjalmar Falk, translated by E.V. Gordon.
Scandinavian Archaeology (Oxford: At Claredon Press, 1937). p. 414.
163
came from possessed ‘some sort of knowledge’ a concept of spiritual ascension of the
soul, second that this may have been a common Indo-Aryan spiritual concept, and
third that this spiritual belief of the historical Odin has somehow attached itself to the
mythological Odin archetype and his mythological legend. From these stories all of
which are ‘the hero’s journey,’ we see that it is not through philosophy, but through
mythology and legend that the Germanic through the Indo-European line, Indian
through the Indo Aryan line and Malay through both; through these lines of diffusion
discussed in the next section. The third stage is ‘finding the Divine Gift’ – Once the
hero has left the forest and emerged as in the case of the bharratas in the
Mahabharata (Arjuna and his brothers) he finds another trial, the trial of temptation.
Usually the trial of temptation precedes the trial of battling the great dragon, but in the
case of later form of literature this is reversed. This reversal is due to the lost
understanding and symbolic value of metaphor in the context the spiritual nature of
the treasure (enlightenment) guarded by the dragon. In any event the trial of
temptation is the final trial before the hero ventures to the sacred mountain and the
tree of life. Ascension of the sacred mountain and the tree of life atop the mountain is
In Merlin’s words to young King Arthur when he recites his poem of magic
“what if you slept, and what if, in your sleep you dreamed? And what if, in your
dream, you went to heaven and there plucked a strange and beautiful flower? And
what if, when you awoke, you had the flower in your hand? What then?” In this poem
we see the true heart of the Germanic Wizard or Wiseman, that nature and heaven are
one, which the truth of awareness is not in heaven or magic alone, but in the oneness
164
of Tawhid Like the Malay of the Pre-Islamic period, the Irmani of Germania was also
close to nature.
The closeness of the Germanic people is seen quite clearly in the descriptions
given by Cornelius Tacitus, various Romans and the Celtic travelers who have visited
approaches animism in their love of nature, but which is also full of devotion to the
Gods; this is especially true of Odin. The priests were extremely powerful, theurgist as
well as priest and humble.78 As mentioned in this dissertation, the Odin archetype is
partially based upon at least one historical figure who may have been a prophet by the
criteria of Islamic science, regardless of whether or not he was a prophet, there is little
doubt that the historical Odin was indeed a Sage of the highest proficiency.
The oneness of Tawhid is established not only in the Qur’an but also in the
statements of the prophet of Islam himself, Muhammad. If we examine the tree of life,
the nature of Tawhid in the signs of Allah to be found in Nature and the oneness which
being ‘Gods’ rather than angels which have brought the attributes of Allah in
emanation and not original potency, to earth. Then the reality of the word Tawhid
monotheistic prophets by both the Germanic and Malay peoples.79 The degeneration
78
Although the familiar method of seeking information from the cries and flight of birds is known to
the Germans, they have a special method of their own…to obtain omens and warnings from horses. The
horses are kept …in sacred woods and groves …; they are pure white and undefiled…the priest and
King …walk beside them…, taking note of their neighs…No kind of Omen inspires greater trust, not
only among the common people, but even among the nobles and priest, who think that they themselves
are but servants to the Gods…. H.Mattingly transl., Tacitus: The Agricola and Germania, (Penguin
classics, Penguin Books Ltd, 375 Hudson street, New York, New York, 1970.) p. 109-110.
79
…and the father of all genies…Luqman al-Hakim[prophet Khidr] ….ending with an invocation to
the spirits of the village, various nature-spirits, the Spectre Huntsman and Siva… This Spectre
Huntsman is even known by the various Malay appellations of the Divine Teacher such as "Raja of
land-folk," "Raja of Ghosts," and "Gaffer Long Claws." Now Siva, of course, was the Rudra of Vedic
times. And it has been pointed out how in Rudra are found the same characteristics that distinguish the
German Wodan (or Odin), namely those of a storm-God followed by hosts of spirits, a leader of lost
165
the teachings of these prophets which is in fact largely related to nature as any one of
the examples we may wish to examine, and after the passage of time have come to
represent the core of the independent, yet linked religious tradition 80. Therefore what
we see here is that the idea of Tawhid, the messages of prophets who came before
Muhammad; and the message of Muhammad are all equally valid truths. In addition
the idea that Muslims are in some way in a superior position to that of non Muslims
faithful to God (Muk-man), is, in all honesty ‘ridiculous. The fact of the matter is that
by viewing these very verses of Qur’an the most sacred book of Islam becomes clear
that in Islam the followers of the prophet Khidr, Enoch, Moses and Jesus are all
equally guided by God. Therefore, the fact that it was Khidr himself who instituted the
those who choose a Thamaturgical form of mysticism are not in any way at odds with
Islam, provided their intention ad their thaumaturgy is directed at the one and only
God of all creation and does not reject or contradict divine revelation. Now, I would
like to examine the ascension of Odin in Germanic mythology and those who
followed him and learned not only the “low magic” of folk magic, but who also in
time learned the “high magic” or the alchemy of the heart through contact with the
souls, identified both in Malay and German legend with the Spectre Huntsman. The association by
Malays of the Spectre Huntsman with Siva clearly corroborates the relationship between Rudra and
Wodan and lends colour to the theory of an Indo-GermanicGermanic storm-God, the common source of
the Indian and Teutonic myths. Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The Malay Magician,
Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford University press, 1969), 34.
80
"Let none of you say I am superior to [the prophet] Jonah," (Bukhari, 4.193: 3412), for the
illumination of Jonah's tawhid (upon him be peace)--under the darkness of the storm, the darkness of
the sea, and the darkness of the belly of the fish--was not less than the illumination of the Prophet's
tawhid at the zenith of his success as the spiritual leader of all Arabia (Allah bless him and give him
peace). The light of their message was one, in which sense the Qur'an says, "We do not differentiate
between any of His messengers" The Holy Qur'an, Abdulla Yusuf Ali, (Kuala Lumpur, Saba Islamic
Media, 2nd ed. 2001), 2:285.
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Merlin the height of the theurgist in literature
Medieval legends and tales can often be traced back through certain traits inherent in
their characters which become motifs in a literary genre and carried forward their
altered form. The most descriptive motifs to represent Odin’s character in pagan
legends and tales are manifest in the character of Merlin the Magician. In Morte D’
Arthur, the sword in the stone motif appears when Sir Gawain finds the sword in a
It is unlikely that the original form of this tale would have expected us to
believe that a “stone” could float. A more likely idea is that an article from the hall of
some noble was said to have been the place where the sword was stuck. It floated
down a stream, which represented the mystical values of the day attached to
“stones”81. This would be more logical hypotheses, and would account for both the
differences in the materials used and one of the ways in which these motifs may have
been altered. In the latest of the sword tales, Charlemagne in the Song of Roland is
identified with Odin, and again the sword is magic, yet by this time it is the Christian
cult of saints who are substituted for the pagan symbols in or on the sword. Most
likely this tale is based upon the Volsunga Saga, the Nordic version of Beowulf.
Obviously, the objects in the sword are meant to be of mystical or magical value and
belong to the cult of the saints, a well known Christian cult influence from paganism
early in the ninth century. However At this point we ‘we all know’ the true value of
the sword and the victory that Roland failed to achieve. In an almost insanely ironic
twist, Charlemagne comes riding on a ‘white horse’ at the end of the story and
81
Also Merlin let by his subtlety that Bailin’s sword was put in a marble stone standing upright …the
stone hoved always above the water… It swam down the stream to the city of Camelot…and so
Galahad brought with him the scabbard and achieved the sword that was there. Sir Thomas Malory, ‘Le
Morte D Authur,<http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/toccer?
id=allMor&tag=pubic&images=images/modeng&data=/lv1/Archive/eng-parsed&part=0> ,
(Accessed 30 October, 2008).
167
destroys the “evil Muslim” hordes, with his ‘flowing long white beard’ and saintly
‘glow’. If your wondering ‘yes’ it’s the Odin archetype attached to the very same man
who massacred his follower only a couple hundred years before, now mythological
discusses Arthur’s education in ethics and how to be a noble ruler. This is taught to
him by Merlin in the shape of a “woodsman” dressed in exactly the garb one would
expect from Wod of the wild hunt, better known in Sherwood forest as ‘Hern the
hunter’ (Odin ‘best lord’). Odin and Merlin were both shape-shifters and capable of
assuming whatever form suited them82. Like Odin, the character of Merlin in Morte
D’ Arthur also carries the motif of prophecy, the ability to see the future. For
example, in this tale we have no knowledge of Merlin seeing or being told anything
about a storm, yet when the storm reaches them, Merlin has already arranged for the
treasure to be hidden. The storm is, of course, a metaphor for the oncoming battle
These have more profoundly language based metamorphosis in Islam; they are
the tree of life and the creative principle. Therefore they represent the world of nature
and the vertical ascension to gnosis. In e Malay myth we also see this in the role of Sri
adopted from the Aryan Hinduism imported to Malaya, the Aryans adopted it from the
Harrapans and combined the fertility aspect of Sri as the consort the ‘lord of the sky’
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Merlin came to one of the castles that stand in the forest of Sherwood. Merlin was so disguised that
King Arthur knew him not, for he was all befurred in black sheep-skins, and a great pair of boots, and a
bow and arrows. … On the morn after Candlemas day, Merlin came again in the likeness of an old man
of fourscore year of age, …I am Merlin,… Ah, said King Arthur, ye are a marvelous man. Sir Thomas
Malory, ‘Le Morte D Authur,The Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL), via
<http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/.>
(Accessed 30 October, 2008).
83
A great wind blew down their castles and their towns. … Then by counsel of Merlin,… great
treasure hid in the earth. Who told thee so, churl? said Arthur. Merlin told me so, said he. Then
Ulfius and Brastias knew him well enough. Sir Thomas Malory, ‘Le Morte D Authur,The Online
Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL), <http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/.>
168
replacing the ‘lord of beast’ as the mate of Sri just as Freya was taken from Frey by
symbols found in this myth. The concept of the feminine creative principle may have
been due to the influence of the Harrapans upon the peoples of the Fertile Crescent
during the third millennium BCE. Certainly the concept of a universal fertility symbol
the realm of mythology between the Aryans and the fertility cults of northern India
and Wullendorf. The conclusion to whether or not this syncretism was complete we
mentioned is the creative principle, according to Islamic science it was the creative
principle with which Allah created the Empirical world and placed it under the control
of natural laws. Next we move to the sword, the sword is always the symbol of the
hero, it is always given by God. In Germanic mythology it is always Odin who is the
sword giver, this is seen clearly in the legend of Siegfried the Volsung. Siegfried is e
prototypical example of the ‘Heroes journey’ in Germanic myth. Volsung means ‘Son
of Heaven’ and is a very important epitaph, it signifies from the beginning the
relationship between Siegfried and God because Volsung is another name for Irmani.
In Malay history the Raja was always the holder of the Vajra sword or ‘Lightning
sword’ given by Brahma. My scholars believe that in Hindu myth, the trinity of
Brahma, Siva and Vishnu are the equivalent of the trinity of Har, Ygg, and Odin or
Odin, villi and ve, all of which are only other faces of Odin. Therefore the structure of
the mythological symbolism is reflective of the cosmological world view shared by all
Aryan peoples, and now a part of Malay culture as well. The countless tales of swords
and the divine decent or divine rule of kings are far too extensive for the scope of this
dissertation. However, one story which illustrates the point best is the story of
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Siegfried as mentioned above.
During this time, several literary genres were popular and seem to be very
instrumental in maintaining the archetypes which had previously dominated the sagas
and legends of the Germanic peoples. Of these several were famous such as Volsunga
Saga, Beowulf, Tristan De Solt, Parzival, the Niebelungonlied, and Mort de Arthur.
One of the archetypes which did not dominate the scene but was nevertheless included
and not excluded was the wizard or wandering sage. This archetype is for the most
part still closely linked to the magical aspects of pagan literature while drifting further
and further from the religious message of paganism. One example is Merlin the
Magician in Morte D’ Arthur, who is a secluded and mysterious figure, inherited his
There are four distinctively clear motifs in folk tales which are of primary
importance in determining the origin of the wizard archetype. They are magic,
magical gift giving, shape-shifting, and prophecy. The magic motif can also be
broken down into twelve different sub categories, each of which is a manifestation of
motifs according to the type index. They would be classified as tale type number 300,
Throughout the sagas and later Eddic lays, Odin is the older form of the wizard
archetype, who was portrayed as a fierce war-like wizard from the bronze age to
800CE, and was transformed by the eleventh century into a quiet, wise, wandering
sage with a long white beard and a staff, as the tales told in Heimskringla. Odin is a
very powerful sorcerer according to the Eddas. His powers encompass more magic
than any other wizard throughout the history of Europe. He is the oldest wizard
archetype in Northern Europe, and possibly all of Europe. Odin possessed a type of
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magical and herbal power or magic, which is one of the most important motifs to be
inherited by later wizard legends and fairy tales. Many researchers and writers in the
area of Germanic studies seem to believe that specific Gods of the pagan Germanic
society were figures related to only one area of Germanic culture for example Frey
and Freya were related to fertility. However the idea of these two being the only two
figures invoked for fertility is ridiculous. Other hydrophanes such as Thor, Sif and
others are prime examples of Germanic Gods and Goddesses who were connected to
fertility. Furthermore, Odin is the only God who has several if not many connections
to the world of nature. These areas of his Archetype can be summarized as Archetypal
motifs related to; trees, thunder, shamanism, Herbalism, the Ecstatic experience,
Herbal hallucinogens, creation of the world, the name Allfather – which implies not
only humans but also the animal and vegetable kingdom owe their existence to Odin
in the ancient Germanic worldview. His later manifestations as Lord of the wild hunt,
Lord of graves, Lord of beast, and the ‘wild man of the wood’ are all epitaphs which
make him the prime if not only complete hierophant possible of bearing the name
Odin’s magic was first established as early as the ninth century with the
Merseburg Charm in which Odin healed a horse’s broken leg with a magic spell8485.
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Phol and Wodan rode into the woods; There Balder's foal sprained its foot.
It was charmed by Sinthgunt, her sister Sunna; It was charmed by Freya, her sister Volla; It
was charmed by Wodan, as he well knew how: Bone-sprain, like blood-sprain, Like limb-sprain; Bone
to bone; blood to blood; Limb to limb -- like they were glued. Limb to limb -- like they were glued. D.
L. Ashliman, Merseburg Incantations,via < http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/merseburg.html.>
85
With words alone he could quench fire, still the ocean tempest, sometimes even he called the dead
out of the earth …in all such things he was pre-eminently wise. He taught all these arts in runes, and
songs which are called incantations, …Odin understood the art… which he himself practiced; namely
what is called magic…he could know before hand the predestined fate of men.“Odin could transform
his shape: his body would lie as if dead, or asleep; but then he would be in shape of a fish, or worm
dragon, or bird.” Snorri Sturluson, trans. Lee M. Hollander Heimskringla, (Austin: University of
Texas Press, 1995), 10.,
‘The Ynglinga saga,” The Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL),
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/.
171
In connection with magic or witchcraft, the legends of wizards and witches
often carry granules of historical truth concerning paganism. The Gothi priest of
paganism often used spells and charms, of course the chief archetype for immolating
Another important motif in the Wizard archetype is magic gift giving, which is
best demonstrated through “the sword in the stone” motif. Among the pagan tales,
concerning Odin as a sorcerer or a wizard, many are linked with his tradition of giving
magical swords to heroes. This is a motif which has been repeated in several
Legends. The sword in the stone motif first appears in the Codex Regis and then in
the Volsunga Saga. In the tale of the Volsunga, the sword is taken from the great hall
of King Seggier which is made from a giant hollowed-out ash tree (ash is sacred to
The art of shape-shifting is not uncommon in the Germanic world, and has
existed within Germanic literature from the very beginning. The first literary
character as a shaman or shape-shifter who is very prominent in the history is the God
Odin himself, known as a hunts man or “lord of the wild hunt” among Anglo-Saxon
Englishmen87. From these stories ‘the hero’s journey all’ we see that it is not through
philosophy, but through mythology and legend that the Germanic and Malay
legends will be discussed in the next section. The third stage is ‘finding the Divine
Gift’ – Once the hero has left the forest and emerged as in the case of the barratas in
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He (Odin) was very tall and gray with age, and he had only one eye. He brandished the sword and
thrust it into the trunk so that it sank up to the hilt… [Odin] began to speak: he who draws the sword
from the trunk shall receive it from me as a gift. The Saga of the Volsunga, the Norse Epic of Sigurd
the Dragon Slayer, trans. Jesse L. Byock (Berkly: University of California Press, 1990), 38.
87
“Odin could transform his shape: his body would lie as if dead, or asleep; but then he would be in
shape of a fish, or worm dragon, or bird.” ‘The Ynglinga saga,” The Online Medieval and Classical
Library (OMACL), <http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/.>
172
the Mahabharata (Arjuna and his brothers) he finds another trial, the trial of
temptation. Usually the trial of temptation precedes the trial of battling the great
dragon, but in case of later literature this is reversed due to the lost understanding of
the symbolic value of the metaphor concerning the spiritual nature of the treasure
guarded by the dragon. In any event the trial of temptation is the final trial before the
hero ventures to the sacred mountain and the tree of life. Ascension of the sacred
mountain and the tree of life atop the mountain is of course the ‘great treasure
attained’, that is enlightenment or gnosis. The temptation before the ascension is the
the empirical world. I the hero can control himself and abstain from relations with the
beautiful and seductive woman then he has earned the right to ascend the mountain
and the sacred tree attaining the treasure of ascension, however if he cannot he will
the case of the prophets saying ‘keep your tongue and that which is between you legs
and I can assure you heaven’. By escaping from attachment to the world and focusing
only on the divine, the hero progresses to ascension, however if he cannot as discussed
gift of the sight to see the spiritual path necessary to ascend and after the ascension the
gift of radiance of Karamat88. But to gain the gift one must maintain “spiritual vision”.
This gift of radiance is seen clearly the story of Sakamoni Buddha, this is the
bodhisattva gift of Boddhicita. In Sufism it has been said many times that when a Wali
88
In vesting the wurid with the patched frock, Sufism has preserved the old symbolism of garments: by
donning a garment that has been worn, or even touched, by the blessed hands of a master, the disciple
gains some of the baraka, the mystic-magical power of the sheik….The khirqa-yi irada, is bestowed
upon him only by his true spiritual master, who is responsible for his progress. The khirqa was usually
Dark blue…. Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam, (University of North Carolina
Press, Chapel Hill, 1975), 102
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has obtained the gift of Divine light his face changes and at times even his close
friends and relatives may not recognize his face it has changed so much due to the
light of God after meeting with his divine glory. This is also important since the divine
source of the energy given by Allah which he used to make the human soul; if taken in
this form, the divine gift of light is symbolic of the gift of a ’purified soul’. Obviously
there is no shortage of such lessons in Germanic and Malay mythology and culture in
general. Both are replete with legend of a magical or mystical nature. The question at
referred to in Germanic mythology as the Runes. In the elder Eddas we see the legend
of the acquisition of the runes by Odin when he hung on the tree of life Irmansul or in
legends. But do the states and stations of the path of Willayah have a parallel role in
Sufism of the Malay? First of all, the states of the hero’s ascension were already
represented in Malaya in both the indigenous form of shamanism containing the tales
of young heroic shaman ascending the tree of life, fighting demons, and saving souls
during their ecstatic journeys or astral travel to the land of spirits. Next we see another
rendition of the same journey in the synchronized Aryan stories told in the Ramayana
and the mahaburatta. The Malay version of the Ramayana is the most prestigious
literary work of the Malay and the proto-typical example in Asia of the ‘hero’s
journey’. But another question now arises; did the Malay form of Sufism absorb
aspects of the previous mention two Pre-Islamic traditions into the tales told by Malay
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Sufis? According to several top Islamic scholars the answer is yes. The hero’s tales
were adopted into the Malay Hikayats and combined with Sufi ethics to assist in the
islamasizing of Malaya via the most popular medium of the time, the ‘telling of tales’.
When we speak of telling tales, we are not referring to bedtime stories or gossip, we
are referring to those spiritual and mythological moral stories an legends which are
entrusted to a professional story teller who is often a sage. In reference to this skill it is
classified directly under the title of ‘lore mastery’ that is the skill of re-telling lore or
sacred stories. Lore mastery was always an important skill in pre-literate cultures
around the world, before the elder Eddas, before the written Qur’an and Hadith, the
Ramayana or any of the sac4red tales or scriptures we have discussed were written
down; they were told orally. The telling of these tales or lore mastery is something
which was not entrusted to just anyone, because of the sacred nature of these tales and
the aspect of divine truth in the metaphorical meaning of these tales it was the role of
the priest, shaman, theurgist or other religious specialist who were the keepers of lore
in the pre-literate world. Among the greatest of the roles played by lore, was the
metaphorical instruction for ascension which e have mentioned above. The domain of
the Sage, the prophets, the Wali and other specialist as mentioned before included lore
mastery and though the differences of recitation may be few or many and the scripture
or myth may differ, the goal was always the same, to bring knowledge of the divine.
In Germanic society the sages were skalds, bards, or Wizards who inherited this role
from the Gothar who gained it from their predecessor the Gothi. From Gothi to
Wizard we see the dissemination of the Germanic religious tradition along with its
ethics and religious injunctions from the Germanic point of view carrying the Divine
mandate. The term Wizard or ‘Weiss-art” means Wise man and comes from the
linguistic root of Wizago or Devin in the Norman dialect and was directly related to
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both thru the role of theurgist and the singer of tales. In the Malay Khalwah we also
find a wise man or a sage, and while the Khalwah fulfills all of the characteristics of a
wise man, he does not fulfill all of the characteristics of a Wali The Wali is close to
God, he is a man who has already ascended the tree of life or is at the end of this
quest. In examining the ‘heroes journey’ in the Malay culture we should not compare
the Khalwah and the Wali, rather we should recognize that, a Khalwah who is
extremely good at what he does will eventually become a Wali. Furthermore the
healing areas of the Wali can be accomplished through Karamat, spiritual gift
equivalent to the magical gift we examined above, but which Islamic scholars
distinguish from that gift as being of a higher level. The heist level of altering reality
through the use of energies, is in the perspective of the Islamic faith the abilities of
prophets and the next highest is the gift of the Wali called Karamat. This is believed to
be true due to the direct gift of divine energies from God to a prophet and or a Wali.
The form of energy we are speaking of is the Karamat mentioned above. When the
Khalwah told his tales, when he was in the position of a ‘lore master’ he was
interest and a draw to the teachings of Sufism, a men who were ready to accept the
challenge or call to the ‘heroes journey’. These young men became adepts,
appre4ntice to the Khalwah. Once a student was accepted the Sheik, he would be
trained in the necessary aspects of his new science. This included all aspects of
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Invocation – prayer
Adjuration - exorcism
These areas of Theurgy were studied for years under the guidance of a spiritual
master (a Wizard or Sufi sheik, respectively). The master put the adept or apprentice
through many trials in imitation of the ‘heroes journey’. Just as the wizard or sage
immolates the archetype of his God, Odin in the case of the Germanic wizard and
Muhammad in the case of the Sufi (as the perfect man reflecting the attributes of Gods
names). The imitation of Muhammad was also taken by the Khalwah, although
primarily in the realm of the esoteric aspects in the beginning. That is the miracles, the
healing, the invocation, and other more esoteric aspects of Muhammad’s role as the
perfected man. While the Wali did immolate these he also immolated the exoteric
aspects of prayer, charity, hajj, Dthikr, and stanch moral injunctions were followed
implicitly in reference to the Shariah or law. The journey the Khalwah undertook
towards ascension and gnosis was taken through the journey of symbols, were as the
journey of the Wali took on both the journey through symbols and philosophy89. One
the apprentice attained his highest level of development under the tutelage of the
89
The role of the Wali in Islamic piety does not correspond exactly to that of the saint in the Christian
faith. It is closely connected with the mystery of initiation and progress on the spiritual path and leads
through a well established hierarchy, the members of which surpass each other according to the degree
of their love and gnosis. The initiation of the adept through Khidr, the prototype of a saint among the
prophets, belongs, therefore, to this discussion.(Mystical dimensions of Islam. Annemarie Schimmel,
Mystical dimensions of Islam, The University of North Carolina Press, 1975), 223 bottom.
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master he was given a sword or staff (a staff or Kris in the case of the Malay) and he
was sent into the world to help others find the path to balance in their lives. He would
help people in their lives, through healing, exorcism, and the ‘wonder working’ skills
of his thaumaturgy. We have seen many commonalities in the roles of these two
theurgists, however there is some question as to the differences between the two
respectively at the final stage of development. Another difference is that the ascension
of the Khalwah during his tenure as a healer may have been states rather than stations
as defined in Sufism. As mentioned earlier, states are temporary and stations are
permanent spiritual stations. The Wali has no end to his development, once he has
seen the light of God he continues up the ascension without end, continually traveling
upward the endless bountiful oneness of God. The Khalwah is either in the first stages
of development or the first stations on the way to becoming a Wali or he is one who
remains as a healer most of his life and may or may not reach certain states, dependant
on the individuals situation respectively. The fact that Khalwah was an part time
ascetic and a part time healer, and that he was attached to a permanent position under
the parish Islamic community leader either an imam or a Wali; makes clear the fact
that he is not free to be a full time ascetic who lives in the mountains. This may
however be the final goal, primarily due to the cultural view among Malay, that, the
old man is best suited for asceticism. Therefore, it may well be that in Malay culture
many of the Wali we see in legend were in fact Khalwah who went to the mountains
thaumaturgist, thus completing their ascension in old age. This does not mean that
there were no younger men who devoted themselves to the ascension to gnosis, there
are also examples of this sort of young Wali and yet they are few and far between.
Turning once again to the Germanic Wizard, we see that the question as to whether or
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not he would be an acetic or a court theurgist was an individual decision. This
remained the reality until the coming of western Hermetisism or occultism. During the
medieval period at the height of the wizard’s art, we see a transformation which took
place and altered his perception of the ascension process. In the early medieval period
the Germanic wizards were introduced to the art of alchemy, astrology, numerology,
and the other Islamic sciences in Andalusia. In fat the man who wrote the most
accepted and scholarly version of the elder Eddas Saemund was himself a student of
the great hakims of Andalusia. Therefore is Islamic science which planted the seeds of
Gnosticism and Hermetisism in the art of the wizard and from this grew western
Glastonbury, St. Columbia, Caedmon, Bede, and have been written in such treatises as
Celtic and Germanic nations, in England both were present. The development and
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….methodology of knowledge (al ilm) in its most c comprehensive sense- one cannot be confronted
by the hierarchic nature and reality of the subjective and objective poles of knowledge…. hierarchy in
both the microcosmic and macrocosmic orders of reality represent many manifestations of the divine
principle….sciences, al Farabi would say, [are] rooted in the nature of things…alchemy and
interpretation of dreams, were excluded from his enumeration (although he wrote treatises on them),
…, treated… as one of al Farabi’s important works… Osman Bakar, Classification of knowledge in
Islam, (International Institute of Thought and Civilization, (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, 2006), xii, 43.
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Mysticism. The deep thought, extrapolation and mystical experimentation that took
place in Europe was taken from two roots the examination of nature, and the
Nicholas Flamel is a good window into the manner in which a thaumaturgist who
believes devoutly in a monotheistic God and his angels, can easily become a cult icon.
Flamel has become the archetype not only of Theurgy, but also of a monotheist
wizard in Europe, so much so that his legend is world famous through the film series
of ‘Harry Potter’. Flamel’s character has been reconstructed from part history and part
urban myth of the preceding centuries. What this demonstrates for us is that regardless
wizard is universal. And while the Malay version of a monotheistic Islamic Wizard
exists in the form of the Khalwah, he is both historical and mythological, as is also the
case with Wali Songo. The true heart of the Germanic Wizard or Wiseman, that nature
and heaven are one that the truth of awareness is not in heaven or magic alone, but in
prophetic signs of God in the teachings of Germanic tribesmen are explored in the
The Wizards, and later Mystics of Egypt again had an influence upon Malaya,
although it is not really apparent, one way in which you may see this in through, the
fact that Coptic was the last version of Egyptian language and was the place were
western Gnosticism and eastern Gnosticism began. With the spread of Eastern
Gnosticism and the Islamic domination of Egypt, the Muslims became the lords of
Egypt and the Sufis became the inheritors of both the Egyptian form of Coptic
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Gnosis. When Sufism came to Malay in the form of Iranian or Persian Sufism and
Shi’aism we see the reintroduction of Egyptian based Theurgy and Gnostic forms of
Thaumaturgy to Malay93. The magical tradition is a tradition which was given to man
by God for a reason and it is an active part of many world religious traditions and is as
such sacred. The sacredness of something, given by God, and sanctified by God
and Wali, we will first examine the Pre-Islamic groups and lastly return to the Tasbih
at the end of this chapter. The use of charms is well known among tribal groups
This sort of Theurgy consist of gathering items from nature, which contain soul
substance or Semangat and using them to cast as spell, protect from a spell or make
something happen. Usually this consists of matching the object constructed of these
items with some hair, fingernails, or other personal trinket from the person to be
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On one hand magic [Wizardry] was part of Gnosis, the knowledge of higher things, that was
the path to salvation. On the other hand, ritual magic was probably being widely abused for commercial
gain…. (Geraldine Pinch, Magic in Ancient Egypt, (British Museum Press, 1994), 62.
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... the Ninety-Nine of Perak compiled in the eighteenth century by a family of Sayids or
descendants of the Prophet, which numbered among its members several Muslims saints. ‘Muslim,’ it is
laid down, must feed the district judge, the officials of the mosque, the magician and the midwife. The
muezzin in king in the mosque and the magician is king in the house of the sick, in the rice-field and on
the mine.... Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The Malay Magician, Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A
Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford University press, 1969), 72.
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Anayisis of al-Tawhid as essence, i.e., as the first determining priciple of Islam, its culture and
civilization, Al tawhid is that which gives islamic civilization its identity,….it recast them so as to
haramonize with and mutually support other elements. Without necessaraly changing their natures, the
essence transforms the elements making up a civilization, giving them their new character as
constitutive of that civilization….’ilm al tawhid subsumed under it the disciplines of logic,
epistomology, metaphysics and ethics… Al Faruqi, Ismail Raji. Al-Tawhid: its Implications for thought
and life., (International Institute of Islamic thought. Herndon. Virginia. U.S.A., 1992), p. 17.
96
…, which was to become crytstalized later in the Pythagorian and Platonic school, and also
Hermeticism, which resulted from the wedding between certain aspects of Egyptian and Greek
traditions, must be studied as sacred knowledge much like the metaphysical doctrines of Hinduism, and
not only as profane philosophy. These forms of wisdom are related to the Greek religious tradition and
should be viewed as such and not only in opposition to “revealed truth.” Nasr, Seyyed Hossein.
Knowledge and the Sacred. (The Gifford Lectures, Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981). p.13.
181
effected. As most of these deals with Sorcery practiced by the Bomo, we will only
tough on the subject lightly and then turn to protective charms and charm
Like the Germanic and Celtic tribes the charms used usually include parts of
animals found as game such as deer, fish, wild boars, bears, snakes and other wild
game; herbs, special tree roots and or bark which contains herbal medicines, stones,
especially stones or trees struck by lightning, special flowers and plants. The reason
for this is that the Semangat which is said to reside in the physical body of these
natural entities is supposed to be very strong. Among the Malay the strongest of these
is the tiger, and the tiger skin is know to be a favorite charm item of the shaman and
continent, china and others. In Germanic lands this is comparable to the use of Bear
and Wolf skins. Smaller items of the tiger are used as charms in the most literal sense
in that the claws, teeth, and smaller parts are often sold as charms after being
The berserks were a group of young men who spent most of their young lives
devoted to the worship of Odin, and warfare. They were said to have been one of the
most dangerous groups of men in history, they went into battle with no amour, no
shield.
The myths state that berserks could not be killed by swords, knives, or spears;
because they were protected by Odin and that they possessed special powers from him
such as the ability to take on the shape of wolves, bears, or ravens. It is the Berserkers
who illustrate so clearly for us the attributes of the Odin archetype as the Wild man of
the woods or leader of the wild hunt persona. And the berserks as the shamanic
followers of this archetype show use a glimpse into the manner of their veneration of
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this archetype. While their brotherhood was one of nature and animal magic coupled
with wild ecstasy and a free wayfarer lifestyle, their veneration and honoring of nature
and the natural realm is unparalleled in Germanic society. This will be more
thoroughly discussed in the section on the Green man persona of the Odin archetype.
The archetype of Odin was originally that of a sky God, representative of the sun, sky,
fire (via lightning and sun symbolism i.e. Swastika) warmth of the summer months,
and of course the lord of lord and ruler of heaven (Valhalla, hell, Nieflheim etc).
Odin is an archetype for all wizards and sorcerers which we encounter in later
folk tales. The cultural identification of Odin and all his special skills such as magic,
shape-shifting, prophecy are due to his reputation as a Shaman. This explains his
association with the Germanic wizard archetype which has been transmitted from
renditions of legends and folk tales. The most obvious example of this is the character
The science of thaumaturgy in the manner that it was used by the Khalwah’s as
a science and the sorcery of the Malay Bomo are not identical. It is well known in the
Germanic world that the Allfather archetype of Odin and his priest were constantly at
war with evil Sorcerers979899. Furthermore the mystics of Malaya, the Sufi Khalwah in
particular has traditionally found himself in the same position. Although there exist
little written information on the role of good versus evil practitioners of magic among
the Pre-Islamic Malay; one thing stands clearly and that is that the Khalwah who
began with animistic skills and converted to Islam were those who fought against evil
97
98
99
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jinn, and esoteric white or high “magic” as used in western English terminology was
in fact one of the lower grades of Gnostic states; according to rank established by such
scholars as Ibn Arabi, Ibn Taimiyyah, and Cornelius Agrippa Von Nettelssheim100101.
This dissertation concerns its self with the above-mentioned Thaumaturgist; the use
and mis-use of the terms like Hati and Semangat, the differences between the
Khalwah as an action taken by the Sufi in retreat or in the manner used by Winstedt as
his “bomo” (Sorcerer) in confusing the Sufi with the Dokun healer. The Malay
Khalwah grew from two roots, the ancient Malay Theurgist (Dokun) of the Dongson
Malay and the other being the introduction of Sufism in the proper sense of the word.
According to Winstedt the Khalwah was a Bomo Sorcerer; however it has never been
established historically just how many Malay Khalwah exorcist were entirly
islamically oriented and how many utilized traditional healing techniques. The
minirity, albet, who were were in all likelyhood a synergetic mixture of herbalist and
Sufi. However, it remains my contension that the majority of Malay Muslim mystics
were sufis of Malay exstraction who were practicing herbalism without any neggative
spiritual inovations.
We will also examine the differences in their view of Tawhid and Nature,
First, greed as the motivation for deviance let us be clear that this is not an
attempt to takes sides; there have always been good and evil behaviors among both
that, in this case, the majority of those Dokuns (strict shaman) who converted to
Sufism make up the majority of the practicing Khalwah or homeopathic doctors and
100
73.
101
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exorcist in Malaya102. Although the Tok Bomo had also occupied a similar role among
the Malay prier to the introduction of Islam, this role was usurped by the Sufi
Khalwah due to their additional skills which included but were not limited to the use
of, the alchemy of the soul, advanced Arabic forms of medicine, a somewhat fuller or
more complete understanding of Tawhid, and their dedication to the needs of the
community rather than selfish needs of the self what is referred to in Malay as
‘Hatikampong, and lastly their patient loving dissemination of Islamic da’wah as seen
in the fact that they were required to heal any patient as soon as they were needed, and
did so. All of these of the Khalwah were absorbed through study with his sheikh the
As mention in this dissertation Joseph Campbell’s use of the monomyth in the form of
the mythological sequencing of events in myth and literature referred to as the ‘heroes
psychological meaning as a window into the processes which we all go through in life,
and which those on a spiritual journey in specific go through on their heroic quest for
union with God and in search of the best aspect of themselves. When Dr. Campbell
discusses the heroes journey he has stated several times in the “hero with a thousand
faces’ that the Sufi ascetics posses such an experience in their quest for gnosis. This is
also the case with the Malay Khalwah, who very name infers the position in Malay
culture; the Arabic term Khalwah means ‘asceticism’, one who leaves the world to
enclose himself somewhere away from the world for a spiritual journey. This is
exactly what the Khalwah did when he went into seclusion in the mountains , lived in
102
103
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his cell the mosque, or was healing of his ‘house of healing’. Therefore it is not
surprising that we see in the legends of the Khalwah and the Wali the retreat to nature
upon Malaya’s mountaintops or deep in the jungle, men who meditated deeply and for
significance of such an act is beyond question a part of mysticism and an ascetic act.
But it is also thaumaturgical; it is an act which includes a degree of ritual. Not ritual
for show, nor ritual for the examination of anyone other than the theurgist himself, this
is ritual for the heart, the ritual of Dthikr of the names of God, it is the ritual of self
denial, the ritual of prayer and penance, of seeking the many symbolic wonders of
In the above quotation we see only a few of the many aspects of the hero’s
journey in the path of Wilayah, the path towards gnosis. And it is indeed a ‘Heroes’
journey as Dr. Campbell calls it, it entails facing all the perils of the cosmos, and all
negativity such a world can offer, pitted against the selfless desire for the beloved
union with ones maker and equipped only with faith, love and intellect, the ‘flowers’
that are in reality swords of ‘perfect equilibrium’. What do I mean by that? I mean
quite simply, that, the mind body and spirit, when properly controlled and put into the
service of the creator of all mankind becomes the most potent weapon for realization
imaginable, and that is a ‘united true soul’. But to achieve this ascetic must be willing
to walk the path through the dark forest of emotions, lust, greed, attachment, and all
other forms of segregation which is in the ultimate reality ‘illusion’, in order to find
his way to the far shore and return again he must let go of his excess baggage. As the
Buddhist say ‘gutte gutte, para gutt, bodhi seha’ (Run, run to the far shore, leave the
boat behind.). In these words are wisdom for the ascetic, and in the mono-myth there
104
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is also wisdom for the ascetic, because it is like a modern affirmation of ancient truths
revealing, that we must all work hard and risk much to have what we need most, this
is the heroes journey and this is what the Khalwah and the Wali did105. These two
the path. The Wali was the sheik and the Khalwah the student, but both were
heroes106107108.
What is meant by this? Before you die, you die; it means that as in the
Buddhist saying above, the death of the ego comes before the death of the body.
Furthermore in Sufism the death of the ego is far more important that than the death of
the body, because the death of the ego allow one to ascend the tree of life and find the
perfected nature of the soul, which was always a part of God and never stopped being
a part of him, only the deception of the idea of the “I” caused man to fall into
ignorance. Therefore once the “I” is exterminated the ‘True ‘I’ may arise. The true ‘I’
is none other than the same purified soul, the spiritual self which was placed in your
body by God himself and this is the ‘I” which rises to control the life once the ego has
been evicted from control. And this is the true meaning of mans identification with the
Tree of Life, the ascension to heaven109110; whether or not the Arabs had done the same
is uncertain, however it was primarily through the Persians and the Indians that
thaumaturgy made its way to Malaya. Once combined with the local understanding of
‘nature’ and the Aryan form of Theurgy pre-existent among the Malays since the
Bronze Age Dongson, this syncretism took shape in the form of the Khalwah or
‘Healing Islamic thaumaturgist’ of the Malay. Thus far we have proven that from the
105
106
107
108
109
110
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beginning of Wizardry or Thaumaturgy, the art and science of thaumaturgy was in fact
created and used by those who were Thaumaturgist and not sorcerers for the purpose
of healing and protecting from unfriendly spirits. This was the format it took
originally in Egypt and this is also the form it took in the other civilizations it came to
CHAPTER SEVEN
ISLAM IN MALAYA
Sufism began with the practices of the Prophets. The prophet Adam was given the
ability to know the essence of all living entities and command of the angels whom
Allah ordered to prostrate before him in the Qur’an. This is the start of Sufism from
the perspective of Sufism. Theologians would say that Sufism started with the prophet
Muhammad, however the prophet Muhammad was not the fist prophet of God, nor did
he come to abrogate any of the previously revealed traditions of the prophets before
him. The Prophet Muhammad’s role was that of the final prophet and the seal of
Prophethood. He is also given to mankind as the most elevated example of the perfect
111
When man wihdraws from the created world and from himself,....when these four properties have
been united in him, then his humanity is transmuted into angelic nature and his servitude uto mastery;
his intellect (‘aql) becomes sense faculty, his invisable reality (ghayb) becomes visable, and his interior
becomes manifest. ...Then if he leavers the place were he is, he leaves behind his substitute (bidal), a
spiritual reality which can be encountered by the spirits of the people of the place this saint has left.
...This spiritual being can also take on bodily form when its owner himself concieves a strong desire for
or connects his spiritual will to that place. This can happen to someone other than the substitute [bidal].
The differece between these two situations is....he who is not a substitute is not aware of that, even
though he has actually left one behind. This is because the latter is not master of these four pillars that
we have mentioned [seclusion, silence, hunger, and vigilance]. The four pillars of spiritual
transformation: The adornment of the spiritually transformed (Hilyat al-abdal), Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi,
transl. Stephen Hirtenstein, Anqa publishing, Oxford, UK, 2008, p. 39.
112
From, the period between about 2,000 BC and 1550 BC, a number of papyri survive which
contain medical and magical remedies for various illnesses, accidents, or complications of pregnancy.
Several of these papyri describe their contents as ‘the secrets of the Doctor’. They appear mainly to be
manuscripts owned and used by practicing doctor-magicians see further chapter Ten). Geraldine Pinch,
Magic in Ancient Egypt, British Museum Press, 1994), 64.
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man, in who can be found the perfect role model as seen I the perspective of Islam.
This includes the esoteric aspect of his Dthikr which some dispute according to
Sufism.
The bases for Islamic thaumaturgy or ritual were created from the foundation
of Arab and central Asian culture. While Islam does not see the symbolism of divine
signs in the same way Pre-Islamic tradition of the Arab and central Asian folk did, it is
non the less indebted to their traditions for some aspects of their ritual. Furthermore,
the respect that these two cultures held for nature, which they share I common with
the Hebrew and Egyptian, Sumerian, Hittite and Indus peoples is also a part of Islam,
through again the signs of Allah in nature as revealed in the Qur’an are not always in
agreement with the methods of these cultures in viewing signs in nature due to the
importance of nature, thaumaturgy, and signs of God, the characteristics of God, and
other esoteric teachings held in common with other faiths to be found in the Qur’an
and in Islamic tradition. These aspects have not been ignored, but have formed a
bridge between the Sufi community and those indigenous peoples to whom the Sufis
went as friends of God. The most pertinent for the intent of our study was India and
central Asia.
Islam was carried to Malaysia via Sufi scholars, as well as a small number of
Indian and Arab traders. This is particularly true of the Sufis and Shi’a who came to
Malaya from Punjab, Malabar, and Bengal, who represent the majority of Muslims
who brought Islam to Malaya. These ‘white’ Bengalis and Punjabis were descended
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from Aryan Indians who converted to Islam113114. These traders brought the Arab
socio-cultural view of life, a view that is intertwined with the Islamic faith. This
Arab/Islamic view of life had strong moral implications, which lasted at least until the
Umayyad Dynasty. Long before the Arabs arrived The Malay had their own
indigenous beliefs, which also bear the mark of Pre-Islamic Arab animistic elements
reflective of Arabic love of nature. The influence of Shi’ah Islam of the Persian
peoples can also be seen in influencing the Malay; this was particularly strong in the
area of Talismans and other esoteric practices. The Malay evolved from a primitive
tribal culture to Muslims over a thousand years. As the Malay culture came into
contact with others they assumed aspects for Hinduism, and Islam. These three
religions all contributed to the final form of Malaysian Islam which exists today. We
113
….Because of its origins and subsequent history the sultanate provided for three and a quarter
centuries a unique opportunity for the continual transmission to India of a broad range of cultural
manifestations emanating from the Persian plateau: language and literature, customs and manners,
concepts of kingship and government, religious organization, music, and architecture. … are the
descendants of the ancient Gatae [Gatae were a Proto-GermanicGermanic tribe], or Jeutchi, from
Scythia. Some authorities consider that they entered the sub-continent some time in 1500BC and are
the same Jattikas mentioned in the Mahabharata, and also identical with the Jatti of Pliny and
Ptolemy. Their original home was the Oxus” Hence we see a group of people having a once glorious
past, now at the bottom rung of society. Therefore here we see a process of Islamic invaders been seen
as liberators, and a process of appreciation of the Muslims. Therefore it wouldn’t surprise one to find
out that the Jat population on the whole joined forces with the Muslim invaders. To many scholars, it
was the Jats joining the Muslims that was decisive in ensuring victory. The Jats gave much needed
information regarding the territory and possible ways of achieving a Muslim victory.” They had been
forbidden to ride in saddles, wear fine clothes and to uncover the heads. This had embittered them to
such an extent that they threw in their lot with the foreigner and joined his standard in large
numbers”…. Some however go further to say that Buddhists had been in contact with their people in
areas of Afghanistan and Turkistan, and the Buddhists of that region had commented on how liberal
their new Muslim rulers were. Whatever the true reason as to why Buddhists submitted to the Muslims
is debatable, however evidence does suggest that the Buddhist Rajas of Hyderbad had covert
communications with Muhammad bin Qasim, along with the Buddhist Rajas of Sewastan.
http://www.escholarship.org, Carl W. Ernst p. 6.
114
…. The white blood of Malay royalty, for example, is that ascribed by Buddists to divinities,
by Hindus to Siva and by Muslims to certain saints. Muslim amulets and Sufi mysticism succeeded
naturally to the talismans and ascetic practices of Hinds, and those talismans and practices to the fetish
and shamanism of primitive days… A system of magic that has persisted for thousands of years and
borrowed in historic time all that the Hindu and the Muslim could contribute to it must have had
practical value. It advocated instead of morality the capricious dictates of the tabu; it asked its Gods,
even Allah, for no spiritual blessings. It promised no happy after-life, no heaven of bliss. But it was a
very present help in trouble… Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The Malay Magician, Shaman,
Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford University press, 1969), 72.
190
will follow and illustrate this evolution and the ways in which these three dominant
Therefore when examining the Sufi influence on Malay mysticism and the
of Sufism by the Malay Dokun and why they allowed themselves to be converted to
Islam. Therefore their conversion from the theurgy of the Dokun healer to Islamic
science is the pinnacle turning point from Pre-Monotheism to Islam among the Malay.
Some forms of theurgy are thought to be deviant by those who practice supposedly
“Islamic style magic”, I will now discuss some of the views of this form of Malay
sorcery. Once again the primary vehicle of this type of Tok Bomo is his ability to go
The origins of Sufism can be found in three places, one the Prophet
Muhammad himself, two the Pre-Islamic Prophets of Allah, and three in the Animistic
roots of all nations as seen in the symbolism of the Qur’an of creation or Qur’an Al-
Takwini. In the form which exists in the example of the prophet Muhammad we see
the kindest person ever to walk the earth; as the perfect example for Muslims, and
especially for a Sufi. In his kindness we can see his adherence to one of the most
important, if not “the” most important aspect of Sufism, “A kind Heart”115116. Because
of the significance of a kind heart in the central focus of Sufism, social interaction
115
It may be that God will grant love (and friendship) between you and those whom ye (now) hold as
enemies. And God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text,
translation and commentary. Surah 7: 35-40, Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed.
2001), 689.
116
Tolerance according to the Qur’an and Sunnah was meant to be the cornerstone of the day-to-day
life of a Muslim. ….Allah does not bestow his mercy on him who is not merciful to his fellow human
beings” (Tirmidi)….Laleem-Ullah Khan, The source of universal peace, (Goodword Books, New
Delhi, 2003), 122-129.
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among the Malay was very assistive in helping them to grow iman. It was this kind of
kindness, the kindness of Hidayah, Allah’s guidance and forgiveness. This is shown in
one of the stories of the prophets life or Syra: once caused the prophet to give some of
his wealth to a Bedouin who “Jerked harshly on his cape”, this man jerked the
prophets cape so violently that it left a mark upon his neck, and yet the Holy prophet
only turned and “Smiled” at the man and asked what he wanted. The man replied that
he wanted some of the wealth that the prophet had at that particular time, and the
prophet turned to the Sahabah and told them “give him some”117. Such was the kind
character of the prophet Muhammad, and this is only one of many examples.
For invoking the rain and other metaphysical examples of Karamat we need
only look at the Hadith in which the prophet was asked by the Sahabah to make it rain
and he raised his hands, and “Invoked the rain”. He could have prayed, he could have
sat down and made Du’ah, yet he chose to “Invoke the rain, in a standing position
with hands raised, why?118 Very simply put he was a kind hearted, and talented
prophet of God and one of the aspects of a prophet is that of a higher level of Mystic
117
“O Muhammad, order some of the wealth of God which you have in your possesiont to be
given to me.” The prophet looked at him and smiled, then he gave orders for some to be given to hijm.
Maulana Wahududdin Khan, , Words of the prophet Muhammad: selections from hadith, (Goodword
books, New Delhi,2005), Hadith number 148, 86.
118
there upon the holy prophet raised his hands at once. While there was not a spec of clouds in
the sky, but I swear by Allah in whose hands my soul is, that he had not lowered his hand before the
clouds were appearing like mountains and before he descended from his pulpit, I saw the rain coming
down on his beard….The Apostle then raised his hands and said: O Allah! (Send rain) round about us,
but not on us…The messenger of Allah did not point at any region in the clouds without their breaking
up; and medina became like a gap [in the rain]. Three hundred authenticated miracles of Muhammad,
Badr Azimabadi, , Adampublishers & Distributers, shandar Market, Deli, India, 1993),.90.
192
who heart has been cleansed by God himself119120121.
To look into finding another example of this among the previous Prophets of
God is not very difficult; every prophet of God had the gift. Let us examine the case of
Musah alhi Salam. When Moses turned his staff into a serpent, parted the red sea, or
foresaw the coming of the plagues of Allah upon Pharaoh and Egypt he was
performing the role of a mystic at its highest level, that of a prophet; But he was also a
Thaumaturgist122. In case three, the case of the animistic roots of Sufism, we need look
no further that the indigenous culture of every people in the world and their
connection to Nature. These primitive people understood that the nature creatures,
plants, and minerals and all that was on the earth or in the sky possessed some divine
119
Thereafter a wolf climbed on a mound and..said, “I took the sheep as a provision from Allah…
The shepherd wondered at the sight and said, by Allah I have never seen like it before, a wolf talking.
“But more wonderful [said the wolf] is the man among the palm-trees …who can tell what has already
happened and what is going to happened after your time, the wolf replied. The shepherd was a Jew and
having herd from the wolf, he came to the holy prophet (p.b.u.h) and embraced Islam. Three hundred
authenticated miracles of Muhammad, Badr Azimabadi, , Adampublishers & Distributers, shandar
Market, Deli, India, 1993),.91-92.
120
After the battle of Badr….the Holy prophet went near the well and called, “so and so and son
of so and so! Have you found true what your deities had promised you to be?...(umar) asked…how can
you speak to bodies with no spirits? The apostle of Allah replied “ you are no better able to hear what I
am saying than they are… Three hundred authenticated miracles of Muhammad, Badr Azimabadi, ,
Adampublishers & Distributers, shandar Market, Deli, India, 1993),. 93.
121
…there comes to you messengers from amongst you, rehersing my signs unto you, …those
who reject our signs and treat them with arrogance, ….who is more unjust than one who invents a lie
against God or rejects his signs?...to those who reject our signs and treat them with arrogance, no
opening will there be of the gates of heaven, nor will they enter the garden, until a camel can pass
through the eye of a needle…. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary.
Surah 7: 35-40, Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), p.185-186.
.
122
….saint Stephen boast that the great…Moses” was learned “ in all the wisdom” of the
Egyptians”, and declares that he “was mighty” in words and deeds,”…he was acquainted with many of
the practices of Egyptian magic. The phrase “mighty in words”…means that, …he was “strong of
tongue” [eloquent] and uttered words of power which he knew with correct pronunciation…. the
turning of a serpent into what is apparently an inanimate, wooden stick [staff]…are feats which have
been performed in the East from the most ancient period….E. A. Wallis Budge, Egyptian magic,
(London, Arkana, 1988), 5.
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energies, and that these energies came from a divine being.123124125
The energies placed into the Cosmos or Qur’an Al-Takwini are given by God
from Wahy. Altgough the science of Nabiyah are of a higher station, energies of the
Qur’an Al-Takwini are are also available to the mystic or sage of intermediate stations.
Not only were the Proto-Malay and the Malay interested in nature as a source
of spirituality, but also in the Ummah of animal kind, and the animal stories found
concerning the mouse dear, the tiger and tiger people are the most popular motifs of
the animal kingdom stories, even till today. It is not surprising that the Malay of the
tribal and Hindu periods were very interested if not totally fascinated when given the
chance to explore Sufi mysticism. Cosmologically the animal world is not the only
world the Malay knew, they were also called “Bumi” people of the earth and had their
123
An invocation to the spirits of the village.… the Specter Huntsman and Siva….A chant,
disguised by the phrases of Muslim medico…. crying on the tiger-spirit:-"Warrior! Son of a warrior!
Matchless in might! Come, my lord! Come, my life! Descend …., and pass into your jeweled
curtain…., the spirit who hangs at the door of the sky." And as the tiger-spirit came, the village
magician who had invoked him would turn …and leap and growl, as his familiar asked why he had
been summoned. The magician would answer… our lord has got ready a hall and is inviting the Sultan
of the Impalpable Air and all his followers to a feast surmounted by a model of a fabulous bird, Jentayu
(offspring of Vishnu's Garuda). Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The Malay Magician,
Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford University press, 1969), 45.
124
For the same reason, most ethnic cultures in Malaysia subscribe to the existence of
supernatural beings. Taboos governing the individuals action in the environment so not to disturb these
spiritual beings, and numerous rituals and ceremonies were held to placate guardian spirits….(Tolak
bala) to ward off evil at the erection of a new house… such ceremonies are still common…were ritual
cleansing of evil spirits before clearing the jungle…and to appease sea spirits (puja pantai)is still being
practiced. Professor Dato' Dr Mohd Sham Mohd Sani ed., The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, The
environment, (Didier Millet (EDM), Kuala Lumpur, November 1998), 81.
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animals and plants are not only symbols of various Divine Qualities, but Divine manifestations
of the Divine principle in such a way that they play a direct role in the cultic aspect of the religion in
question. Moreover, in such traditions there exist a knowledge of nature which is direct and intimate
yet inward. The Indian not only sees the bear or th eagle as divine precenses but has a knowledge of
what one might call egleness of the eagle and bearness of the bear as if it saw in these beings their
platonic archytypes.The revelation of God in such cases embraces both men and nature....postmedieval
man who exsternalized his alienation from his own inner reality by increasing his sense of agression
and hatred against nature, an agression made somewhat easier by the excesivly rigid distinction made
in western Christianity between the supernatural and natural world. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein.. Knowledge
and the Sacred. (The Gifford Lectures, Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981),
p.193.
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own version of the tree of life and the spirits of the earth, all aspects of the earth were
conversion period, the oneness of Nature has been easly accepted and Man was seen
as the Viceregent of the empirical world including the natural world. In the Islamic
view he is responsible to look into, examine, and master the meaning of the “Qur’an
gives examples of the symbolism to be found in nature, these symbols are seen in the
chapters of the Qur’an which bear the names of animals, elements, minerals, places in
nature; every aspect of creation which are signs from Allah. When we look at these
signs we cannot help but see that Allah is sending us the message that there are signs
in all of nature. Beginning with man as the microcosm of creation we can see
scientific evidence support the idea, that, the world is an open book of God. This is
seen in the scientific fact that man is composed of every element in the universe. Thus
far 83 elements have been found in the human body, all found by secular scientist with
information provided here. Furthermore, all animals used as symbols in the Qur’an
126
In view of these and other resemblances I advance the thesis that this cult of the earth,
represented by the mountain or mound, was one of the features introduced to china from the west, along
with such traits as the knowledge of bronze working and the use of wheeled vehicles. These came via
the steppe routes and considerably influenced the Shang dynast, established about 1500 B. C. H.G.
Qaritch Wales, Ph.D. Pre-history and religion in south east Asia, London, (Bernard Qaritch LTD, 11
Grafton street. 1957), 31.
127
But for the magician who must know the origin and temper of every God and spirit he would
invoke….he had to know that Batara Guru, the Lord Teacher, as Malays call Siva, was at once the
white spirit of the sun and the black spirit of the earth. Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The
Malay Magician, Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford University
press, 1969), 34.
195
are significant pointers to this relationship128129130131.
This is only one of several verses in Qur’an in which we see the signs of Allah
Other proofs include the following some of which have been covered in answer
• Man was created from sun and ‘earth’ containing all elements of the earth.
“Nature”.
• Identification of God with the sun and the prophet with the just as the
prophet reflects the divine message of Allah, so to does the moon reflect
128
These are all manner of speaking of the ultimate reality which can be known but not by man as
such. It can only be known through the sun of the Divine Self residing at the center of the human
soul....and in silence which is the “reflextion” or “shadow” of the non-manifest aspect of the principle
upon the manifestation. From the unitary point of view, the principle or the source is seen as not only
the inward but also the outward, not only One but also the essential reality of many which is but the
reflection of the One. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Knowledge and the Sacred. (The Gifford Lectures,
Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981). p.134.
129
He is the first and the last and the manifest and the hidden, and …there is not anybody from
whom he can be the hidden. He is manifest to his self and he is hidden from himself, and he is the one
called Abu Sa’id al-Kharraz and others like that from the names of latter and the last and the manifest
and the hidden….the hidden says ‘No’ when the manifest says’I’, and the manifest says ‘No’ when the
hidden says’I’and this is in every opposition, …. Ismail bursevi transl., Fusus al-Hikam by Muhyiddin
Ibn arabi(Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 340.
130
He is the vicregent of God (Khallifat’allah) on earth, to use the Islamic term, responsible to
God for his actions, and the custodian and protector of the earth ...that he remain faithful to himself as
the central terrestrial figure created in the “form” of God”, a theomorphic being living in this world but
created for eternity. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein.. Knowledge and the Sacred. (The Gifford Lectures,
Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 160.
131
Seest thou not that God whose praises all beings in heavens and on earth celebrate, and the
birds with wings outspread each one knows its own mode of prayer and praise. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The
Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary. Surah 24:41, Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), p.
423.
196
The linguistic meaning of these terms points symbolically to nature as the
meaning in Islam, the term Nur makes reference to both light and divine eminence
which can be seen in the Surah of light132133. Identification of God with the sun and the
prophet with the just as the prophet reflects the divine message of Allah, so to does the
moon reflect the light of the sun; and therefore we see the Qur’an of creation revealed
in the form of symbols, signs, metaphors and analogies. All of these facts support the
idea that the open book of nature is the “Qur’an of creation” the counter balance of
the written Qur’an. The role of man as a microcosm and the Viceregent of the creation
are an example of the signs and symbolism of each Surah or “sign” to be found in
Qur’an. This also presents us with the opportunity to examine the Qur’an as the
symbolic significance of nature as reflected through these signs in nature. The written
Qur’an is a great tool in Islamic science into examination of nature, the unseen, the
fact that Allah has created all existence in pairs for a reason134135. These signs are
132
God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of his light is as if a niche and within
it a lamp: the lamp enclosed in glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: lit from a blessed tree….
though fire scarce touch it, light upon light! God doth guide whom he will to his light…(Holy Qur’an,
Surah An-Nur, 24: 35).
133
The We make him descend to the lowest of the lowest of the low. (Sura Tin, 5). He sent that
light from where it was created, from the Ultimate Realm (alam al-lahut) – which is the realm of the
manifestation of Allah's Essence, of unity, of absolute being – to the realm of the divine names, the
manifestation of the divine attributes, the realm of the causal intelligence of the Total Soul. There he
dressed the souls in robes of light. These souls are called 'sultan-souls'. Clothed in light they descended
to the realm of the angels. There He clothed them with the brilliant robes of angels, there they were
called 'spiritual souls'. Then He caused them to descend to the world of matter, of water and fire, earth
and ether, and they became human souls. Then from this world He created the bodies of flesh. Abd Al-
Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by
Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 6.
134
There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor as being that flies on its wings, but (forms a part
of) communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the book, and they (all)shall be gathered to
their Lord in the end. Those who reject our signs are deaf and dumb, -- in the midst of darkness
profound Surah 38-39.. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary. Surah
24:41, Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), 423.
135
The Sufi’s basing their idea on data provided by the Qur’an, formulated the doctrine of “the five
197
undeniable for the Muslims; in the view of Islam the Qur’an itself provides proof of
this fact as seen above. Furthermore the denial of the signs of God in Nature is
punishable with Hell as stated in the Qur’an al-Tadwini. As we see in the above
statements the Qur’an of creation is intricately connected to Nature and yet is not the
completely within the realm of the Islamic worldview. This is referred to as the
Tawhidic worldview.
It was the degeneration of tribal animism whose original views resulted in the
rise of spirit worship among most tribal peoples on earth. However, with the coming
of Islam the Natural sciences and the Tawhidic worldview from which it sprang most
One such tribal people were to be found in central Asian, the land of the
Turkmen. This tribal confederation was known as the Taklamakhanians and later
Tocharian’s. They first adopted shamanism, then Hinduism in the south and
Buddhism in the north, and lastly they converted to Islam. However the form of Islam
presences” (al-hadarat al-ilahiyyat al-kams) to depict the hierarchy of the whole of reality. The History
and Philosophy of Islamic Science, Osman Bakar, (Cambridge, UK : Islamic Texts Society, 1999), 22.
136
the reality of the archetypical Muhammad. That would lead one to see the muta as the cosmic
Muhammad who becomes the working principle in the world. The absolute transcendence of God has
removed him, so to speak, into the situation of a deus otiosus, one and absolute aloof from the
movement of the world….even without any knowledge of these high speculations on the prophetic
light, …the faithful simply loved the prophet. For love of the prophet leads to love of God…The mystic
no longer goes strait on his path toward God: first he has to experience annihilation in the spiritual
guide, who functions as the representative of the prophet. Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical dimensions
of Islam, The University of North Carolina Press, 1975), 223 & 216.
137
Tradition contains a sense of truth which is both of divine origin and perpetuated throughout a
majore cycle of human history through both transmision and renewal of the message by means of
revelation. It also implies and inner truth which lies at the heart of different sacred forms and which is
unique since Truth is one. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Knowledge and the Sacred. (The Gifford Lectures,
Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981). p.71.
138
And it is He who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm and (flowing) rivers:
and fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two: he draweth night as aveil o’er the day. Behold
verily in these things there are signs for those who consider! ….Behold in these things there are signs
for those who understand! Surah al-Ra’d, 13:3-4, Surah 2:285, Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an:
text, translation and commentary., Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), p. p.
293.
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existent among the Tokarians was affected by the previously mentioned religions an
effect which has led to the proliferation of debates among scholars as to the origins of
Central Asian Sufism and a search for answers concerning to what exstent Central
Asian shamanism was affected by Sufism. After being driven from Arabia and other
areas by extremist who did not accept Sufism139, many took refuge among the central
Asians. In this place, from the north from the steppes, to Tashkent, Bukharah, and
even as south as Persia, they set up their new home for studies. It was in this place that
the Nashbandi and other forms of Sufism flourished and spread their views, including
a love of nature and contemplation which came from the roots of their traditions. Sufis
went out from Central Asia to India, Persia, and Turkey among other places where
they flourished. Another of the great seats of Sufism was Andalusia, and in Andalusia
or Spain, we find that great scholars like Ibn-Arabi compiled their great treatises on
Tassawuf or Sufism.
One of the primary forms of invocations found within Sufism is the recitation
of Zikr (Dthikr) or the Names of Allah. The ninety nine names make reference to the
divine attributes of Allah. It is through the rhythmic singing of these names that the
Sufi is able to transcend this world to the world of contemplation and fins the most
important aspect of Sufism, the road to gnosis. The names of Allah which I wish to
139
Whoever contemplates his devotions and seeks the cause and reason and comes to know it, his
medication is worth seventy years of worship... whoever contemplates the divine wisdom with a strong
wish to know Allah Most High, hid meditation is worth a thousand years of worship, for this is the true
knowledge..... True knowledge is the state of unity. The wise lover unties with his Beloved. From this
material realm, flying with spiritual wings he soars to the realm of attainment, for the devout walk to
paradise while the wise fly to the realms close to their Lord. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of
Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-
Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 16.
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address are Ar-Raheem, Al-Haqq, and Al-Batin140141.
cause is means the most merciful, second the vast majority of religious people are
unable to follow Islam in perfection and are incapable of living at a level of Isan.
Because of these and many other reasons it is imperative the majority of fallible
human beings in the world depend on the mercy of Allah; this is the Islamic
perspective. Based on that line of reasoning, one can easily see the immense
importance the attribute of God as most merciful in the religion of Malay Islam. While
it is true man has responsibility for his action, it is also true, that, because of this
Fiqua’s in Islam have recently sought to lessen the position of Ar-Raheem among the
attributes of Allah by “editing and translating” versions of Qur’an and Hadith which
exaggerate the attributes of Al-Aziz the conqueror over that of Ar-Raheem the
merciful, I would remind those brothers, that, Allah has created Islam not as a religion
but as a way of din or “way of life’ which is meant to be open to all peoples via love
140
He sent the holy spirit to the station of His messengers and saints and lovers and friends. On
its way Allah sent it first to the realm of the Causal Mind of unity of the Total Soul, the realm of His
divine Names and attributes the realm of the truth of Muhammad. The Holy Spirit had with it the seed
of unity. As it passed through this realm it was given the clothing of divine light and was named the
sultan-soul. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani,
interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994),
18.
141
...Your Creator has brought you to a certain level of consciousness and faith and that you can
only remember Him in accordance with this ability. Our master the Prophet says, 'The best declaration
of remembrance is the one which I and all the prophets before me recite. It is in the divine phrase La
ilaha illa Llah - “there is no God but Allah. IBID, 45.
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and compassion, there is no doubt as to the Qur’an and Hadith support of this
fact142143. Therefore I would rate Ar-Raheem as the most important of the names of
Allah. The name of Allah Al-Haqq, master of all knowledge and wisdom, there can be
knowledge and wisdom of Allah as Al-Haqq which gives man the divine spark of
The Ruh imbeds in man a small part of the divine essence, this spark carries
with it the most eloquent and well taught form of knowledge of intelligence of the
142
If somebody commits a sin and then says ‘Oh my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me! And
his Lord says, ‘my slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it? I therefore
have forgiven my slave(his sins). Then he remains without commiting any sin for awhile and then again
commites another sinand says, ‘O my Lord, I have commited another sin please forgive me,’ and Allah
says, ‘my slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it? …. I therefore
have forgiven my slave(his sins), he can do whatever he likes. Mohd. (PBBH), Sahih al-Bukhari, comp.
Al-imam Zain udin Ahmad bin Abdul-Latif Az-Zubaidi, trlt. Dr. Muhammad Mushin Khan, Islamic
University Al-Madina, Al-Munawwara, Saudia Arabia, Maktabar-us-Salam, 1994Hadith numb.2226),
1014.
143
The ones who know interpret these words of the Prophet saying that not only can the Devil not
take the form of the Prophet, he cannot pretend to be anyone or anything which has the character of
mercy and beneficence, or compassion and grace and faith. Indeed, all the prophets and the saints and
the angels, the holy mosque of the Ka'ba, the sun, the moon, the white clouds, the Holy Qur’an, are
entities into which the Devil cannot enter, nor can he take their shape. This is because the Devil is the
place and condition of the manifestation of wrath, punishment and grief. He can only represent
confusion and and doubt. When someone has in him the manifestation of Allah's Name, the 'Ultimate
Guide to Truth', how could the attribute of the One Who Leads Astray be manifest in him? Abd Al-
Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by
Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), p. 108.
144
Khaliq-the creator, Al Bari-the producer, Al Musawwir-the fashioner. It might be thought that
these names are synonymous, and that they all refer to creating and in venting. But it does not need to
be that way. Rather everything which comes forth from nothingness to existence needs first of all to be
planned; to be originated according …to the plan…to be formed after being originated…God…is
creator…, the planer…, producer [Bari] in as much as he initiates existence, and fashioner…in as much
as he arranges the forms of things… David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, (The Islamic Text Society,
India, 1992), 68.
145
....one needs knowledge that comes from the hidden realms, a knowledge which overflowes with the
divine conscienceness: ...whom We had taught knowledge of Our divine Prescence. (Sura kahf,
65)....Such a teacher who inculcates knowledge into one has to be close to Allah and able to see into the
Ultimate Realm....[Allah preferes] Those who spend in ease as well as in adversity and those who
restrain [their] anger and pardon men. And Allah loves the doers of good [to others]. (Sura Al Imran,
133-34)....and put our inner being in order through aquiring wisdom. Ibn Tammiya, Wali Al-Rah’man;
Wali-Shayton. Trans. Franz Von Hofler, and Muktar, Nurussaddah. Trans. Malay to English from: Ibnu
Taimiyah, (karakteristik wali allah wali, ramadhani, (solo publishing, solo Indonesia, 1989), 8-9.
201
heart (ein al Qalb) or the capability to be intelligent within it and is therefore the most
important way in which Allah imparts one of the best of gifts to mankind. The Aql or
mind is the exstention of the heart and therefore, if we doubt this we may only look to
the Surah of the knowledge given by Allah.146 A case example can be seen in the case
of the mystic. How could the mystic gain the understanding necessary to perform his
ritual and spiritual techniques in exorcism without knowledge? And if he were to seek
knowledge from secular science or an outside source, how would they produce
knowledge imaginal realm? Assuming any of these would be allowed to exist without
the existence of Al-Haqq would be ignorance. Since Al-Haqq is the aspect of all which
produces all knowledge, certainly secular science has produced some advances via the
will of Allah147. However the wholeness of knowledge includes the knowledge of the
unseen as well as the seen and therefore Islamic science is a better candidate for this
service and therefore is the source from which Islamic mystics, philosophers and
149
The remembrance of the hidden realm brings one to : the place of truth in the presence of a
Sovereign Omnipotent. (Sura Qamar, 55) The remembrance at the final level that is called khafi alakhfa
– 'the most hidden of the hidden' – brings one tot a state of annihilation of the self and unification with
the truth. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani,
interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), p.
46.
202
One of the most profound affects upon Malay Sufism, ws the fact that many of the
earlyiest Muslim missionaries to Malay came from ache Indonesia and before that
Tocharia. The influence of Tocharian culture upon the Malay now becomine two fold,
once among the dongson and again during the conversion period through settlements
in Ache. The resuscitation of Malay Natural Science began islamically with Tocharian
symbol cannot evolve out of another particular symbol. While symbols and or artifacts
may share common origins, in time they come to embody the cosmological and
the primordial religion. It is this primordial truth, which belongs to the philosophical
and mystical higher truths advocated by Transcendental Unity. Thus we see legitmat
confusion on the part of those who mistakenly view the Universal as the particular.
a symbol, artifact or theurical ritual may be transformed from a universal usage once
adopted by a particulare culture. Such symbols, artifacts and rituals, then become new
particularized symbol articact or ritual in their adopted culture. These symbols do not
represent syncretism, but rather transformation and renewal of tradition. Therefore the
150
Tradition contains a sense of truth which is both of divine origin and perpetuated throughout a
major cycle of human history through both transmission and renewal of the message by means of
revelation. It also implies and inner truth which lies at the heart of different sacred forms and which is
unique since Truth is one. Syyed hossain Nasr, Knowledge and the sacred, (Crossroad publishing, New
York, 1981), 71.
203
charm. But, rather the use of Talismans may have taken the place of charms in the
The Sufi takes the art of charms in the form of Amulets to the level of the
science of talisman; this science examines, utilizes and uses in thaumaturgy the
symbolic and pictorial symbolism in a manner consistent with the teachings of Islam
metaphysics and Theurgy151. For this reason the Sufi form of Talismana cannot be
As we have seen from the previous section, charms come from nature and draw
their energies from the secondary form of energy placed into nature by Allah through
nature spirits or jinn. Therefore the use of charms is not appropriate in reference to
151
Although there was a great deal of interest in Orphism and Orphica, which, like the Hermetica,
was widespread during the renaissance....Ancient wisdom based on the doctrine of sanctity of the
intellectual began to appear Dependant of the living tradition of the west which was Christianity....As a
result, despite the presence of groups and circles which possessed authentic knowledge of a sacred
character, groups such as Rosicrucians, the Kabbalist, the Hermeticiste, and the school of paracelsus,
the revival of ancient wisdom during the renaissance and even later and the opposition of most
followers of this “newly found” wisdom to Scholasticism did not result in the integration of
Scholasticism into a higher sapiential aspect perspective within Christianity. Syyed hossain Nasr,
Knowledge and the sacred, (Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 40.
204
Sufi Talismana152153154. This is true for several reasons, the use of Talismana is based
upon high magic or the alchemy of the heart which is entirely Islamic and as such
comes both from the primordial and particular Islamic tradition. Wereas the use of
energies from nature can be of the science of interacting with nature in the Islamic
nature which has degenerated. In the case of charms it is the second these two that we
A second reason is that from the view of Sufism and due to the alchemy of the
heart, all Talismana are void of any Hindu, Buddhist or other symbolic representations
other than those of the Qur’anic script, seal of Solomon, and other monotheistic forms
of symbolism which draw their energies directly from Allah; or through the assistance
152
Gathering and separation ; Jam/ Tafriqah. The mystic who achieves the station of gathering …
has repelled the material world of phenomena, whereas the mystic who acquires the station of
separation (Tafriqah ) is confirming devotion and God, while attached to the phenomenal world and
separating the Absolute from its creation…This is the view of multiplicity which is the usual view of
the phenomenal world. …the highest station of gathering is…to see Divine unity in three aspects at one
and the same time: Essence, Creator, Creatures; ….But as there can be no Masculine principle without
a Feminine one, no active without a corresponding hidden or apparent passive, the stations are fulfilled
only through their opposites. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and
Hudson, London, 1976), 33.
153
Nature is the collector, which means the state is that that which collects all opposites is Nature
because Nature is one reality by virtue of its matter and different things by virtue of its
particularizations and images. Consequently Nature accepts the determination of oppositions over the
images because it collects in itself the opposites through their realities, and in oppositions it is the same
as the opposite but it does not collect in itself the opposites with the particularization of oppositions in
the image in particularized matter….the one Being of the Haqq is manifested in the different mirrors
and is varied in places of reflection of the a’yan and receives the totality of the determinations of the
a’yan, by this aspect the Haqq is khalq. Thus, with the eye of vision look at it…by this aspect, he
referes to the words: He is one image in different mirrors. Ismail bursevi transl., Fusus al-Hikam by
Muhyiddin Ibn arabi(Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 354-358.
154
The dreams that are dreamt between the time just before one falls asleep and deep sleep are
true and beneficent. These dreams are often bearers of revelations and the medium of miracles. They
are often bearers of revelations and the medium of miracle. They are the images that fall on the eye of
the heart. The proof of the truth of dreams is in the words of Allah: Allah indeed fulfilled the dream
of His messenger with truth: you shall certainly enter the sacred mosque, if Allah please, security. (Sura
Fath, 27) And indeed the Prophet did enter the holy mosque in Makka, which was held by his enemies,
the year after this dream, another example is in the dream of the prophet Joseph (peace be upon him):
When Joseph said to his father, O my father, I dreamt if eleven stars and the sun and the moon, I saw
them making obeisance to me. (Sura Yusuf, 4)…. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The
Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti.
(S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 108.
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of angels acting on the will of Allah. Therefore the use of Talismana by the Khalwah
and or the Wali is not to be confused with the art of charms by the indigenous wizards
logical phalacy.
Geometrical symbolism – Geometric design of signs and symbols are important to our
155
For once he has understood the teaching, if these meanings were presented to him, he would receive
them and memorize them. These are the levels of most scholars, to say nothing of those who are not
scholars. In relation to those who do not share with them in those three levels, these should not be
denied credit, yet they are clearly deficient with respect to the acme of perfection. For ‘the merits of the
[merely] pious are demerits in those who have drawn near to God’. The first share of knowledge of
these meanings by way of witnessing and unveiling, so that their essential realities are clarified for
them by a proof which does not permit any error; and God’s possession of these meanings as His
characteristics is revealed to them in a disclosure equivalent in clarity to the certainty achieved by a
man in regard to his own inner qualities which he perceives by seeing his inward aspect, not by outward
sensation. How great a difference there is between this and a faith derived from ones parents and
teachers by conformity and persistence in it, even though it be accompanied by argumentative proofs
fro Kalam! AL—GHAZALI: The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of God: Al-maqsad al-asna fi sharh
asma’ Allah al-husna, transl. David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, (The Islamic Text Society, India,
1992), 30-31.
156
To rid of oneself of these evils one has to cleanse and shine the mirror of the heart. This cleansing is
done by acquiring knowledge, by acting upon this knowledge, by effort and valour, fighting against
one's ego within and without oneself, by ridding oneself of one's multiplicity of being, by achieving
unity. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani,
interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994),
55.
157
It is not the height of a place, nor the height of a position, because of the height of position is special
to the proximity of the order, like the sultan, the judges, the viziers and the qadi and all appointed
people, for which appointment they have ability or they have not, wereas the height by qualification is
not like that. …the height of position is particulare to the order of sucesson like the sultan, judges, and
the viziers and the qadi, and also, equally, like all the people who are appointed, like the just sultan or
the equitable judge, the intelligent vizier and the non-ignorant qadi, or weather they are not so, and
equally the height which is through quality and quantification is not the same as the height of position
because the one who is high by the height of position does not remain I height when that position is
removed from him, ….because the hight of position is in reality for degrees, not for themselves, ….the
height is not removed, and the essential height is higher than the height of all degrees…..the height is
according to four parts….The sheikh, God be pleased with him, said: ‘and that he might be the most
knowledgable of the people, yet he is determined over by he who has an appointment allowing him
determination, whether he be of the most ignorant people. Because of such…it sometimes happens that
that the most knowledgable of men is dominated by a person who has a dominant appointment…, and
such is height by position…and the Gnostic is not like this….he is not high in his own nafs because his
height is in relation to that degree and his sujection to it, …the Gnostic who is high by qualification…
does not get dismissed from his appointment, and God guide who he wishes to the right path. Abd Al-
Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh
Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 360-364.
206
understanding of the position which Islamic sciences maintains in relationship to
between the subtle and empirical realms of existence. Geometric and Numerical
particularized Pre-Islamic usage (e.g. Charms) items such as, totems, fetishes, and pre-
islamic icons are not identical with the Talismans used in Sufism. Talismans which
make use of divine geometric, linguistic and mathematical configuration are merely
Allah which impart a feeling of protection to the one owning them, and draw upon the
assistance of Angels who are drawn to the ilmu of the talisman. While Pre-Islamic
charms are definitively allegorical and make reference to Pre-Islamic concepts related
to tribal cosmology and oral myth, also taking on a much more ritualistic character in
This section covers aspects of these two that relate directly to Islamic
secondary form of subtle energies to affect others, were as the Islamic talisman draws
upon Angelic and Divine essences via energies disseminated to the wearer through
faith, love, and recitation of Surahs, and psychoid equilibrium derivative of cleansing
the heart through use of contenplatium. Thus the Islamic sage abtained purified
energies direct from the original source of all goodness, God himself. Terms for these
energies varie (e.g. Ilmu, Karamat, Nur); this is the description of the science of
The Sufi rosary or Tasbih is often seen by some Christians or other Muslims as a
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trinket or charm item associated with invocation of spirits, angels, or for reciting
mantras. Some go as far as to claim that the Tasbih was inherited by the Hindus and
Buddhist, this is not correct. The use of Tasbih can be traced back historically to two
sources.
The first source is the use of counting beads among the Aryan Pazryk
horsemen of the Siberian steps near to the Ural Mountains who migrated to the Tarim
basin in central Asia and became the ancestors of the Tocharian’s. These beads have
been traced back to the 3rd century BCE and have been used in central Asia every
since then. Furthermore the use of a symbolic instrument for counting the names of
God among a particular religion cannot be proven to have affected another group {in
this case Sufism} without some solid historical fact to support such a supposition. For
the time being such a supposition is entirley without historical support and as such is
Secondly, the practice of counting the names of Allah by Sufis goes back to the
Sunnah and as such is beyond reproach of Muslims. Support for this can be found in
the Qur’an Al-Tadwini. Furthermore, the use of Tasbih for recitation is a reverberation
of divine symbols that touch the heart due to his absorption in the divine perfection of
One, the recitation of Qur’anic Surahs touches the heart through the divine
origin of the Qur’an. Second is the base upon which all recitation of holy text in all
authentic religious Traditions takes its foundation, and that is ‘words have power’,
power which comes from the divine, this spiritual truth accepted by all authentic
religious Traditions is Universal and not particularized. From these divine syllables
the energies of the divine enter the heart of the Wali and awaken him to the fact that
the divine power of Allah consumes his ego and all aspects of his independent will are
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re-directed to the oneness of God that retuns him to a state of Fitra. From this action
in repetition the Wali progresses ever higher toward his Lord158 159
.This cannot be
some aspects of Sufism. Its primary source is through two aspects. The first of these is
the natural realm or the empirical world of nature as seen by Muslims of central Asia
and the Arabian Peninsula via the relationship between nature as the Qur’an of
creation and as a part of Tawhid. It is for this reason that in this dissertation we refer
to the Malay worldview as a ‘Tawhidic worldview’. The second of the two aspects we
will examine is that which is concerned with divine geometry and mathematics. Like
the art of Pythagorean divine numerology, Islamic numerology is the based of divine
geometry and divine symbolism. This divine numerology is based in the use of the
‘magic box’ method employed in china (from central Asian Tocharian’s), the Malay
wafiq, and the Arabic form as well. It should be noterd here that the origins of magical
Germanic Runes which were spread to central Asia by the Tocharian descendants of
Aryan tribesmen and onwards to china. These technics came to both Central Asia and
China through Aryan traders or travelors of the Halstate culture,thus becoming the
158
….words enfold both knowledge and intention; therefore, framing an intention in words is the first
step in making it come true….affirming things such as “I am good” or praying to God with words such
as “let me be healed” is more than just expressing thoughts verbally. Wherever a word is backed up by
intention, it enters the field of awareness as a message or request….nothing more is required to make
desires come true than this, because the computing of the universal awareness is infinite. All messages
are heard and acted upon….. Deepak Chopra, The way of the Wizard: twenty spiritual lessons for
creating the life you want, (London: Rider, 2000), 67.
159
If the knower’s and those who are above inperfection shed of themselves the pollution of the relation
to the body and are reliesed from the preoccupation with the body, they will reach the worldof
saintlyness...and the hiest perfection will be engraved in them....while in the body, an abundant portion
of this pleasure, which may take hold of them, Thus distracting them from everything else. Shams Inati,
Ibn Sina and Mysticism, Remarks and Admonitions: Part Four, (Kegan Paul International, NY, New
York, 1996), 77.
209
bases for Chinese Lu Shu.Again we should also note that Runic was also the ancient
Nebotian Arabic. Persian forms of Arabic also bear the mark of Arayn Runelore in
Thus we find the Arabic language, the science of letters, and the Chinese
system of Lu Shu contain proto-Germanic influence. When one consideres the Gatae
origins of the jatt or Punjabis, the Persian anscestry of many Malibari, and the many
previous Aryan peoples who conytributed to the rise of the Malays; it becomes self
evident that the magico-mystic view of the Malay has much in common with
Germanic mystical traditions through a common origin, is at least one of the reasons
The cosmological, societal, cultural and healing arts or the Malays were
mysticism through the concept of Tawhid, Arabic sciences, and the many facets of the
art of Islamic mysticism. As we have seen in the evidence above Hati and Semangat
figure prominently in the the Malay tribal culture’s examination of160 the Natural
realm, through using their hearts to interpret the information that they gained and
living in harmony with nature, the animals and the minerals of this earth.
Hati is the equivalent of the Heart that “Thinks” as in the same usage among
the Germanic tribes it is not surprising to hear a Malay say something like “my heart
tells me” in order to say that “I think”. The reason is that the natural use of emotional
intelligence occurs sporadically in tribal societies due to their close relationship with
160
Cosmology provides us with knowledge of how the three worlds are related to each another
the spiritual world is a principle of the subtle world and the later a principle of the physical world.
Cosmography therefore demands that the physical world be treated not as an autonomous domain
which is cut off from higher orders of reality. It insists on the relevance of spiritual and subtle entities in
the study of the world. Osman Bakar, Tawhid and science:Islamic Perspectives on Religion and
Science, second edition, (ArahPublications, Sha Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, 2008), 74.
210
nature and their need to relate their feelings to the subtle realm when they realize that
their intuition and spiritual tools such as the ability to see jinn or to speak with spirits
were bound to them nature and the oneness of the Cosmos. While it is not a wise thing
for a Muslim to do in the sense of dabbling with jinn and such dangerous spirits as
that of the tiger, none the less it was a starting point for tribal peoples which inevitably
led to their adoption of the tawhidic love of Nature and eventually Islam.
This occurred not only in the physical but also in the metaphysical sense,
giving rise to the profession of Khalwah or Folk Healer. However these healers also
Khalwah. This examination into nature and the developmental of their evolution from
animism to Sufism was necessary for their survival and led to a developmental
We have in this thesis shown clearly that this process was an example of a pre
Islamic people who had an understanding of the Doctrine of Unity, which was in all
likelihood both the result of their environment and in the possible teachings of a Pre-
When we begin to examine the case of theurgist in Malaya and the role that
they played as a transitory figure just before and the arrival of the Sufi Wali, we are
looking at a Sage, Healer and ritualist who was; from the viewpoint of Islamic science
Natural realm through the Theurgical and or thaumaturgy skills. These skills were
employed through the use of universal and particular symbolism161. This act was
161
The prophet Of Islam has said, “ The world is a prison of the faithful and the paradise of the
unbeliever.” The sapiential interpretation of this well known hadith is that the person who possesses the
intellectual intuition which enables him to have a vision of the supernatural realities cannot be alienated
in a world characterized by material condensation, coagulation, separation, and most of all illusion. For
him, knowledge is both the means of journeying from this world to the abode which corresponds to his
inner reality, and which is therefore his home, and of seeing this world not as veil but as theophany,
not as opacity but as transparence. Whether the Gnostic speaks of journeying to the reality beyond or
211
reinforced by asceticism practiced in the mountains of Malaysia, yet employed within
and for the benefit of their community. The reasoning behind these trips to the
mountains was quite clearly due to the need for secrecy and the need to remove them
selves from the distractions of the mundane world. Thus a strong relationship with
Cosmos through prayer and meditatation was to benefit of their community. It is also
quite clear that the cultural climate of Malaysia in the early 1500s was still largely
Hindu and was a communal society in which Adat and traditional norms were
reflected in their daily life. This lifestyle formed a type of heart driven communal
philosophy for life which was oral rather than written, and came to dominate the
During the Last of the Hindu Malay Kingdom of Majapahit, written text as a
primary form of examination into the mysteries of Hinduism was the reserve of the
educated elite. Therefore when we speak of the Malay sage or theurgist we are
speaking of a man who was an ascetic and part time thaumaturgy in the form of ‘folk
religion’, working primarally with the community, and rarely involved in Hindu ritual
of the Rajas.
culture in which it has grown and in the case of Malaya this was extremely magnified
due to the communal ethos of the Malay people. While the Malay Sufi sages or Wali
were perhapse literate, it was not until the Malay Khawah studied under the tutelage
of these Wali that he would have had access to the knowledge of written text. Prier to
living in that reality here and now does not change the significance of the condition of the spiritual man
being in exile in this world,…. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein, Knowledge and the Sacred. (The Gifford
Lectures, Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 324.
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this the only access to written knowledge we would have had would have been bark
books written in Runic Malay and refered to as Batak which means ‘Bark”.
chapters continued in the 2nd and 3rd step at this time. The highly Aryanized peoples of
Bengal and Punjab contributed both to the Hindu and the Islamic period, together with
the Persian Sayyids they were responsible for the introduction of Sufism and Sufi
mysticism to Malaya.
The Malay theurgist or Sage was a figure whose Theurgy worked in many
ways as discussed earlier and in this chapter we would like to examine the universal
symbolism and similarities with Sufism through universal and particular symbolism as
well as the manner in which Sufism took these symbolic meanings to a higher level.
Following are the requirements for being a Viceregent of creation. Being a Viceregent
of creation is for the most part compatible for the requirements of a Wali; however
Sufism was the first and most important aspect of Islam to affect the Hindu and tribal
Malays. When Islam was carried to Malaysia via Sufi scholars, as well as a small
number of Indian and Arab traders they brought the Arab socio-cultural view of life, a
view that is intertwined with the Islamic faith. This Arab/Islamic view of life had
strong moral implications, which lasted at least until the Umayyad Dynasty. Long
before the Arabs arrived The Malay had their own indigenous beliefs, which also bear
the mark of Pre-Islamic Arab animistic elements reflective of Arabic love of nature.
The influence of Shi’ah Islam of the Persian peoples can also be seen in influencing
the Malay; this was particularly strong in the area of Talismans and other esoteric
213
practices. The Malays were accepted with benevolence by the early Sufi scholars who
The first Arab traders to come to Malaya can be seen in the Malay chronicles
role of the Shattaria and chisti branches of Sufism who sent sheiks to Indonesia and
Malaysia from India. The Shattaria have had an amazingly strong influence upon the
Malay form of mysticism in both Indonesia and Malay. The close connection between
mystical Islam and Hinduism among the Shattaria of the 1200s as it was in India came
to Malaya in a hybrid form which was readily acceptable to the Hindus of the Malay
Archipelago. The reasons for this are many and varied however are all related in one
way or another with the extremely esoteric and pantheistic tendencies of the Shattaria.
same title, written by Prof. Dr. Syyed Muhammad Naquib Al’ Attas in his Doctoral
degree. The tolerance and understanding of mystics such as Fansuri enabled the tribal
Malay to relate to Sufism and ultimately it was this tolerance which assisted to
Again it is important to note that Ache were Hamzah Fansuri was residing was
the Tocharian center of Islamic education in South East Asia. In fact when the basic
principles of Sufism were taught to the Malays it was the mystical aspects which
respectively. Their appreciation for the advanced technology and abilities as seen by
the Malay were “works of wonder” or theurgy and a type of theurgy they “wanted to
162
Hamzah Fansuri of Barus in northern Sumatra (ca. 1600), has given us indications that he was of
the Qadririyyah order. I have further pointed out that by 1488 Malacca was already a centre of Sufism
in the peninsula. Syed Naquib Al-Attas, Edited by Shirle Gordon. Some Aspects of Sufism. Malaysian
Socialogical Research Institute LTD. Singapor, 1963), 5.
214
learn”. Even in the very early stages the Malays and even the Bomo’s sat and learned
from the Sufi mystics, so that Sufi mysticism spread throughout Malaya quickly and
efficiently. No force of arms, no cannons, no strong arming was needed, just empathy
During the last age of Majapahit the Hindu king of Java conquered the Island
of Singapore, which was then inhabited by the Sultan Iskandar Shah, who was himself
a convert from Hinduism to Sufism. These Muslims who were forced out made a
Hijrah to a place called Malacca in the land which would come to be known as
Malaya. The Muslim’s, who founded Malaya there in Malacca, continued to prosper
until 1403 when shah of Malacca called for help against the Hindus from China. A
Chinese general sailed to Malacca with many Chinese junks in 1403. The general
organized the Shah’s troops, port, and shipping lines again murders. To honour the
many beloved generals the Shah dedicated a mosque in his name. It should be
mentioned that there have been Muslims in Malaya for century’s prier to the
establishment of the sultanate of Malacca. For example the first mention of Muslims
in Malaya takes place within the Serajah Malayu and these statements are taken from
the book of the elders. Note the continued use of traditional Malay rituals such as the
163
Once more the Malay magician sat at the feet of Indian teachers, this time as a student of
Muslim pantheism. To India have been traced the first use of the Sufi term fana for loss of the
individual self in God, and the Sufi's acquaintance with the practice of "watching the breaths" as a
means of worship. The Sufi legend of Ibrahim bin Adham, the hunter prince of Balkh who gave up his
throne for the beggar's bowl, is modeled upon the story of Buddha. Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A.,
D.Litt. The Malay Magician, Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford
University press, 1969), 75.
164
I have sons and have never kissed them, said a man who saw the prophet kissing his grandson.
The prophet looked at the man and said, He who has no compassion will receive none…. May his nose
be rubbed with dust…. who found his parents, one or both, approaching old age and did not enter
paradise by serving them…. Among the believers who shows the most perfect faith are those who
possesses the best disposition and are kindest to their families….When a person spends time with his
wife and children, it is counted as charity on his part….four things make happiness; a righteous wife, a
spacious dwelling, an honest neighbor, and a pleasant mount….He is not a believer who eats his fill
while his neighbor remains hungry by his side. Mohd. (PBBH), Sahih al-Bukhari, comp. Al-imam
Zain udin Ahmad bin Abdul-Latif Az-Zubaidi, trlt. Dr. Muhammad Mushin Khan, Islamic University
Al-Madina, Al-Munawwara, Saudia Arabia, Maktabar-us-Salam, 1994), 954.
215
kettle drum ceremony which Winsted describes as an Amalgification of animism,
Ibn Sinna, and, al-Bastami, Ibn Hayyan and others; these two cultures have each
developed a form of mystics who, as mystics and healers have come to be both
monotheist and healers who work for the good of their communities and for the divine
experience of gnosis in their own lives. These are men and woman who are on the
path of the murid167168. As we will see later in this paper, this is one of the primary
differences between Sufi mystics and the animist sorcerers; the Sufi mystic like his
wizard counterpart in Europe works for the good of the community and his spiritual
development while the sorcerer works his art for self gratification. This does not mean
165
….plus the king the number thirty-two made up the number of Gods on mount metu, the heaven of
Indra. And the Malay God-king introduced from India to cure men of sickness and secure fertility for
crops and herds often took the title of Indra (master magician and lord of weather) and had a hill,
temple or place symbolizing Indra’s Hindu Olympus. Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The
Malay Magician, Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford University
press, 1969), 33.
166
So in java the séance of the shaman may well have preceded in harmonious relation with the
ritual of the folk priest and the cooperating Brahman….Metaphysics is intimately associated with
knowledge, …transcendental knowledge ; and the deity with who communion is sought on a
metaphysical plane is omniscient….affected by Oranic beliefs…such that it could be adapted to the
devaraja religion, …as was the case even in the XIIth century Javanese Mahayanism…the bayon
represents the central tower … metaphysics proved more readily assimilable in Champa and Java than
in Cambodia. H.G. Qaritch Wales, Ph.D. Pre-history and religion in south east Asia, London, (Bernard
Qaritch LTD, 11 Grafton street. 1957), 154-174.
167
The process by whereby the soul enters the arch of ascent and undertakes the mystic Quest lies
in techniques and methods of Sufism, which are centered upon the ability one has to concentrate….The
first step is to seek a sheikh …for although there have been Sufis who have been initiated without a
living spiritual master , it is very rare. (Known as uwaisi, most of these Sufis have been guided by the
prophet Khizr, who corresponds to the biblical Elijah.) The purpose of the Shaykh is to cleanse the
heart…. The power to bestow initiation comes from the prophet Muhammad….. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi:
Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 23-24.
168
Seclusion and solitude should be viewed as states of both exterior and interior withdrawal. The
exterior state of seclusion is when a man decides to withdraw himself from the world, imprisoning
himself in a space away from other people, so that people in the world are saved from his undesirable
character and existence. He also hopes that is so doing the source of his undesirable existence, his ego
and the base desires of his flesh, will be separated from their daily nourishment and the satisfaction of
things they are used to. Further, he hopes that this isolation will educate his ego and his appetites,
permitting the development of his inner spiritual being. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets:
The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti.
(S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 93.
216
that we will ignore the contribution to the development of mysticism in Malaysia by
the animist. The animistic element will be examined first in order to set the order of
The Islamic form of mysticism has influenced the popular form of mysticism in
the form of symbolic rituals, Islamic terminology and practices, which have been
adopted by the Khalwah formerly Dokun, the local Theurgist who view themselves as
both Thamaturgist and exorcist. It is important here to note that traditionally the term
Wali denoted a person of high rank in the path of Willayah and was initiated with
reference to Khidr. The Malay Khalwah see here may or may not have held that rank
dependant on the individual case, however in most cases the common term has come
to mean one who is at one both a mystic and an exorcist who exhibits aspects of both
170
He is the vicregent of God (Khallifat’allah) on earth, to use the Islamic term, responsible to
God for his actions, and the custodian and protector of the earth ...that he remain faithful to himself as
the central terrestrial figure created in the “form” of God”, a theomorphic being living in this world but
created for eternity. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein.. Knowledge and the Sacred. (The Gifford Lectures,
Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), p.160.
171
Nature is the collector, which means the state is that that which collects all opposites is Nature
because Nature is one reality by virtue of its matter and different things by virtue of its
particularizations and images. Consequently Nature accepts the determination of oppositions over the
images because it collects in itself the opposites through their realities, and in oppositions it is the same
as the opposite but it does not collect in itself the opposites with the particularization of oppositions in
217
By the end of the conversion period the Malay Islamic sages in the orthodox
sense belonged to the Malay community and had a traditional understanding of herbs,
healing arts, exorcism, Arabic language, the Shariah of Islam, Islamic science,
including but not limited to philosophy, mathematics, and all areas of traditional Sufis.
I would like to go into a bit more detail in explaining that the centralized
ambition of all Muslims which operates at the center of their life and for their
betterment, which is, mentioned in Surah al-Fatihah. That is that the centrality of
Surat al mustakim “the life of the strait path” and all the aspects of asking Allah to
guide your life on the road to realization is the devotional lifestyle which lies central
to all ambitions of a Muslim. This is exemplified in the act of prayer 5 times a day by
Muslims172.
The ritual of prayer is not only a matter of prayer. The act of prayer is in
reality a three fold miracle. This miracle is something, which cannot be seen as simply
a robotic action. When people perform prayer as a robotic action they are not praying
but they are only going through the ritual motions. True prayer is:
The act in which you are standing in the prayer is an act of becoming the
vertical connection between God and all of creation, man as the Viceregent of Allah
has been given the opportunity to represent all of nature. This is a special thing.
172
Five times a day, at specific times, prayer is ordained for every adult and able Muslim. This is
ordered by Allah: guard the prayers, especially the middle prayer..... (Sura Baqara, 238) Ritual worship
consists of standing, reciting from the Qur’an, bowing, prostrating, kneeling and audibly repeating
certain prayers. These movements and actions involving the members of the body, recitations spelled
out and heard involving the senses, are the worship of the material self. Because these actions of the
material self are multiple and are repeated many times in each of the five prayers during the day, the
first part of the order of Allah, Guard the prayers, is in the plural. Hadarat abdul Qadir al jilani,
interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti, p. 73.
218
communion with Allah, at this point all the emphasis is between him and her with God
alone. This is due to the act sujud creates the most humble of acts of submission to the
lord of all creation. The special bond between maker and creation is realized in a
most pure and beautiful embrace, like the holding of a newborn child by its mother,
demean such a beautiful moment as being nothing more than ritual is an extremely
narrow way of interpreting this event. In fact, no other event could be as mystical and
miraculous as the Islamic prayer173174175, when the niyyah and action come together in
complete mystical union of the Muslim and his Lord, the vertical connection
mystically creates a link to the heavenly dimension and the connecting of the soul in
sujud creates a spiritual link of unknown proportions deeply felt and profoundly
understood in the heart and mind. Thus we see the most mystical and miraculous of all
the Islamic rituals, as well as the more beautiful of the heart. Prayer is the rose of
Islamic life. The five times of prayer remarkably reflect the five astrological
conjunctions of the cosmos in relation to the times when man comes before the creator
173
Seest thou not that God whose praises all beings in heavens and on earth celebrate, and the
birds with wings outspread each one knows its own mode of prayer and praise. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The
Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary. Surah 2:285, Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), Surah 24:41, 427.
174
True worship is the worship of the heart. If own's heart is heedless of true worship, the ritual
prayer of the material self is in disorder. When this happens, the peace of the material self that one
hopes to obtain from ritual prayer is not realized. That is why the Prophet says, 'Ritual worship is only
possible with a quiet heart'. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul
abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co
publishing, 1994), 3.
175
The man who knows must be aware that the child of the spirit which is born in his heart is the
meaning of true humanity: that is the true human being. He should educate the child of the heart,
teaching unity through constantly being aware of unity – leaving this world of matter and of
multiplicity, seeking the spiritual world, the world of mysteries, where there is none other than the
Essence of Allah. In reality there is no other place but that place, which has no end, no beginning. IBID,
30.
219
of the cosmos176177178. This is of direct significance to the act of prayer, not only as a
ritual, and spiritual experience179, but also as a reminder of the relationship between
men as Viceregent, the cosmos as the Qur’an of creation and the prayer and its
makes the five prayers of each day or elliptical cycle the ideal times of day for
communing with the ultimate reality of the lord of all creation 180. Prayer and ritual are
central to relating spiritually to Tawhid, the oneness of Allah, and central to Tawhid is
Typically these Islamic Mystics or Khalwah make use of the traditional modes
of Malay healing and apply Islamic methods in line with the use of the 4 elements, the
hierarchy of Nature in the Sufi sense, and various other tools for the expulsion of
176
The...gnostic and theologian Syyid Hadar Amuli, made no reservations in pointing to the
correspondences existing between the “Muhammadan” pleroma of seventy two stars of the islamic
universe and the seventy two stars of the pleroma comprised of those sages who had preserved their
primordial nature but belonged to the world outside of the specifically Islamic one. Nasr, Seyyed
Hossein.. Knowledge and the Sacred. (The Gifford Lectures, Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981),
72.
177
The purpose of the creation of this universe is to discover, to see that hidden treasure. Allah says
through His Prophet, 'I was a hidden treasure, I willed to be known. I created the creation so that I
would be known.' That is to say, that He would be known in this material world through His attributes
manifested in His creation.IBID, 53.
178
The multiplicity of sacred forms has been used as an excuse to reject all sacred forms, as well as
scientia sacra which lies behind and beyond these forms.....For an intelligence which has been
illuminated by the intellect and a knowledge which is already blessed with the perfume of the sacred
sees in multiplicity of sacred forms, not contradiction which relativise, but a confirmation of the
universality of the truth and the infinite creative power of the real that unfolds its inexhaustible
possibilities in worlds of meaning which, although different, all reflect the unique Truth. IBID, 281.
179
As for the higher level of spiritual transformation it requires intensive training and disciplining or
controling of the self. Thus, the rational soul must watch over the animal soul (murÉqabah) to ensure
that the duties assigned to oneself are carried out. It also entails self-examination (muÍÉsabah), to
observe whether the Qur’Én, to attain the knowledge of God pertaining to His Creation, His reality and
truth, has carried out these duties in the prescribed way. All this involves deep meditation (tafakkur)
and brings about the gradual realization in the self of other virtues of a higher spiritual level, such as
repentance (tawbah), patience (Îabr), gratitude (shukr), hope (rajÉ’), fear (khawf), divine unity
(tawÍÊd), trust (tawakkul), and finally the highest virtue for the attainment of happiness in this life, love
of God (maÍabbah), Dr. Fatima Abdullah, ISTAC, sem. II, 2008, from ( al-kahf 18;74, Maryam 19;19,
al-shams 91;10 al-nÉziÑÉt,78;18, al-AÑlÉ, 87;14.
180
This paragraph was composed in cooperation with Dr. Fatimah Abdullah.
220
wayward spirits and heal the sick etc. These techniques can be seen in classical Malay
books on Healing with herbs that developed at the end of this period.
Khalwah and the Orthodox Sufi Mystic is that the “True” Hakim works for the good
of the Ummah and for the enlightenment of the Ummah. He sees himself as non-
existent except in the oneness of Allah to which all belong, come from and return to
upon death. It is not this world and the riches and joys of the nafs which interest him,
but the Akhira or the next life with Allah which he strives for181182.
For centuries Sufi wise men and saints have constantly strove to perfect
themselves in the cause of Allah and for the sake of their souls’ deliverance from evil.
They strove to improve their Ummah and to teach using all of the tools you have seen
above. The difference between a practitioner of Islamic science or Sufism and a Sufi
Mystic or Mystic is only the difference in added emphases upon Islamic medicine and
healing as a secondary role to the Sufi way of life on the road to enlightenment. When
we approach the study of the Malay Khalwah and his progression toward ascension
181
Physical ecstasy is a product of the ego. It does not give one any spiritual satisfaction. It is under the
influence of the sense. Often it is hypocritical, occurring so that others see or hear about it. This kind of
ecstasy is totally devoid of value still thinks that he can do, that he can choose. It is not good to give
any importance to such experiences. Spiritual ecstasy, however, is a totally different state, a state
caused by the overflow of spiritual energy. Ordinarily, exterior influences – such as a beautifully
recited poem, or the Qur’an chanted by a beautiful voice, or the excitement brought on by the ceremony
of remembrance of the Sufis – may cause this spiritual elevation. This happens because at such
moments the physical resistance of the being is obliterated. The will, the ability of the mind to choose
and to decide, is overcome. When the powers of both the body and the mind are undermined, the
ecstatic state is purely spiritual. To go along with that kind of experience is beneficial to one. Abd Al-
Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh
Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 90.
182
….and it is the same for Viceregents [ViceregentViceregents] from among men. Their height
through being Viceregent [ViceregentViceregent] is not an essential height. Had it been otherwise it
would have been for all men and as this is not general we have known that in this height the height is
for position,….and in respect to being he is the same as all beings, and things which are named as latter
things are high by their essence. And God, by virtue of being, is the same as the things that are, which
is high by its essenceis the ame as the being of God. Ismail bursevi transl., Fusus al-Hikam by
Muhyiddin Ibn arabi(Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 336.
221
The role of Thaumaturgist in Malay culture as chief healer of the Malay
mosque
In the study of the science of Theurgy we will see that there are three primary
considerations as to who can practice it, and how is this possible, and weather it is
In answer to the first questions we can see clearly and conclusively, that
those persons who have achieved the union of the energies upper soul with its origins.
That is to say that those individuals such as saints, sages, and prophets who have come
to a point of development in their station were God has allotted to them the divine
light183184185186. This fact is based upon the idea that, man as the microcosm of Allah
183
And whoever repents and believes and works righteous deeds, Allah changes his evil deeds
into good ones, and Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Merciful Sura Furqan, 70. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The
Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-
Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 34.
184
When the attributes of darkness lift, light takes its place, and the one with the eye of the soul
sees. He recognises what he sees with the light of the Names of divine attributes. Then he himself is
flooded by light and becomes light. These lights are still veils hiding the light of the divine Essence, but
the time comes when they too are drawn back, leaving only the light of the divine Essence itself. IBID,
56.
185
What is left is a pure and absolute light. There is nothing to know beyond it. That is the realm
of self-annihilation. There is no longer a mind to give any news. There is not one else but Allah to
whom to give news. Our Master the Prophet describes it, saying, 'I have a time when I am so close to
Allah that no one, neither an angel nor a messenger nor a prophet. IBID, 77.
186
The physical radiance of the sage, of the one delivered through gnosis, is a reflection of the physical
plane of the light of sacred knowledge itself. Realized knowledge resides in the heart. Which is the
pinnacle of both the mind and the body. It is a light which inundates the whole being of man removing
from him the veil of ignorance and clothing him in the robe of resplendent luminosity which is the
substance of that knowledge itself. As the prophet said, “knowledge is light” (al-‘ilmu nur), and
realized knowledge cannot be the realization of that light which not only illuminates the mind but also
beatifies the soul and irradiates the body while, from the operative point of view, realization itself as its
necessary and preliminary condition the training of the body and soul, a training, which prepares the
human microcosm for the reception of the “victorial light” of sacred knowledge. Syyed Hossain Nasr,
222
has within him the attributes of the divine names and is capable of enacting various
empirical into existence” or changing it187188189. From the typical modern science or
secular science perspective, the abilities and karamat of the Khalwah are impossible.
Yet Dr. Carl Gustav Jung’s views on synchronicity and quantum physics both seem to
Theurgy comes from the Greek words for the practice of rituals; these are
rituals which are done in order to bring about something which is wondrous, such as
to bring rain when needed for a farm or money for a poor family to help them eat. Or
in other words to make something exist or change its appearance or take away
magical, this action is often performed with the intention of invoking the assistance of
one God, although it can also be used to describe polytheist rituals. This is especially
true for those mystics and occultist who seek uniting with God, or reaching Gnosis,
188
Analysis of al-Tawhid as essence, i.e., as the first determining principle of Islam, its culture
and civilization, Al tawhid is that which gives Islamic civilization its identity,….it recast them so as to
harmonize with and mutually support other elements. Without necessarily changing their natures, the
essence transforms the elements making up a civilization, giving them their new character as
constitutive of that civilization….’ilm al tawhid subsumed under it the disciplines of logic,
epistemology, metaphysics and ethics… Al Faruqi, Ismail Raji. Al-Tawhid: its Implications for thought
and life., (International Institute of Islamic thought. Herndon. Virginia. U.S.A., 1992), 17.
189
To be a recipient of divine manifestation and to have contact with the spirit of our Master the
Prophet one must be taught and educated and brought to a certain spiritual level. The seeker who has
just entered the spiritual path cannot hope to be able to relate Allah Most High or to His Prophet
without an intermediary. He must first be prepared and educated by a teacher who’s close to them.
Between a pure teacher who is close to Allah an dour Master the Prophet there is a relationship which
transcends the physical. If the Prophet were alive one could take knowledge directly form him and there
would be no need of an intermediary. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great
Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul
Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 113.
223
and perfecting themselves spiritually.
As used among the priest of Greek Orthodox Christianity, there are many
rituals which use Thaumaturgy, and this is not seen as using Sorcery, but rather as
drawing wonderus affect do to the divine power of God through making a ritualistic
devotion to him through symbolic gestured, incantations, prostrations and the use of
illustrative symbolism both particular and universal, which when employed will open
the door to Gods grace for those in need. In Jewish Theurgy we see a pattern very
Islamic Angelology. These are called the 10 Serphirot. The name of Keter, their
cabbalists believe that when Khidr or keter as they call him was carried to heaven by
Allah he was transformed into the angel Metron, and thus became the leader of the
Angels called Serphirot. the Cabbalist teachings avoid total shirk through seeing their
Serphirot not as Gods to be prayed to, but as symbolic motifs of ascension similar to
the Tantric Yantras illustrated in Kundalini alone the chakra points, a pattern called
the Tree of Life by both systems. However their system lacks the understanding of
190
God is proved only as the level of those who have vision, because whatever was possible for
Solomon to bring about through hokum and tasarruf is the effects of the fact that God subjugated the
high universe to him. And the causes of these tasarrufs is through God’s making him know what to
do….God mentiones also concerning Khidr by saying:’we gave him rahmah from us and made him
know the knowledge of our ladun.’….the Compassionate Beutytude [is] ….divided into two….one
division is temporary, and the other is non-temperary. The temporary one is particulary to the happy
ones in this world, which allows them to be victorious in aims, according to their resolve during the
dominace of states and times. God united the two happynesses for Solomon….the happiness of and the
Compassionate Beutytude of Solomon is not temporary, but rather it is of eternal predication. Ismail
bursevi transl., Fusus al-Hikam by Muhyiddin Ibn arabi(Kegan Paul International, New York, NY,
1996), 762.
191
…The story of moses: for he was speacially chosen ….and we called him from the right of
mount (sinai), and made him draw near to us, for mystic (converse)….and we raised him to a lofty
station….the signs of (God) Most Gracious were rehersed to them….such is the garden which we give
as an inheritance to those of our servants who guard against evil… Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy
Qur’an: text, translation and commentary. Surah 2:285, Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
2nd ed. 2001), 370-371.
224
Islamic theories of emanations to completion due to their lack of identification of the
empirical world with the Holy Spirit or the Nur of Muhammad as the life giving force
which Allah created before time and used to make mans soul (originating of course
ultimately from his own life force)192. Neo-Platonism also comes close in thaumaturgy
reexamination and classification of "the one" as the only God. The question arises
after reviewing several systems of religious philosophy and tradition, all of which
make use of thaumaturgy and Theurgy, is there a difference between the two? The
Correct in general this illustrates clearly the way in which the shaman adapted
The Fuqua of Sufism has always been the kindest and most learned among the various
Islamic groups, primarily because they see the heart as one of the most important
aspects of Islam and as being the key to seeing truth. This they call “the eye of the
heart” like the third eye of Hinduism, the eye of the heart sees spiritually, into the
spiritual truth as well as into the metaphysical manifestations of the natural realm. The
miracles of nature are revealed to the Sufi mystic in the form of geometrical,
the Qur’an, for example, the cow, the thunder, the bees, the jinn, the ants, the spider,
the smoke, the sun, all these sections of Qur’an (and many more) make reference to
192
Four thousand years after the creation of the light of Muhammad, Allah created the Heavenly
Throne ('arsh') from the light of the eye of Muhammad. He created the rest of creation from the
Heavenly Throne. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al
Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing,
1994), p. 6.
225
the symbols in nature and their powerful meaning to man as the microcosm of al
Tawhid193.
As the Viceregent of this natural world and the one who understands in
the mind all the miracles and the signs in the natural world, it the responsibility of
man to be the protector of their fellow man, the forest, and the animals and to care for
the trust which Allah has given him, the sacred trust of his garden 194195. What is Sufi
I would add to this the fact that a mystic is not concerned with low magic or as
Frazier puts it “sympathetic magic” at all. In fact the Sufi mystic seeks to heal others
those who cannot protect themselves from malevolent spirits, to show other the ways
in which Allah is one, and ultimately to Wilaya, to find union with the divine. Further
more a Sufi is a Muslim who seeks to explore natural science and the existence of
Nature in the metaphysical as well as the physical sense, in order to find gnosis with
Allah196.
Therefore when all of these elements are combined we find that the Sufi
193
It is through symbols that one is awakened; it is through symbols that one is transformed; and
it is through symbols that one expresses. Symbols are realities contained within the nature of things.
The entire journey to God is a journey in symbols, in which one is constantly aware of the higher reality
within things. Symbols reflect both divine transcendence and divine eminence; they refer to both the
universal aspect of creation and the particular aspect of tradition. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of
the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 25.
194
Seest thou not that God whose praises all beings in heavens and on earth celebrate, and the
birds with wings outspread each one knows its own mode of prayer … Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy
Qur’an: text, translation and commentary Surah, 24:41,Surah 2:285, Saba Islamic Media, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), 425.
195
The Qur’an itself speaks of each animal species as an Ummah (religious community) implying
that God has promulgated a law for each species of being. The Qur’an also speaks of each creature as
possessing its own nature. The goal of Islamic science is to know the true nature of things as given by
God. Osman Bakar, Tawhid and Science, (Penang & Nurin Enterprises, 40 Jalan Kemuja, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, 1991), 74.
196
The goal of Islamic Science is to know the true nature of things…to demonstrate the unity of
the “laws of nature” as a reflection of the unity of the divine principle….Muslims who submitted to the
divine law which God had promulgated. IBID, 69-70.
226
mystic, appears as a man of very high moral character, who seeks direct knowledge of
the divine through exploration of Nature, including the realm of metaphysics or the
subtle, especially in respect to the Divine and angelic realms, he dedicates his life to
the spiritualism of Islam and the philosophies of Islamic science. This is done in order
to find the ultimate power of the oneness of Allah, and with the powers then bestowed
upon him by God; he goes into the world to protect, teach and help others on their
journey to God. This is the definition of a Sufi mystic197. Having seen the definition of
a Sufi Mystic we must ask ourselves; how does this differ from other Muslims and
Sufi’s? The Sufi mystic takes a view of Nature, drawn from Islamic Science and uses
it to make contact with nature, including the Qur’an of creation, to see within it the
symbolic truths which have eluded him in written form. The Sufi Mystic engages the
moving dynamic of Tawhid in search of the direct knowledge of ‘The One’, From the
perspective of the Islamic Thaumaturgist merely studying Sufism is not the end of the
road for the Sufi mystic; as a ritualistic specialist who belongs to a Mystico-magical
world view he must go directly to the Qur’an of creation and see for himself the
glories of Allah’s creation and learn all the secrets there for him198. In the case of
197
...[the Wali] In his spiritual being, hidden behind his appearance, each person is different.
Therefore special private laws apply to him....Rising from level to level he may reach the stage of the
spiritual path, passing into the realm of wisdom, 'There is a very high state. The prophet [PBBH] prases
this state, saying, ' There is a state in which all and everything is gathered - and it is the divine
wisdom.'....To reach that level, one first has to abandon false appearances and the hypocrisy of doing
things so that others might see or hear. Then one must set for ones self three goals. These three goals
are actually three paradises. The first is called Ma 'wa - the paradise of security of home. That is the
earthly paradise. The second is called Na' im - the garden of the delight of Allah’s grace upon his
creatures, which is the paradise within the angelic realm. The third is Firdaws - the heavenly paradise.
That is the paradise in the realm of the unity of the cusual mind, home of souls, of the divine names and
attributes…. Ibn Tammiya, Wali Al-Rah’man; Wali-Shayton. Trans. Franz Von Hofler, and Muktar,
Nurussaddah. Trans. Malay to English from: Ibnu Taimiyah, (karakteristik wali allah wali, ramadhani,
(solo publishing, solo Indonesia, 1989), 13-14.
198
In vesting the wurid with the patched frock, Sufism has preserved the old symbolism of garments:
by donning a garment that has been worn, or even touched, by the blessed hands of a master, the
disciple gains some of the baraka, the mystic-magical power of the sheik….The khirqa-yi irada, is
bestowed upon him only by his true spiritual master, who is responsible for his progress….. Annemarie
Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam, (University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975),
102
227
distinguishing him from the sorcerer, it is quite clear, that the use of any material
objects which a Sufi mystic may posses in the act of healing, exorcism, or any other
act of charity, that, these ritual tools are always inscribed with Qur’an or of a non-Pre-
Monotheistic forms.. True Sufi mystics find the most Valuable tool in their
and protect those who cannot protect themselves fro the aspects of the unseen which
have gone astray, they are the protectors of mankind and animals and are in my
opinion the most noble of Allah servants dedicating their lives to being the guardians
of the weak. Because of this enormously intricate situation, the understanding of and
investigation into the use of Al-Batin’s God the Mystical is the second most important
of all of Allah’s names to me and is necessary for the balance of natural forces via the
realm, and it’s use in gaining understanding into mystical alchemy.199 The statement
by Ibn Tammiya proves that, the importance of Al-Batin and that the role of Allah as
lord of the unseen is of great importance to the natural world, both in the seen and
unseen. Furthermore, it is not only advised but it is “Required” as one of the five
Pillars of Islam that all Muslims believe in the “Hidden/Unseen” meaning the
existence of Angels and Jinn, and more importantly, the Hidden aspects of Allah
himself al Al-Batin and any other aspect of the Divine essence which exist.
Knowledge of the hidden truths of Allah are known as Ilm al Batin; these are the
199
The material world, also called the gross world, is immediately enclosed and dominated by the
psychic domain, also referred to as the subtle world. These two worlds together form the domain of
nature. And it is the angelic world which governs all natural laws in both the subtle and gross domains.
Osman Bakar, Tawhid and science:Islamic Perspectives on Religion and Science, second edition,
(ArahPublications, Sha Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, 2008), 21.
228
mysteries of the Islamic Mystic200201202.
The realm of Divine essence is the highest real within the metaphysical realms
and it therefore of utmost importance to the eye of the heart and the belief in Allah as
the ultimate and perfected God of all creation. As noted above Islamic science studies
through the use of the Falsafah or philosophy, scientific examination of life sciences
the relationship to be found between nature and God. That nature is simply this that
God can and is revealed in the form of symbols to be found in nature and symbols
which point the way to God by representing aspects of nature. God is only eluded to
200
....one needs knowledge that comes from the hidden realms, a knowledge which overflows
with the divine consciousness: ...whom We had taught knowledge of Our divine Presence. (Surah kahf,
65)....Such a teacher who inculcates knowledge into one has to be close to Allah and able to see into the
Ultimate Realm....[Allah prefers] Those who spend in ease as well as in adversity and those who
restrain [their] anger and pardon men. And Allah loves the doers of good [to others].....and put our
inner being in order through acquiring wisdom. Ibn Tammiya, Wali Al-Rah’man; Wali-Shayton. Trans.
Franz Von Hofler, and Muktar, Nurussaddah. Trans. Malay to English from: Ibnu Taimiyah,
(karakteristik wali allah wali, ramadhani, (solo publishing, solo Indonesia, 1989), Surah Al Imran,
133-34, p. 8-9.
201
The isolation proceeds from all that is worldly becoming nothing. It is only then that you will
receive the divine attributes. That is what our Master the Prophet means when he says, 'Adorn yourself
with the divine disposition'. Purify yourself, submerging yourself in the divine attributes. Abd Al-Qadir
Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh
Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), p. 78.
202
By virtue of this there is no height by qualification in the universe, however, there are superior
aspects of being…..there is no height of attribution in the universe. all height is essential because the
images which are numerous in existence are only the revelations and manifestations of the one existent
in mirrors of non-existent a’yan. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Ismail bursevi transl., Ibn Sina And Mysticism:
remarks and Admonisions: part four, (Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 338.
229
or inferred to via symbols203204205. Since the divine perfection of Allah cannot be seen,
therefore necessary for humans to look to him through using symbols as a way of
viewing his attributes and continuing on a road of contemplation toward the final goal
the divine light of his divine essence, which some choose to call enlightenment. While
there exist with Sufism a school of gnosis, for whom this is the primary focus of all
activities, not all schools of Sufism use the same methods to discovering the divine.
Furthermore the role of Islamic Science it to uncover and present the truths associated
with the divine and his relationship to Nature. It is therefore the role of individual
seekers and their brotherhoods to find the path which is best for them.
203
Universal (or natural) symbols are symbols as they appear in the nature of things. They are
primordial to mankind, and in this sense they are trans-cultural. Particular symbols, or even particular
interpretations of universal symbols, differ according to the various traditions. They are sensible or
intelligible forms consecrated by God through revelation to become vehicles of Divine grace. They
posses , in a sense , the theophanic light which confers a dimension of transcendence on the particular
tradition in which they are revealed….Abu Bakr Siraj al-Din tells us, ‘is a Divine name, recalled,
remembered, invoked in an upward aspiration towards the truth. The firms set root of the Tree is the
[zikr, invocation], itself uttered with firm set purpose. The heaven reaching branches represent the
tremendous import of the [invocation] as it passes upwards through the whole of the universe ; and the
fruit of the Tree is the reality in whose remembrance the invocation is performed. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi:
Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), p. 27.
204
Nature is the collector, which means the state is that that which collects all opposites is Nature
because Nature is one reality by virtue of its matter and different things by virtue of its
particularizations and images. Consequently Nature accepts the determination of oppositions over the
images because it collects in itself the opposites through their realities, and in oppositions it is the same
as the opposite but it does not collect in itself the opposites with the particularization of oppositions in
the image in particularized matter….the one Being of the Haqq is manifested in the different mirrors
and is varied in places of reflection of the a’yan and receives the totality of the determinations of the
a’yan, by this aspect the Haqq is khalq. Thus, with the eye of vision look at it…by this aspect, he
referes to the words: He is one image in different mirrors., Ismail bursevi transl., Fusus al-Hikam by
Muhyiddin Ibn arabi(Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 354-358.
205
To the Sufi, creative expression which results from participation mystique – that is, a state of
being one with nature, although not conscience of the Divine presence – is an expression of one vision
of self within self. It is an expression which is not reflective, not polished, not aware of the total
possibilities inherent in the nature of things … The reflective surface now reflects something which is
contained, a spirit which is not only one’s own. This is the spirit universal to all things: to the Sufi, it is
the ’desire’ which exist within things’ to be known’. …. By blowing or chanting the Divine names
upon the form to be transformed, the creative process of the breath, which contains the Divine Presence
through a name, transforms the object in hand. The creator participates as active agent and the object
participates as passive recipient. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and
Hudson, London, 1976), 26.
230
The growth and development of Islamic science as a more open minded and
more thorough form of scientific investigation of Nature from the dawn of time until
the present age; which has used by the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
with the aid of the Falsafah has inevitably led to the development of a far more
thorough form of scientific investigation. When examining the work of Ibn Farabi,
Ibn Sina, Ibn Arabi and many other Islamic scientist we find that every field of study
using Islamic science in a more thorough and broad minded type of science (including
examination into the unseen realm of the natural world, e.g. the world of jinn, the
angelic realm and the realm of the Divine essence). Having said this, we find that the
bases of Islamic Science which, has always been the Holy Qur’an, the Qur’an of
Nature and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). Through using these sources we see
then that it is also clear Islamic Science is not only thorough but also very Islamic in
its approach to scientific examination into natural phenomenon. This is not to say that
it is exclusively the property of Muslims but it is also the great assistance to those who
are also non-Muslims. How is this so? Because of the fact that Pre-Islamic religions
maintain some roots or remnants of Islamic truth and are in fact degenerated forms of
cosmological theory with Islamic bases from the Pre-Islamic prophets of God,
231
206207208
sometimes referred to as the Primordial Religious Tradition . Therefore Islamic
Science is for everyone, and since it is stated in the Holy Qur’an that all creatures
(including man) are born Muslim, then Islamic or Muslim Science is for all of
creation209. Therefore Islamic Science is the most accurate term for the exploration of
through the misinterpretation of Fiqua’s, which differ, from their own can profit
greatly from utilizing Islamic Science to examine their own misconceptions of the
Sunnah. Every aspect of Nature can be found in man as a microcosm of the creation,
every element and aspect of elements that exist within creation can be seen in man.
While man is not the centre of all, this is for Allah alone as the perfected un-manifest
perfection from which all else comes and returns; man is the centre of the empirical
world, the Viceregent (ruler and care taker) of the empirical world with all rights and
206
....they forget their promise, they forget their source, their way to return home;....Many
messengers have come to this world,….Say: This is My way. I call to Allah with sincerity of, insight - I
and those who follow me... (Surah Yusuf, 108) ' My companions are like the stars in the sky. Which
ever of them you follow, you will find the true path. Ibn Tammiya, Wali Al-Rah’man; Wali-Shayton.
Trans. Franz Von Hofler, and E. Matondang, Malay to English from: Ibnu Taimiyah, (karakteristik
wali allah wali, ramadhani, (solo publishing, solo Indonesia, 1989), 7-8.
207
The Islamic intellectual tradition….saw…in the teachings of the ancient prophets going back to
Adam….[truth]Plato…Pythagoreans…influenced certain schools of Sufism is associated, and others
with the primordial wisdom associated with prophecy. Syyed Hossain Nasr, Knowledge and the sacred,
(Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 72.
208
The attraction of Renaissance man for the quest of origins and the “primordial Tradition” that
caused Ficino to put aside the traslation of plato for the Corpus Hermeticum, which was then
considered as more ancient and primordial, an attraction which also became part of the world view and
zeitgiest of the ninteenth century, has caused much confusion in the question of the meaning of
“primordial tradition” in its relation to various religions. Syyed hossain Nasr, Knowledge and the
sacred, (Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 69.
209
Islamic intellectual authorities….were fully aware of….the subject of knowledge…the
sciences [were] derived not only from Qur’an and Hadith, but also developed by Islamic scientist
and….earlier civilizations such as those of the Greeks, Persians, and Indians. Osman Bakar,
Classification of knowledge in Islam, (International Institute of Thought and Civilization, (IIUM),
Kuala Lumpur, 2006), xii.
232
Thus far we have examined the many ways in which men in the Germanic and Malay
peoples have sought out, examined, interacted with and done everything in their
power to find the ultimate power, “God”; we have examined the esoteric and the
exoteric with all their sub categories, we have seen Joseph Campbell’s theory of the
mono-myth in the ‘heroes journey’, now let use examine the path to esoteric
knowledge of divine love produced by Sufism. I call it the last step in the ‘heroes’
ascension. To ascend to God from the view of Sufism, a person must undertake a life
long journey, a journey which, in similarity with Dr. Campbell’s journey, requires tat
However in Sufism there is a final stage, a stage which I believe wasn’t covered in
depthly enough in Dr. Campbell’s system and that is the stage of gnosis at the end of
the long journey. Many faiths around the world have produced their own conceptions
of the divine ascension, and certainly Islam is not the only religion which believes it’s
truth to be the ultimate. Thtae station of Wali however is not a stage which is
consciousness go beyond the analytical and become dependant upon ascetic love of
the divine itself. One in which the aspirant must realize that the only thing which truly
separates him in any way from the divine is his ego; the false sense of separateness.
An important matter which we should make clear here, which is central to our
examination is that spiritual states and spiritual stations are not the same in Sufism.
The states which may have been reached by the Khalwah were temporary states of
ahwal which were gained through his undertaking the journey towards the path of the
Wali his sheik. Those who appropriated similar spiritual powers through the
intermediary energies of jinn were not Khalwah they were sorcerers and do not satisfy
the requirements of the Khalwah thaumaturgist. While they are generally termed
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theurgist, their Theurgy is not in any way in the purified state of the Khalwah who had
learned to elevate his intention through the study of Sufism and the polishing of the
heart by serving the community and practicing asceticism in the Islamic manner.
Furthermore the elevated station of the Malay Wali was farther still along the road of
Willayah. The states in which accidental spiritual powers occur appears early in the
journey of stations for the Khalwah and was a necessary part of his journey toward
becoming a Wali. However the Malay mystic who had already achieved the state of
perfection was a Wali and no Wurid who has not yet achieved that station could claim
to be a Wali. In fact he would not claim any title for himself, nor would he exhibit his
Karamat for fear of hubris210211.The stages of the hero’s journey or ‘hero’s ascension’
as we have termed it here is for the Sufi adept as follows. The gateway, this is the start
of the journey, the place in which the Wurid decides to leave the world and its
attachment and begin the road of Willayah. the doors, this is the stage were the adept
or Wurid has to decide which path is appropriate to his disposition as a human being,
and that he can travel with the most advantageous chance of success. There are many
possible ways of reaching gnosis, however for the purpose of brevity we will only
mention two here: these two main ways are either the way of philosophy or intellect,
and the second is the way of the esoteric mystic through symbolism and asceticism.
Quit obviously the Khalwah has chosen the second of these two doors, while the Wali
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….and God will conferm (and establish) his Signs….a trial for those in whos hearts is a disease and
are hardened of heart: verly wrong doers are in schism far (from the truth) : and that those on whom
knowledge has been bestowed may learn that the (Qur’an) is the truth from thy Lord. And their hearts
may be made humbly (open) to it: for verily God is the guide of those who believe. Surah Al Hajj, The
Holy Qur’an, p. 406. Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
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There is no 'I' left other than the only existence, which is the truth. Although t all manner of
miracles have come through him to prove this state, he has nothing to do with them. In his state there is
no disclosure of secrets, because divulging the secret of divinity is infidelity. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani,
The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak
al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 17.
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The encounter of the perfect inner self or the true face, at this point the soul
manifest its purified form to the Wurid in a manner consistent with growth and
abandonment of the ego. This something very pertinent as manifested in the Malay
community, due to the fact that the communal composition of the Malay culture
actually encourages a individual to dedicate themselves to the good of the family and
community.
The fourth stage is the stage of Honor, goodness, and elevated spiritual
character, this elevation of character to the character of the true self or the spirit allows
consistent with the Dthikr of helping others. Every act of selflessness done for the
sake of God by the murid can be a remembrance of God and thus by serving the
elevating the spiritual self. Seeking the way, this is the stage at which the practices of
the spiritual adept are beginning to be put into motion beyond the physical realm. The
journey and trials are the stages were the new abilities of the Wurid or Khalwah are
put to the test and there are new spiritual hurdles which must be traversed. once these
difficulties have been traversed the Wurid experiences “accidental” spiritual states,
states which make possible exorcism, thaumaturgy at a high level and other deeds
which must not be flaunted or misused and is a stage of great responsibility. If the
murid can pass this stage he will come to the final stage, once this stage is passes the
murid can no longer be called a Dokun. This is the stage of gnosis, the Tree of Life
has been ascended and the false self completely annihilated, all tat remains is the
energy placed inside the human by God, therefore only God exist, there is no
distinction in Tawhid and the journey is complete, now the Wurid is a Wali.
The stages examined in brief above are the stages which the Khalwah must go
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through in order to become a Wali; however they are more similar in meaning with the
term states in Sufism. Certainly some succeeded and we see in the example of Wali
Songo nine who succeeded and one who remained in the state of bliss similar to al
Hallaj and was expelled from their troop of Wali who believed in the path which
returns to sobriety. Each Wali must make this choice to remain in intoxication of the
ultimate bliss of Tawhid or return to sobriety and each has made their case for which
is correct, Allah knows best. However this fact is in references to the Wali reaching
the level of ascending the stations of Sufism, not the temporary states 212. The view of
states in Campbell's monomyth however is not the only example in which we can see
spiritual ascendancy. There are also direct sources and literary examples as can be
seen in Germanic literature. When we examine sir Gwain and the Green knight we
will see that, the levels of ascension which are illustrated for us are in reality mythical
representations of states, yes, but they are also an example of moral and ethical
imparting of wisdom given by the green man in the form of trials and test, test, that
taught Gwain how to live a more enlightened life. Although this may not qualify as a
complete version of the states as defined in Sufism, it does present us with a valuable
opportunity to see that the remnants of Germanic Odinism were being put to use in
nature, it is therefore a natural science based tutorial on the above mentioned areas of
Germanic din for the purpose of producing young men who would function as good
nobles as well as good knights. This legend is based upon several sources, two of
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The attainment of knowledge, therefore, requires that one cross two levels: purification and
ornamentation. Purification is summed up in four steps. In the first step, the adept separates himself
from the surrounding worldly things. This is referred to as 'separation'. This is done primarily through
suppression or elimination of the inclination for, and attention to , such things. 'Detachment' is the term
used to describe this step. In the third step, one concentrates totally on oneself, seeking for its
completion knowledge and joy. This is called 'abandonment' (of the worldly things) for the purpose of
the self. Shams Inati, Ibn Sina and Mysticism, Remarks and Admonitions: Part Four, (Kegan Paul
International, NY, New York, 1996), 108.
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which are the Volsunga saga and the myths of Irmansul the lord of the natural realm
as recorded by the Roman historian Tacitus in the first century CE. philosophical
views of naturalism and ethics were indeed a part of the Germanic culture, which
undoubtedly must have come through the efforts of the wizards to educate the
nobles.There are no substantial Christian myths portrayed in these legends, with the
possible exception of the Grail cycle and its links to the mythical character ‘Joseph of
arimathea’. The vast majority of the material was recycled pagan myths and legends
having their ultimate origins in the Elder Eddas of the Gothi priest of Germanic
Odinism. Furthermore there is no doubt that the green knight was in fact the
preceding chapters.
Now that we have seen the hero’s journey as represented in Sufism. Let us
examine the journey toward becoming a Wali, before comparing the hero’s journey in
Germanic wizardry with the Malay Khalwah. First of all we have seen that the
Khalwah could conceivably have been at any of the stages from 1-7 where dependant
on the intensity of his practice and we do not assume that all were at the 7 th stage.
Rather we say that each was at the stage which Allah had chosen for him, as it says in
the Qur’an “you will develop in stages” and this knowledge of the heart of men is
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213214215
known only by Allah . But if we compare this with the story of sir Gwain and
the green knight what can we say of the hero’s journey in Germanic thaumaturgy?
When we examine the first stage the ‘heroes’ journey the hero leaves what is normal
to him, his world as he has known it is gone. For example in the case of Gwain, he is
drawn from his home by an act of honor, a pact unfinished; a duel between him and
the green knight (a metaphor for the green man/Odin) who leads him through his
journey to find the green citadel. Throughout this journey he encounters many trials
and grows internally, but the first stage is one in which he must go beyond the norm I
behavior, he must face the green knight I single combat; combat he cannot win. The
reason he cannot win is, that, he is fighting against his own internal spirit calling him
forth to accept the responsibility to seek the truth of his soul. Therefore he has crossed
the threshold which the Sufis call the gateway, and the journey to his true self has
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Stages of the Journey – When one is at the gateway, the beginning of the journey to the
Absolute, there are various states which descend upon the mystic. Each one is itself a gateway orienting
the seeker to the journey ahead … these are the second stage of the journey. The minute one enters the
door, one comes in need of actions, encounters,; one meets these with conduct which relates to the
states one feels and to this, the third stage. After encountering ones more perfect self, one learns good
habits and dispositions from others and thus builds character by creating praiseworthy forms of self;
this is the fourth stage. …. It reflects only rational understanding. The means of psychological
participation are referred to as states, stations and presences. The word state (hal) means to ‘descend,
alight or penetrate a place’; it denotes a quality which is not permanent. … whatever change enters the
heart by means of pure love from the direction of truth, …, is called a spiritual state (hal). It enters the
mystic’s heart through desire, anxiety, thirsting, bewilderment, illumination or intuition. It may occur as
a flash, or it may remain longer, but it is never permanent. Feelings or emotions change or vanish, and
the subject finally becomes weary. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and
Hudson, London, 1976), 97-100.
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The name Sufi is an expression derived from the Arabic word saf, 'pure. The reason that the
Sufis are called by this name is that their inner world is purified and enlightened with the light of
wisdom, unity and oneness.....Another meaning fro this appellation is that they are spiritually connected
with the constant companions of the Prophet who were called 'the companions with the woollen
garb'.....They may also have worn the customary garb of rough-woven sheep 's wool (suf) when they
were novices, and have spent their life in old patched clothes. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of
Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-
Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 40.
215
The discussion in the Tenth Class centers on the unusual external signs of knowledge and the
reasons behind them. One of these signs is said to be the ability of the knower to refrain from eating for
a very long time. Another sign is the knower's ability to perform acts that others are unable to perform.
A further sign is the knower's ability to have access to the invisible world. Other signs are also
discussed. Ismail bursevi transl., Fusus al-Hikam by Muhyiddin Ibn arabi(Kegan Paul International,
New York, NY, 1996), 42.
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begun. In the second stage he has to escape a castle full of dangers primarily brought
representative of the seductiveness of the world we live in and the attachment we have
to it through our ego. He escapes the castle which is allegorical or metaphorical for the
maze of everyday life, and thus survives the first trial representative of finding the
path of esoteric knowledge. In the third stage after many trials are overcome he is in
the green citadel and must face the green knight once again, however after many trials
and having mastered himself internally he is ready. When he fails to defeat the green
knight due to his own honorable behavior, the green knight claims his right to strike a
free blow and thus would kill Gwain, but Gwain allows it because he has transcended
the ego, and has found true honor in his growth. The Green man strikes and
deliberately misses. When questioned it becomes apparent to the green knight was
really Irmin the green man and he was training Gwain to defeat his ego, to transcend
the self and find the true self within. The story of Gwain and the green knight is the
story of ascension of the soul and the final chapter summarized here is the last stage in
the defeat of the lower soul. Gwain has defeated his ego and learned to be honorable,
because honor in this story is a metaphor for walking the path of Willayah.
The final stage in this story is a stage which the Khalwah has not yet come to
in his lifestyle, which the Sorcerer has never even seen, and which the Wali alone has
perceived. Mastery over the seen and unseen powers of the universe was a power that
the prophets as perfect men attained by the will of God. While many wish to follow
they are not always able. The reason that the Wali is able to do this is because of the
vigilance he has not only with the esoteric but also with the exoteric aspects of his
journey. This is the final stage of the hero’s ascension, “equilibrium” or balance.
While we have proven here that the Khalwah was not a sorcerer, and that the Wali was
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at a higher station than the Khalwah, this does not mean that the Wali in Malay was
not in communion with nature, it does not mean he was not in communion with the
unseen, nor does it mean that he was not skilled in the esoteric. What it means is that
all of these were taken to a higher level or station. The highest station of the prophets
and especially the prophet Muhammad were higher for a reason and that reason is
because the cleansed themselves of many differing conceptions and emotions while
many of us find difficult to even imagine. Ultimately there is only Tawhid, but Allah
made aspects of Tawhid particularized in the mind of many for a reason. All human
beings are created unique for a reason, all are born in the world at a certain point in
time and place for a reason, and the reason is because Allah has created this world in
order to manifest the various multitudes of his emanations in a manner consistent with
his design and he is the best of designers. The Wali like Gwain knew this, he knew
this because he was in balance with nature and he could see the signs in the creation
moving molecularly, with a consistent “birth, death, and rebirth” in a cycle which
perfection the best possible example of the signs that God has given us, so that we can
come close to him through the ascension of the tree of life216; an ascension which will
bring our true self back to a state of Fitra and up the escalating stations of gnosis. We
are experiencing every day of our lives the greatest adventure any being has ever seen,
and it’s all in front of our eyes, if we would just remove the veil. Stop and smell the
roses isn’t just a cleshae it’s the act of looking at a work of art by God and seeing in
216
Another aspect of modern physics brings us back to the meaning of intelligence and
conscientiousness themselves. The study of a particle like the electron means to relate, in a much more
direct manner than in classical physics, the intelligence of the agent which knows to that which is
known. ....mans conscientiousness must be seen even in physics as an integral part of that reality which
the physicist seeks to study, to the existent that Eurgene Wigne, one of the founders of quantum
mechanics, calls conscientiousness the first absolute reality and outward reality secondary reality.
Syyed hossain Nasr, Knowledge and the sacred, (Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 115.
240
platitudes thousands upon thousands of perfectly crated molecules in motion
represented in a perfect metaphor of a perfect man named Muhammad who knew all
these things to be true and who came as a mercy to mankind 217218. If we value his
message and wish to honor his journey, then the first step is by following Gwain’s
example and living honorably with nature and not against it. And when we say nature
we are not talking about only the physical realm but also the subtle realm. The abuse
of the energies or jinn of the subtle realm is a crime against the laws of nature and
God himself. As those who would seek to be Viceregents of creation we should take
the first step like Gwain and interact with the subtle realm with respect an Islamic
ethics. This is what was done by the Khalwah, while he may not have been a Wali, he
was respecful of the cosmos, he respected its uses, its beauty, its medicinal qualities
and its role as the reflection of the divine emanation of Gods energies particularized.
correctly and especially in the original Arabic, taken in context, both are allegorically
and literally dependent upon the specific context along with the signs and symbols
217
Not for (idle) sport did we create the heavens and the earth and all that is between! ….to Him belong
all (creatures) in the heavens and on earth: even those who are in His (very) Presence are not to proud
to serve him, nor are they (ever) weary (of his service):….Holy Qur’an, p. 390.
218
The source of the light is a divine tree. That tree is the state of unity reaching out with its branches
and its roots, inculcating the principles of faith, communicating without any intermediary in the
language of purity....It is directly in this language of purity that our Master the angel Gabriel brought
the divine messages only after they had already been received – this for our benefit, so that we might
hear in human language. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul
abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co
publishing, 1994), 52.
219
....the Sufis say that the “breath of the compassionate” (Nafs Al Rahman), in space and time
likewise as shapes and events possessing quality, in form as beauty and in number as that qualitative
aspect of number always related to geometric forms which is usually associated with the idea of
Pythagorean number.....the multiple planes of manifestation of the supreme Hypostasis of
Absoluteness, infinitude, and Goodness which characterize the Real as such. Syyed hossain Nasr,
Knowledge and the sacred, (Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 136.
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placed in al-Qur’an; create a basis from which the Islamic personality takes its
impetus. This affects our soul through the three areas of the soul, the tripartite
However this does not preclude us from using our minds to examine or
interpret the signs of Allah in Nature, nor does it prevent us from being able present
our view in a way which reflects the academic and professional viewpoints from a
American perspective, especially when this is done in light of our Islamic life style.
Having already done the above the Wali moves forward on the road of Willayah into
the phase in his or her life when it becomes necessary to go beyond the bounds of
simple ritualistic behaviors and standard piety of the everyday Muslim. At this phase
in his development he is required by God to begin to train the true self and abandon
the false self or the ego. It is at this point that the renunciation of world or ascetic
activities of the Malay Wali can take place and is also the specific reason for so many
ascetics in Malay Sufism having left the city to live in seclusion in the mountains.
When done properly the ascetic becomes endowed with Karamat and other spiritual
gifts, which according to Islamic tradition, Islamic science and Islamic legend is a
time of great mystical abilities for the Malay Islamic Wali. However, unlike his Pre-
Monotheistic predecessor, the Malay Islamic Wali does not seek the adulation of the
public, quit the contrary he fears this; for the simple reason that, if he were to be
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The traditional cosmos, …the whole of Gods created order consist of three fundamental states…
[corpus, spiritus, anima] These two worlds [physical and metaphysical] together form the domain of
nature….The human intellect is of a spiritual substance whose source or principle is the divine intellect
or logos,….the origin of life on earth cannot be resolved in terms of physical entities alone no matter
how deep we penetraite into the moleculare world….The Islamic cosmological principle, which is
essential to the understanding of the mystery of life, is the idea of the universal soul (Al-nafs Al-
kulliyah) The Universal Soul is the “soul” of the natural order…Osman Bakar, Tawhid and
science:Islamic Perspectives on Religion and Science, second edition, (ArahPublications, Sha Alam,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, 2008), 22-25, 75.
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adored for these gifts from God, he might become arrogant221222. Arrogance would
defeat the very purpose to which the Malay Wali has prepared himself, for it is
through destroying the ego in seclusion that he can ascend the tree of life and find the
The Malay ascetic in the 1500s was in fact undergoing what Prof. Joseph
Campbell as mythologist and depth psychology refers to as the 'hero’s journey'. In the
hero’s journey Prof. Campbell refers to his theory of the mono-myth to make visible
to the reader the stages of spiritual ascension that all Thaumaturgist and mystics under
underwent this progression in its entirety and is a exemplar example of the 'hero’s
under the guidance of Sufi Wali or sheik; finally arriving at his final stage of
development he is no longer found to be a wizard, but rather a fully evolved Wali who
has ascended the Tree of Life spiritually and is now a completed or purified 'perfect
man' in immolation of the prophets. And thus he is referred to as the wali of al-
rahman.
One of the many aspects of life which the Malay Thaumaturgist improved
upon and assisted in developing for the Malay people under the guidance and the
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Such infirmities as pride, pettiness, and falsehood are deformations of the which are obstacles that
stand before the realization of knowledge. Man should not be proud but humble because God is and we
are not and the neighbor possesses certain perfections which we do not possesses....man must cultivate
these virtues...become worthy of the visitation of the angel of knowledge. To mention sacred
knowledge without mentioning the crucial importance of the virtues as the conditio sine qua non for the
realization of this knowledge, is to misunderstand completely the traditional sapeintial perspective. The
virtues are so important that many Sufi treatise...deals most of all with virtues rather than pure
knowledge...thus preparing the soul for the reception of pure gnosis. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The
Gifford Lectures: Knowledge and the Sacred. (Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 311-312.
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Concerning a related mark, which is given to those adepts who become utterly disengaged from the
natural world (tabi’a) and enter among the angels, he [Ibn Arabi] [‘We know this mark, having tasted
it. But we will not mention it to anyone, lest he make it manifest sometimes, while being a liar in his
claim. That is why God has commanded me and my peers to conceal it. William C. Chittick, Imaginal
worlds: Ibn Arab and the problem of religious diversity, State university of New York Press, Alboany,
1994)), 85-86.
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direction of the local district Wali or Imam, was the setting up and continuation of the
‘house of healing’ that is the first Malay Islamic Hospital. In the house of prayer the
Wali was the commander of the faithful, but in the Hospitals it was the Khalwah or the
district Wizard. Like many other Islamic Alchemist and healers in the Middle East
such as al-raizi, ibn hayyan and others, the Malay Khalwah was often seen by the
orthodox jurist as being exocentric and perhaps in error in their limited view. Herbal
deification of the prophet Khidr who himself admitted to being only man who was
perfected or cleansed by God; took place as early as the dawn of the Egyptian and
Sumerian empires. According to Islamic he took knowledge and Healing to all of the
first great city kingdoms223224225. These cultures were well established in the arts of
Theurgy and healing from this point onwards. The healing, which is displayed above,
Thamaturgical healer, as this was the regulation in Egypt and Greece at that time.
Those who pretended were not entitled the healers staff. Were ever Khidr went, after
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“Accepted by Gunter and Dumezil were by it comes from the Indo Aryan root uer “to
Bind”….Their supreme God “creator of the earth”….”the most high master”….add to the term turem
the qualification of “Great”, “Luminus”…”White”, …”Lord master my father”…light from on high,
and so on. In prayers and in written text the sky God is often called “father”…….he who makes the
world fruitful. ….that is to say universal sovereign. …in the titles of God the notion of… commander,
is clear….As creator, knowing and seeing all, guardian of the law …ruler of the cosmos; ….The
Summerian term for divinity (Dingir was translated into Akkadian [Semitic] as ellu, “Bright, shinning.
Jon R. Stone (edt.), The essential Max Muller: on language, mythology, and religion, (New York,
Palgrave MacMillan, 2002), 110-111.
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This is the Semang’s cosmic scheme with its World Axis, which for the shaman makes
possible the penetration from one cosmic realm to another. Eliade himself would doubt the authenticity
of this scheme “had we not reasons to believe that a similar scheme was already known in prehistoric
times.” Indeed his remark that “mounting to the sky by means of a World Axis is a universal and
archaic idea” conflicts with his statement in his former work, where he speaks of it as probably of
Mesopotamian origin, antedating of course the later developed idea of seven planetary heavens….Even
in Mesopotamian thought, cosmology was a secondary consideration. It was there no doubt that cosmic
symbolism was first applied to the house and town, later to be taken up by many, including various
nomads in connection with their tents or huts, who would never have thought of the idea independently.
H.G. Qaritch Wales, Ph.D. Pre-history and religion in South East Asia, London, (Bernard Qaritch LTD,
11 Grafton street. 1957), 13-14.
225
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the passage of time, most cultures in their ignorance deified him, this was also the
case in Egypt were he is called Osirus and Thoth, Osirus is the green man of Egypt
directly related to the soil and the fertility of the soil, this was always the trend after
Khidr had left a place that he would be confused with a Pre-Monotheistic fertility
deity due to his knowledge of the earth and the Qur’an of creation, this syncretism was
also existent among the Arabs who called him Khidr which means literally “Green
man”. The original green man of the Middle East was Tammuz the male counterpart
to Allahtus [tamuz] the ancient Pre-Monotheistic fertility Goddess. This does not
however in any way link the two historically; it simply stands for a historical
distortion in which syncretism has created an archetype from two personas, one a
historical prophet and the other a mythological character. The mythological Tammuz
is almost certainly another example of the same process, which occurred centuries
before the arrival of Khidr/Idris, through which Tammuz was in all likely hood
So then we can add to the list personas attached to the Khidr the archetype of
Marduk as Tammuz amalgamated with Osirus. What we see here from the perspective
of related Islamic sciences, are the seeds of anthropomorphism and the cult of
personality; effects that where so often prevalent in fertility cults. The views on
theurgy which deviate from monotheistic religious tenants invaded and superimposed
prophetic truths. The Iranians or Aryans of the Fertile Crescent were not alone; we
have also seen how in the north the very same archetype came into being among the
northern Indians of the Indus valley civilization as the meditating nature sage that
became the prototype of Siva and unfortunate victim of the deification process.
Weather a historical Siva existed for the sensitization process is unknown, but in all
245
likelihood there was a historical basis. This is also the case among the Germanic
Aryan tribes mentioned earlier among whom he was called Odin and among the
Malay who absorbed the mythical Mantua into the visits of Khidr and formed the
syncretism of this Batara Guru archetype with the Aryan deified personals of the
same prophet and finally brought it to its finalized form when Batara Kala (Siva) was
is the prophet Khidr who is in one way or another, despite the many threads of
mystical arts. Therefore, no matter how the situation is approached it is he who is the
1st source for Islamic education in Malaya. It is therefore not surprising to see that the
healers and Thaumaturgist of Malay take on a magical quality in their eccentric form
of Theurgy, and yet it is still based ultimately in the energies and techni of God.
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But for the magician who must know the origin and temper of every God and spirit he would
invoke….he had to know that Batara Guru, the Lord Teacher, as Malays call Siva, was at once the
white spirit of the sun and the black spirit of the earth. Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The
Malay Magician, Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford University
press, 1969), 34.
227
Dongson-influenced peoples, the first point that strikes us is the celestial character of the
supreme deity who has often undergone solarization. This is a feature that has as much in common with
what we have seen to be the case among Turco-Tatar and Mongol supreme beings as it is at variance
with what we find among the Older megalithic peoples, where the religion is so largely chthonic. And
though Hinduism and later Islam often have influenced the names of these celestial deities, a point on
which the best authorities are agreed is that that is as fas as the Hindu or Mohammedan influence
penetrated. … With the East Torajas of Celebes the sky-God is named Lai, while Ndara is the earth-
underworld deity. Neither of these is well-known in comparison to poeempalaburu, the active sky-God.
He is sometimes regarded as the sun, but more usually the sun is considered to be his eye. H.G. Qaritch
Wales, Ph.D. Pre-history and religion in South East Asia, London, (Bernard Qaritch LTD, 11 Grafton
street. 1957), 78.
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That the aspect of Siva associate with the name Girisa is probably chthonic is suggested not only by
the generally chthonic bias of Khmer religion, the evidence for which will appear later, but also by
another epithet which has so far only been recorded in Khmer inscriptions: Gambhiresvara, Siva of the
depts.. It is found in seven texts. When we think of the wealth of Cham epigraphy, in particular, and
how thoroughly it has been studied, so that Majumdar lists forty-six names of Siva, it does not seem to
be taking a very great risk to say that the preference for the names Girisa and Gambhiresvara represent
something peculiar to the Khmer outlook……this would hardly detract form the recognition of a very
definite trend characteristic of the Khmer concept of Siva. Another feature which indicates the chthonic
character of Khmer religion is the nagi origin myths. IBID, 30.
246
Khalwah and Wali Songo
And what do you call a strict shaman, void of transe mediumship, which has adapted
monotheism and heals the ill? Plainly and simply he is a ‘Thamaturgist’ the opponent
of the sorcerer from the dawn of civilization and student of the teachings of Khidr.
Some of them are thought to have received the art from the prophet Khidr
manner through other sages who brought the teachers message to new lands as healers
such as in the case of Khidr visit to the Greeks as a healer. Thus, with the passage of
time some aspects of this art and science have changed and others remain as they were
in the time of Khidr, but the fact remains very firmly and historically proven that
Wizards are not sorcerers, from their beginning until the present age they have always
remained on the side of good and not evil. This is also seen clearly in the role of the
Khalwah of Malaya229. When we speak of the Khalwah we speak of the folk sage and
healer of the Malay people, after his conversion. We began this dissertation with the
question, what is the difference between a Wali and a Malay theurgist or Khalwah?
And we asked further, in what way did the Pre-Monotheistic Dongson shaman
develop and evolve into the men who became Khalwah? And the answer has been
presented in the culmination of the preceding chapters. Now we look into the final
stage of our examination, the specific example of the Wali Songo and the Khalwah
sage as Thaumaturgist in the early stages of the transient conversion period between
In comparing the Wali Songo and the Khalwah we must first accept 2 primary
229
The person who learns and applies the things he learns from the prophets and also has Iman [note
here the Malay word for Iman denotes faith] are not punished by God because they are naive of the last
prophetic teachings. Furthermore their nearness to all is incomplete or at a lower station [as in the case
of the Sabians or Magi]. wali Ibn Tammiya, Wali Al-Rah’man; Wali-Shayton. Trans. Franz Von Hofler,
and Muktar, Nurussaddah. Trans. Malay to English from: Ibnu Taimiyah, (karakteristik wali allah wali,
ramadhani, (solo publishing, solo Indonesia, 1989), 1.
247
distinctions. 1) Islamic Science does not accept myths as historical fact, the
designation of ‘science of what has been said’ is the title in Islamic science for a type
empirical world including, history, mythology, sociology, folklore, and many aspects
of the humanities and social sciences. The use of one, several or all of the above has
always been largely left to the prerogative of the scientist or hakims. However most
hakims in Islamic science have been masters of at least three of the above areas of
study, medicine was often the central hub together with theology or philosophy230.
Such decisions were based upon the validity of the information at hand in those times
and investigated according to logic and reason. As we can see from the quotations, the
Idea of separating from nature is not an Islamic one, and the detrimental affects it had
upon the sciences in Europe cannot be adequately expressed in this short a paper and
is something which more appropriately could fill many a books. However it becomes
very clear now to the readers, that this secularization of the sciences, which is exactly
what happens when God is taken out of science, was an abominable act, one which
most people of the time may or may not have fully understood. Before continuing, it
becomes very important to define in another context exactly what we mean by the
name “Mysticism” when we discuss its elimination from the term “Modern Science”?
By Mysticism we are referring to the sciences which deal with the Alchemy of soul
and which make use of those aspects of the terrestrial or natural world that we live in,
astrology for understanding the divine spheres mentioned by Ibn Arabi in his Fussus
248
which were driven out of Europe my the fundamentalist catholic church and the so
called “modern Scientist” in order to build a economic and religious monopoly over
the people of Europe, which inevitably contributed to imperialism and the domination
of millions of other peoples of various religions around the world. In short we do not
state that this was not a mere small incident, rather we state that this was a catastrophe
to the world population whi$ch occurred in defiance of the laws of God and was the
starting point of the hubris of “man” as the center of the world. The secularization of
science was the very impetus of all isms which repute to be man centered and warped,
manipulated and twisted in innumerable ways the divine sciences which had their
birth in Egypt, given from the Prophet Khidr sent by Allah himself and twist by those
Thus far we have tried our best to investigate the role of the Sufi sages in this
manner. The mono-myth is the method of Joseph Campbell and is combined in this
chapter with the depth psychology and archetypes of Gustav Jung in examining the
role of Wali-Sango and the Malay theurgist or Khalwah in order to stages of the
journey taken in life by these two specialists in order to establish their roles in Malay
society. Here we have combined the three methods for the optimum multidisciplinary
examination of all the facts covered in order to show that the journey taken by the
Malay and Germanic form of thaumaturgist where in fact not at all competing in any
way manner, shape or form, with monotheism but where rather in the case of Malay
stark contrast to the Bomo or Sorcerer and therefore can not be confused with or
Khalwah. The character of Wali Songo and the Khalwah are both the subject of a great
many Malay myths, legends, and folk tales, not only in Malaya but also in Indonesia,
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variants of most of the motifs can be found in both present day nations, who were for
all intents and purposes the originally from the same racial and ethnic family
originally. 2) the archetypes of Wali Songo and the Khalwah are both of two forms, 1st
is the historical stories which relate to actual persons who were in the case of the Wali
Songo religious Thaumaturgist and holy men, in the case of the Khalwah they were
Thamaturgical healers, and the second aspect of each is the legendary persona
projected upon them in the form of a archetypical legend or myth. There is no doubt
that this persona of the Wali (Wali Songo) was at least in part mythical and a
aspects of this archetype were best seen it’s last manifestation, that of, Batara Guru.
This persona takes on the form of a Merlin or Gandalf type of sage who, quite
obviously all the before mentioned personas in this dissertation have grown from the
Aryan root of the Deus or Odin archetype and its syncretism through centuries of
recycling together with the original ‘lord of the earth’ archetype known to the Malays
as Mantua. Having established this in the previous chapters, we can now say that
while this legendary aspect of the Malay view of the Khalwah and sometimes the
Wali as well is defiantly from a non Muslim source; let us turn once more to the last
comparison between the two specialists, the Wali Songo and the Khalwah.
While the primary emphases of the Wali’s life style was the use of
thaumaturgy in the form of prayer, meditation and Dthikr, all for the sake of the
231
…there is a clear line of distinction between magician and other types of religious authority. …to
make clear the distinction between Magician and Sufi. The Sufi is Homo Religiousus. His authority, as
has been shown, does not depend upon high individual or group prestige, and is not limited to those
who wield official powers…The Sufi, in contrast to the Magician, has a close connection with religion
as a regular institution. The Magician would force the spirits to grant his desire…the Sufi does not…
rather he Submittes to the divine will…. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Some aspects of Sufism: As
Understood and Practiced among the Malays, (Malaysian Socialogical Research institute LTD.,
Singapore, 1963), 49.
250
journey to gnosis. The emphasis of the Khalwah was on healing and exorcism.
Certainly there was a spiritual aspect to it, in that; exorcism can only be performed by
with many other cultures and is indeed a division, which has existed from the times of
the Egyptians. Egyptian too separated the healer from the priest and it was both who
were summoned when it was time to heal someone. The same can be said of the
Sumerians and the Hittites. However there are several particularly distinct aspects to
the relationship between the Wali and the Khalwah. The Wali was a highly respected
religious figure in Malay society and was almost certainly the man in charge of the
religious prayers or services when he was present at the mosque. The Khalwah was on
the other hand, as Winstedt put it, “king in the house of healing”. That is to say that
the Khalwah was the primary healer among the Malay. Now one might ask the
question in an age when Islamic science had established that Islamic medicine was a
well developed science among Muslims at this time, then why would the Malays place
a former Wizard in charge of healing? The answer has more to do with feasibility and
utility rather than theology, in the 1500s the Malay world had only limited resources
and while there were many Arabic and near eastern immigrants and even more Indian
Muslims, this does not demonstrate proficiency nor does it prove effectively that any
large number of Islamic Hakims existed in Malay at that time. Therefore we can
assume that until Islamic medicine was firmly established it was only natural that the
Malay relied upon the healers who had always been there for them in their
community. This is especially important because once the Malay Thamaturgist were
converted to Sufism and became the students of the Wali, they were for all intents and
purposes in the role of what Abdul Abd al Jilani described as a lower level of sage,
who has the esoteric aspects of a Wali but has not yet mastered the perfection of the
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exoteric half. Therefore, he does indeed have a place and a strongly supported place as
a healer in the Malay Muslim community of the 1500s. however let us not forget that
this was only the beginning, the mystical arts that the Wali would pass on to the
Khalwah were numerous and one need only look at the physical evidence to find that
Islamic mysticism in the popular Malay culture of those times was extremely obvious.
For example the Kris of the first Sultan of Malacca has upon its Blade a ‘seal of
Solomon’, and in writing next to it auspicious Arabic letters in the form of Wafiq type
of numerological symbolism as to imbibe the Kris with Karamat. This is a Kris, and it
is certain that almost ever Malay man of any fairly descent standing in the Malay
community of that time wore a Kris ‘every time’ he left his home. Now, knowing that
the Kris was the ‘wand’ of the Malay and Atham for all intents and purposes and
capable of Theurgy at any time in the positive, black magic in the negative, then the
fact that the Khalwah was an official of the Islamic mosque of these times is
incredibly symbolic of the acceptance of his craft and its legitimacy among the Malay
Muslims of that time. Therefore what we see in the above discussion is a summary of
the road that Malay sorcerers, tribesmen, healers, and others have traveled to change
the animism which it was intermingled with their adapt into a Islamic lifestyle. The
Pre-Islamic prophetic teachings which remain with the Malay have been rediscovered
and revived in Sufism. Sufism elevated these teachings along with organic unity, a
love of nature (including nature spirits) and many other aspects of Malays tribal life to
a level of scientific application of Islamic ideals coupled with Malay ethics and
culture, to become the modern form of Malay spirituality: a form of spirituality that
embraces the examination of Nature in a broadminded and very Islamic manner. One
way of seeing an Islamic Ummah, is: “people who help each other, care for each other,
point to the path of proper action, and seek the miracles of nature and life together,
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and believe in all the truth of God”. Taking this for our definition of an Islamic
Ummah, I would say that Malays have a better foundation build than any other ethnic
group I the world. The changes that were brought about by Muslim Sufis of Malaya
monotheism with a kind heart and an open mind must never be forgotten. Again it is
interesting to note that the term “Khidr” in reference to the prophet Khidr means in
Not only were the Proto-Malay and the Malay interested in nature as a source of
spirituality, but also in the Ummah of animal kind, and the animal stories found
concerning the mouse dear, the tiger and tiger people are the most popular motifs of
the animal kingdom stories, even till today. It is not surprising that the Malay of the
tribal and Hindu periods were very interested if not totally fascinated when given the
There is no reason to believe that these men did not in time achieve the station
of Wali, quite the contrary there are stories of great sages in Java and Malay which
reinforce the argument that they did indeed evolve into a holy man who was capable
of miraculous acts as seen in the Karamat of healing sages in Malay and Indonesia.233
232
The man, who was in fact Kizr (also spelled Khidir – green man), the hidden saint, seems to
disappear after making the statement.Mohamad yasin owadally, Short Sufi Stories, A.S. Noordeen
publishing, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2007), 47.
233
Syeikh Abdulah Kadir Jelani used a special rope that would fly through the air and tie a person
up who to be circumcised. He died at Gerpa, downstream from Isak, but he rose again from the grave
just after burial. He rose and died, rose and died, twelve times in all. His descendants were known as
Tenku Guru, an honorific that combines religious status with healing power, and were renowned
throughout the Isak area for their curing abilities. These stories link the spiritual power available at
prayer sites to a more widely recognized set of religious figures, adding Islamic legitimacy to the rituals
of healing and agriculture. Grace Martin Smith and Carl W. Ernst, Manifestations of Sainthood in
Islam, (Istanbul : Isis Press, 1993), 10.
253
As can be seen from this fact, the Thamaturgical and healing powers of the Malay
heritage have not been removed from the final stage of development of the
Thaumaturgist. This further development on the road of Wilaya could only have been
possible in the context of Islamic mysticism and under the direction of a Sufi Sheik.
The areas of Islamic Mysticism related to this are as follows; the adoption of the
Islamic sciences in regard to cosmology, ontology, and the methods of Tassawuf for
achieving gnosis. It is stated clearly in all major works on the Wali that one of the
indisputable proofs of a Wali is the ability to transmit Karamat into the terrestrial
realm for the assistance of others234. Once again as we can see from the great Islamic
scholar Ibn Tammiyah, the two types of Wali include theurgist, and while the higher
state is the one who attains the station of Wali in full completeness including the
conduct his thaumaturgy.235 We see the same situation in Native American Theurgy, it
234
Furthermore their nearness to all is incomplete or at a lower station [as in the case of the
Serbians or Magi]. Whosoever learns the teachings of the prophets and believes, and then applies these
his Iman is complete. There are two types of Wali of Allah. The first is he who knows wisdom but
doesn’t apply it, yet is still called Wali because he has Iman. The second are those men who learn,
believe and apply all the above. It is for this reason that heaven has different levels. “(Surah al Isra’ vs
18-21}”….Allah’s gifts are not only limited to those who do good deeds, but also are extended to those
who sin. The difference is between those who indulge in a materialistic lifestyle and those who live a
non-materialistic life style. Those who choose to live a non-materialistic lifestyle are at a higher
spiritual station than those who indulge in materialism. For example: the difference between prophets
and non-prophets or Wali. (surah al Bakarah vs 2:253)”Sahih al Bukhari, narrated abu Huraiah Al
hadid vs 10, an nisa vs 95-96, azzumar vs 9, al- mujadalah vs 11. Ibn Tammiya, Wali Al-Rah’man;
Wali-Shayton. Trans. Franz Von Hofler, and Muktar, Nurussaddah. Trans. Malay to English from: Ibnu
Taimiyah, (karakteristik wali allah wali, ramadhani, (solo publishing, solo Indonesia, 1989), 2.
235
….consequently, the gnosis results from the combining between the opposites. The orders
became mingled, and the numbers became manifest with one in the known degrees, and the one brought
about the numbers and the numbers articulated the one, and the predication of the numbers did not
manifest except by the numbered…. Each of the numbers to be a reality by itself, like the number nine
for example, and ten and the ones below it, and all those more ad infinitum…. Indeed in saying, twenty
degrees became apparent….thus, these twenty degrees, for each degree there is a reality established
which is different from the other reality which is form of species. The name ‘totality of ‘ones’ is
prevalent for all the degrees of numbers and all degrees ae associated in it except the one, ….one is not
a number and for it there is a special degree in existence which is that it is the origin and point of
emergence of all numbers…..Thus the decan [ViceregentViceregent] becomes one and bears in it the
‘oneness’ of the infinity of particularized numerous decans, and because it is a particularized decan
infinity does not enter it , and because of the consideration that the oneness is essentially the origin for
all he decans particularized above it or below it, it there bye includes all deacons. He who knows what
we have decided concerning the numbers, that if he negates it is the same as if he establishes it. Now a
254
is called the “backwards man”, and the backwards man develops the esoteric before
the exoteric aspect of his character. There are many such mystics who begin not in the
state of goodness, but must endure being in darkness of the world before they ascend
to the light of the divine236237238. This is supported in the holy Qur’an.239240 This is
indisputable. The various forms of Theurgy and Thaumaturgy varied it is true, and for
that reason their allegiance and status is based upon observation and how well their
person who knows the numbers knows the thing we have considered here. Ismail bursevi’s translation
of an commentary on fusus al-hikam, muhyiddin ib ‘arabi, (Oxford : Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society,
1987), 342 -345.
236
Al-Kharraz said, and he is an aspect from the aspects of the Haqq and a tongue from among
the tongues, talking from his own nafs, that one cannot know God except by combining between the
opposites, in the detrimentation over them by them….by uniting between opposites.’ that is to say, by
determining over him, because the divine huwiyyah is the singularity of the collectivity of the totality of
the anatomic complimentary names and qualities of opposition. Ismail bursevi’s translation of an
commentary on fusus al-hikam, muhyiddin ib ‘arabi, (Oxford : Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society, 1987),
339.
237
To the Sufi, creative expression which results from participation mystique – that is, a state of
being one with nature, although not conscience of the Divine presence - is an expression of one vision
of self within self. It is an e3xspression which is not reflective, not polished, not aware of the total
possibilities inherent in the nature of things….The reflective surface now reflects something which is
contained, a spirit which is not only one’s own. This is the spirit universal to all things: to the Sufi, it is
the ‘desire’ which exist within things’ to be known’. ….By blowing or chanting the Divine names upon
the form to be transformed, the creative process of the breath, which contains the Divine Presence
through a name, transforms the object in hand. The creator participates as active agent and the object
participates as passive recipient. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and
Hudson, London, 1976), 26.
238
The absence of shadow in Persian miniatures reveals that they spring from the world of archetypes
which reflects the light of the divine. ….The reflective mirror. A second concept of creation important
to Sufi expression is that of the mirror. Before the creation of human beings, the universe had been
brought into being, but it was unpolished, unreflective, and unconscious of the divine presence. The
macrocosmic universe came into being so that the manifestation of self in the form of a Divine name
would have a ‘place’…..The mystic aspires to become this reflective mirror. Polishing the mirror in
order to make it a place for the Divine self to see self depends upon two modes: the first, the
‘preparedness’ of the place, is the ability to receive, conceive and give birth to the second mode, the
descent of one of the Divine names. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames
and Hudson, London, 1976), 15.
239
“God is the protector of those who have faith: from the depths of Darkness he will lead them forth
into the light…. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary, (Saba Islamic
Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), Surah al Baqarah 2:257.
240
“God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of his light is as if a niche and
within it a lamp: the lamp enclosed in glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: lit from a blessed tree….
though fire scarce touch it, light upon light! God doth guide whom he will to his light….”(Holy Qur’an,
Surah An-Nur, 24: 35).
255
character is aligned with the good and against the evil. However, as most scholars of
Islam have stated this is also dependent upon Iman and man cannot judge Iman; this
Quite obviously Allah has reason to enjoy the existence of the houses of
worship of other religions besides Islam and has stated very clearly and undeniably
nothing can be more evident in illustrating that God does not chastise those people of
other religious traditions who are faithful to him, who then are ‘we’ to judge our
fellow religionist242243 244? Furthermore, an inferred warning is evident in the fact that
Allah also states in the list from the above footnote “mosque” meaning that if he were
to compare Muslims and non Muslims, it may very well be that some Muslim mosque
would not qualify as most faithful. Whether or not the faithful are good people is
dependent upon their behavior and the intention of that behavior, not which religious
241
Did not God check [If God had] one set of people by means of another, there would surly have been
pulled down [destroyed] monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is
commemorated in abundant measure. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and
commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), Surah 22:38-40, 405.
242
Khaliq-the creator, Al Bari-the producer, Al Musawwir—the fashioner. It might be thought that
these names are synonymous, and that they all refer to creating and in venting. But it does not need to
be that way. Rather everything which comes forth from nothingness to existence needs first of all to be
planned; to be originated according …to the plan…to be formed after being originated…God…is
creator…, the planer…, producer [Bari] in as much as he initiates existence, and fashioner…in as much
as he arranges the forms of things…AL—GHAZALI: The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of God: Al-
maqsad al-asna fi sharh asma’ Allah al-husna, transl. David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, ( The Islamic
Text Society, India, 1992), 68.
243
Islamic intellectual authorities….were fully aware of….the subject of knowledge…the
sciences [were] derived not only from Qur’an and Hadith, but also developed by Islamic scientist
and….earlier civilizations such as those of the Greeks, Persians, and Indians. Osman Bakar,
Classification of knowledge in Islam, (International Institute of Thought and Civilization, (IIUM),
Kuala Lumpur, 2006), xii.
244
He has ordained for you the same religion [Islam] which He enjoined upon Noah,
and that which We have enjoined upon you, and which We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses and Jesus:
namely that you should remain steadfast in religion and be not divided therein. al-Arabi Abu Hamzah
Abu Hamzah;edited by Abdul Rahman Abdullah (42:13). A Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam,
Darussalam,(Riyadh : Darussalam, 1999), 4.
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Unfortunately, we are left in our examination to determine the eligibility of
these gentlemen on the outward appearance of their character, the deeds they have
done, the Karamat they used to help others, and the guidelines given to use in the
training of Muslim saints on the road to Willayah; along with the ways in which they
where recognized after achieving gnosis. However, I would caution any true academic
Muslim from judging these men because their faith varied from those of the modern
day Sunni, it is not professional or Islamic (as proven above) to judge the religion of
others.
A total definition of the stations of sainthood and Prophethood are beyond the
scope of this dissertation and the study at hand will end with this summing up of the
points proven concerning the Malay theurgist transformation from animist to Sage.
The miracles of nature are revealed to the Sufi mystic in the form of
have a bases in the Qur’an, for example, the cow, the thunder, the bees, the jinn, the
ants, the spider, the smoke, the sun, all these sections of Qur’an make reference to the
Tawhid246. As the Viceregent of this natural world and the one who understands in the
mind all the miracles and the signs in the natural world, it the responsibility of man to
245
…there has been the recurrent conflict between the transcendentalism of the orthodox
theologians, for whom God is in heaven, and popular mysticism, which starting from animism inclines
toward a pantheism that finds him closer than the veins in ones neck. But no Muslim theologian,
however orthodox in his transcendentalism, would conceive in God to be in heaven, detached, as it
were, from the world. [al-Tawhid]” Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Some aspects of Sufism: As
Understood and Practiced among the Malays, (Malaysian Socialogical Research institute LTD.,
Singapore, 1963), 18.
246
Soon he will show them Our signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own
souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the truth….Verily in this are signs for everyone who
patiently perseveres and is grateful….but much doth he forgive. …But let those know, who dispute Our
signs, that there is for them no escape. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and
commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), .Surah Fussilat and al
Shura 41:53-42:35.
257
be the protector of their fellow man, the forest, and the animals and to care for the
trust which Allah has given him, the sacred trust of his garden247248249.
Having seen the definition of Sufi mystic in previous chapters, we must ask
ourselves; how does this differ from other Muslims and Sufi’s? The Sufi mystic takes
the Sufi view of Nature and uses it to make contact with nature, the Qur’an of
creation, to see within it the unwritten truths which have eluded him in written form,
were as many Sufis do not go directly into nature, but site behind a desk or in a house
reading. Adam was taught the essence of all the cosmos from the smallest ant to the
greatest mountain. In the case of distinguishing the Khalwah and most especially the
Wali from the sorcerer, it is quite clear, that the use of any material objects which a
Sufi mystic may posses in the act of healing, exorcism, or any other act of charity,
that, these ritual tools are always inscribed with Qur’an or of a Monotheistic form.
Any Sufi who claims to be a Sufi and uses Pre-Monotheistic paraphernalia for
spiritual assistance is a fraud; true Sufi mystics fin the most Valuable tool in their
metaphysical battles with the powers of darkness to be the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.
The Islamic form of mysticism has influenced the popular form of mysticism in the
form of symbolic rituals, Islamic terminology and practices, which have been adopted
247
I will create a vice regent [khalifa] on earth. ….I know what ye do not know. And he taught
Adam the nature of all things; then he placed them before the angels, and aid: “tell me the nature of
these if ye are right.” (Surah Al Baqarah verse 30-32).
248
As the Prophet says,'There is a piece of meat in man's body – when it is in a good state, the whole
being improves, and when it is in a bad state, the whole being falls apart. Beware that piece of meat is
the heart. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani,
interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994),
74.
249
On seeing the manifestation of the divine through an intermediary the Prophet says, 'The faithful is
the mirror of the faithful.' what is meant by the first 'faithful' , the mirror in this phrase, is the pure heart
of the believer, while the second 'faithful' Who sees His reflection in that mirror is Allah Most High.
Whoever arrives at the level of seeing the manifestations of Allah's attributes in the world will certainly
see the Essence of Allah in the hereafter without shape or form. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of
Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-
Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 51.
258
by the Tok Imam formerly Theurgist, the local Theurgist who view themselves as both
constant attempts of fraudulent imitators of the Khalwah and Wali, usually termed
Wali-Wali or Tok Imam; they masquerade under the cloak of Islam and are in reality
Tammiyya gave an accurate description of this ritualist which can dispel some of the
inaccuracies which have attached themselves to these names or titles over the
centuries. Most Malay people rely heavily upon their traditional customs; as this
popular Malay’s old proverb “Biar mati anak jangan mati adat” which more or less
means “Let a child die rather than the custom (continuation of their custom)”. This old
proverb proves how strong and firm the Malays’ believe in their Adat or customs.”
However the most important difference in them is that the “True” Sufi wise
man works for the good of the Ummah and for the enlightenment of the Ummah. He
sees himself as non-existent except in the oneness of Allah to which all belong, come
from and return to upon death. It is not this world and the riches and joys of the nafs
which interest him, but the Akhira or the next life with Allah which he strives for. For
centuries Sufi wise men and saints have constantly strove to perfect themselves in the
cause of Allah and for the sake of their souls’ deliverance from evil251. They strove to
250
Allah’s gifts are not only limited to those who do good deeds, but also are extended to those who
sin. The difference is between those who indulge in a materialistic lifestyle and those who live a non-
materialistic life style. Those who choose to live a non-materialistic lifestyle are at a higher spiritual
station than those who indulge in materialism. For example: the difference between prophets and non-
prophets or Wali. Ibn Tammiya, Wali Al-Rah’man; Wali-Shayton. Trans. Franz Von Hofler, and
Muktar, Nurussaddah. Trans. Malay to English from: Ibnu Taimiyah, (karakteristik wali allah wali,
ramadhani, (solo publishing, solo Indonesia, 1989), surah al Bakarah vs 2:253.
251
E ven if one's actions appear good to other people, when negative characteristics enter into them is
considered a mischief maker who deceives himself and others. The Prophet says: 'Pride and arrogance
corrupt faith. Slander and back are worse sins that adultery’;'As fire burns firewood, vengeance burns
and consumes all one’s good deeds'. 'Intrigue sleeps; a curse be upon the one who wakes it up.' 'The
miser will never enter Paradise, even if he spend his whole life praying.' 'Hypocrisy is a hidden form of
setting up others and oneself as partners to Allah.' 'Paradise will reject the one who rejects others.'
259
improve their Ummah and to teach using all of the tools you have seen above. 252253254
The difference between a practitioner of Islamic science or Sufism and a Sufi Mystic
or Mystic is only the difference in added emphases upon Islamic medicine and healing
as a secondary role to the Sufi way of life on the road to enlightenment. However it
should be very clearly stated here that the “True” Sufi Mystic does not ever in any
way advocate pantheism, polytheism, or any other view that would run contrary to the
teachings of Islam. Islam and the oneness of Allah as seen in Nature, The Qur’an and
Hadith of the prophet (PBBH) is the very cornerstone of the Sufis Mystics life.
The Pre-Islamic prophetic teachings, which remain with the Malay, have been
rediscovered and revived in Sufism. Sufism elevated these teachings along with
organic unity, a love of nature (including nature spirits) and many other aspects of
Malays tribal life to a level of scientific application of Islamic ideals coupled with
Malay ethics and culture, to become the modern form of Malay spirituality: a form of
Islamic manner.255 One way of seeing an Islamic Ummah, is: “people who help each
These are many more signs of bad character condemned by the Messenger of Allah. Those mentioned
suffice to show us that this world is a place which requires constant prudence and precaution that one
has to walk through it with extreme care and attention. The first goal of the mystic path is the cleansing
of the heart, and the first action necessary to achieve this is to deny the ego and the flesh their futile and
vain desires. In seclusion, with silence, medication and continuous remembrance, one's ego is reformed.
Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted
by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 95.
252
The role of the Wali in Islamic piety does not correspond exactly to that of the saint in the
Christian faith. It is closely connected with the mystery of initiation and progress on the spiritual path
and leads through a well established hierarchy, the members of which surpass each other according to
the degree of their love and gnosis. The initiation of the adept through Khidr, the prototype of a saint
among the prophets, belongs, therefore, to this discussion. Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical dimensions
of Islam, The University of North Carolina Press, 1975), 223.
253
254
The holy prophet said, ‘spread your leg.’ I did accordingly. He passed his hand over it and it was
cured. I felt as if it had not been broken at all. Badr Azimabadi, three hundred authenticated miracles of
muhamaad, from Hadith Bukhari, Mishkat Adam Publishers, Delhi, India,1993), 32.
255
In the Sufi science of ta’wil a symbol is distinguished from an allegory. A symbol is the
“reflection”, in a lower order of existence, of a reality belonging to a higher ontological status, a
“reflection” which in essence is unified to that which is symbolized, while allegory is a more or less
“artificial figuration” by an individual, having no universal existence of its own. Osman Bakar, Tawhid
260
other, care for each other, point to the path of proper action, and seek the miracles of
nature and life together, and believe in all the truth of God”. Taking this for our
definition of an Islamic Ummah, I would say that Malays have a better foundation
build than any other ethnic group I the world. The changes that were brought about by
presenting Islamic monotheism with a kind heart and an open mind must never be
forgotten256. It was this peaceful form of Da’wah which was the key to this
the Malay and gave birth to the well balanced form of Islamic monotheism that exists
For centuries Sufi wise men and saints have constantly strove to perfect themselves in
the cause of Allah and for the sake of their souls’ deliverance from evil. They strove
to improve their Ummah and to teach using all of the tools you have seen above. The
Mystic is only the difference in added emphases upon Islamic medicine and healing
as a secondary role to the Sufi way of life on the road to enlightenment. However it
should be very clearly stated here that the “True” Sufi Mystic does not ever in any
way advocate pantheism, polytheism, or any other view that would run contrary to the
teachings of Islam. Islam and the oneness of Allah as seen in Nature, The Qur’an and
and science:Islamic Perspectives on Religion and Science, second edition, (ArahPublications, Sha
Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, 2008), 36.
256
T he one who attains that state is in a state of complete repentance; his knowledge is vast and
beneficent, his acts are all service to others, his heart does not flow to evil. If he errs or forgets, he is
forgiven, for he remembers when he forgets and repents when he errs. He is in the proximity of his
Lord and of himself. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al
Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S. Abdul Majeed & co publishing,
1994), 95.
261
Hadith of the prophet (PBBH) are the very cornerstones of a Sufis Mystics life257.
One way of seeing an Islamic Ummah, is: “people who help each other, care
for each other, point to the path of proper action, and seek the miracles of nature and
life together, and believe in all the truth of God”. Taking this for our definition of an
Islamic Ummah, I would say that Malays have a better foundation build than any other
ethnic group I the world. Their conception of Hati and its relationship to nature has
been of great assistance in their path to the developing Ein al-Qalb and the polishing
of the heart through Islamic Alchemy in the spiritual sense. You will find no home
among Malay families were families do not treat their community with kindness and
hospitality, and this is their true strength, the strength of love. The changes that were
peaceful manner by presenting Islamic monotheism with a kind heart and an open
mind must never be forgotten. It was this peaceful form of Da’wah which was the key
converted the Malay and gave birth to the well-balanced form of Islamic monotheism
that exists in Malaysia. This is what has been proven here and this is the true goal of
an Islamic Ummah. Therefore for those who would call all Malay traditional energy
usage “sorcery” I would recommend they read the holy Qur’an, Hadith of the prophet,
and the writings of Ibn al Arabi thoroughly and they will find that God has never once
ordered men not to work with the energies of light, quite the reverse the apostles of
Jesus were “Given” this ability by Allah himself. These men were truly on the road to
meeting God and the road to humility, truth, spirituality, and purity is what we call the
257
...the great Persian saint Abu yazid al Bastami. The founder of the ‘ecstatic’ school of Sufism, he is
famous for the boldness of his expression of the mystics’ complete absorption in the Godhead. This
station (which come upon the mystic as a transient state; ….the wine of the knowledge of the divine,
enraptured by the contemplation of God. The second group are the mystics known for their sobriety.
According to this group, which has a larger following…intoxication is only the beginning of oneness.
Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 94-95.
262
‘ascension of the tree of life’, it is also what Joseph Campbell called the heroes
journey and the Hindu call the heroic path, it is one mans attempt to see God through
nature and sacred text and to take that journey further in his heart and mind until he
attains the ultimate balance in his life, so that he might dye with the peace of Gods
truth and love in his heart258. While the Thaumaturgist is at a lower level than the
Wali, he is none the less on the same path, and the Wali is most certainly a
‘Viceregent of creation’259260, which is the view we wish to emphasize here, that the
paths these men had both similarities and differences, but in the end they both saw the
truth of the signs of God in nature and the beauty of his divine majesty in the wonders
that were so powerful, their source could only be God himself. And they were in aw
and blissful abiding of these miracles of God and for this reason devoted themselves
to helping others and fighting evil, and for this they both should be thought of in
kindness and honor, for “Allah does not like those who reject his signs261’.What
258
The first share of knowledge of these meanings by way of witnessing and unveiling, so that their
essential realities are clarified for them by a proof which does not permit any error; and God’s
possession of these meanings as His characteristics is revealed to them in a disclosure equivalent in
clarity to the certainty achieved by a man in regard to his own inner qualities which he perceives by
seeing his inward aspect, not by outward sensation. How great a difference there is between this and a
faith derived from ones parents and teachers by conformity and persistence in it, even though it be
accompanied by argumentative proofs fro Kalam! AL—GHAZALI: The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names
of God: Al-maqsad al-asna fi sharh asma’ Allah al-husna, transl. David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher,
( The Islamic Text Society, India, 1992), 30-31)
259
If God reveals him self in images of particularizations of and the degrees of revelations, he
reveals number and pluralarity and brings into emergence couplings and singularities. Consequently,
according to the consideration of these images of particularizations are the degrees of descent from the
being of the one God. And what is there in existence except him? Among the number there are some
which are (of) non-existence and some which are (of) existence. That is to say, some of the numbered
become inexistent in the exterior and I appearance. It sometimes happens that something is inexistent
by virtue of the intelligence. It is inevitable that it either from number or from numbered. Thus it is
possible that sometimes a thing is from the point of view of the senses inexistent, yet it is existent from
the point of view of the intellect Shams Inati, Ibn Sina and Mysticism, Remarks and Admonitions: Part
Four, (Kegan Paul International, NY, New York, 1996), 343.
260
He has reserved the height of position for degrees of viceregent [ViceregentViceregent] this
means that the height of position which is particular to the perfect man is the height of the degree of
viceregent [ViceregentViceregent] which is the degree of collectevity of singularity of perfection and
completeness. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Ismail bursevi transl., Ibn Sina And Mysticism: remarks and
Admonisions: part four, (Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 334.
261
…there comes to you messengers from amongst you, rehersing my signs unto you, …those who
reject our signs and treat them with arrogance, ….who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against
God or rejects his signs?...to those who reject our signs and treat them with arrogance, no opening will
263
Muslims ‘are’ forbidden to do is to dabble in the Black arts of Sorcery, which are
importance to the serious scholar of Islamic science. It is not possible to ignore those
metaphysical powers around us, those which are from God are a part of his signs, for
particularization and subjectivity of Gods perfection is the is the greatest sin of all, it
is rejection of the oneness of faith in the one and perfected immaculate God of all
creation and the utter denial of Tawhid; and those which are dark, black or evil, must
be confronted and made to remain in check; for their creed is denial of Tawhid. The
Wali of Allah and the Khalwah of Allah confronted this evil262. In having confronted
the Wali of Shayton (Bomo); the Wali and apprentice of the Wali of Allah, the Malay
form of monotheism among the Pre-Islamic Malay we see a return journey to Wilaya
and Islam; in that in every journey to Allah there is a circular cycle. This circular cycle
is the return of from the ascension to the ecstatic experience in the life of the
there be of the gates of heaven, nor will they enter the garden, until a camel can pass through the eye of
a needle….” Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary, (Saba Islamic
Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), Surah 7: 35-40.
262
The shaykh put the special knowledge under the category of possession (Mulk) because possession
is the manifest estate,and knowledge is the secret estate, and manifest estate with the hidden estate and
with the divine knowledge is its spirit and results with it, ….by the order of God and by the permission
of God, the tassarrufs in the higher and lower universes are manifested for them, yet they are not
manifest like Solomon with tasarruf in the universe of witnessing. Ismail bursevi transl., Fusus al
Hikam by Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, (Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 177.
263
A second way of sharing in these meanings belongs to those who so highly esteem what is disclosed
to them of the attributes of majesty of their high regard releases a longing to possess this attribute in
every way possible to them, so that they may grow closer to the truth…with the possession of such
characteristics they become similar to Angels, who have been brought close to God – great and
glorious. Moreover, it is inconceivable that a heart be filled with high regard for such an attribute and
be illuminated by it without longing for this attribute following upon it, as well as a passionate love for
that perfection and majesty,…No one will lack this longing except for one of two reasons : either from
inadequate knowledge and certainty that the attribute in question is one of the attributes of majesty and
perfection, or for the fact that ones heart is full of a another longing and absorbed by it. AL—
GHAZALI: The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of God: Al-maqsad al-asna fi sharh asma’ Allah al-
husna, transl. David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, (The Islamic Text Society, India, 1992), 31.
264
Islam264. This opening to Islam was the return to the center and in every return to the
center is inclusive of equilibrium and balances the din of the person making this
“heroes journey”. As such the Khalwah who became a Wali was completing his din by
exterior aspects in the practice of Islam in prayer, charity, good deeds, and all the fard
of Islam. Once he accomplished this his din was balanced and whole. The third stage
was the path of Willayah complete, as a Wali he was then capable of helping others
into the light of Allah265. This is the journey of the Malay Thaumaturgist is
symbolically represented in the ascension of the tree of life; from the roots of the Tree
chewed by the great dragon (Iblis) which resulted in injury to the Pre-Islamic
prophetic teachings. Next to the Body of the tree which is the monotheistic teachings,
Tawhid and the completeness of Allah. Here he met the eagle symbolic of Allah’s
divine light or Nur, the light ushered his soul towards seeking the experience of
Gnosis. It is only fair to note that while the oneness of Allah as seen in Islamic science
264
The knowledge that is sent down to us is twofold: exoteric and esoteric, meaning the sacred law
[shari'a] and direct understanding [ma'rifa]. Allah (Exalted is He) has commanded us to apply the
sacred law to our outer being, and direct understanding to our inner being, so that the combination of
the two will result in knowledge of Reality [Haqiqa], just as fruit is produced by the tree and the leaves.
Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted
by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 10.
265
For once he has understood the teaching, if these meanings were presented to him, he would receive
them and memorize them. These are the levels of most scholars, to say nothing of those who are not
scholars. In relation to those who do not share with them in those three levels, these should not be
denied credit, yet they are clearly deficient with respect to the acme of perfection. For ‘the merits of the
[merely] pious are demerits in those who have drawn near to God’. The first share of knowledge of
these meanings by way of witnessing and unveiling, so that their essential realities are clarified for
them by a proof which does not permit any error; and God’s possession of these meanings as His
characteristics is revealed to them in a disclosure equivalent in clarity to the certainty achieved by a
man in regard to his own inner qualities which he perceives by seeing his inward aspect, not by outward
sensation. … AL—GHAZALI: The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of God: Al-maqsad al-asna fi sharh
asma’ Allah al-husna, transl. David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, (The Islamic Text Society, India,
1992), 30-31.
265
the brotherhood of man and rightfully so, such inner dimensional discussions may not
be understandable by all students of Islam as has been noted by Associate Prof., Dr.
Fatimah Abdulah266267268. However, we should not forget that there are stages of
Islam. Furthermore, these dimensions must be viewed in both an esoteric and exoteric
manner, each appropriate to the time and stage set for them in the life of the ascetic or
266
As a form of religious pluralism the theory of the Transcendental Unity of World Religions (TUR)
is an extreme attempt to bring about some form of unity between the many diverse religions in a
universal form….According to them the existence of various religions only constitutes variant
conceptions and perceptions of, and responses to, this one Ultimate divine reality. Since all religions
come from one source, each religion contains within itself a measure of the absolute truth and at the
same time is a valid method and means for the attainment of that truth… Such a belief has a good
intention, however when utilized by those who are not prepared through the necessary path of
Willayah, could have very dangerous results for both the student and the persons they misguide with
their partial understanding of the true oneness… al-Attas stands as one of the strongest critics of this
particularized form of deviance. In his monumental work, Prolegomena he clearly and convincingly
shows that this claim springs from a misconception of Islamic metaphysics, particularly that which is
based on wahdat al-wujËd. Dr. Fatimah Abdullah, Transcendent unity of religions, unpublished
manuscript, 3.
267
The physical and psychic functions of man are integral to nature, and as such they obey the laws
pertinent to them with the same necessity as all other creatures. But the spiritual function, viz., the
understanding and moral action, fall outside the realm of determined nature. …necessary fulfilment
applies only to elemental or utilitarian purposes of God, his commandments to man, do have a base in
the physical world, and hence there is a utilitarian aspect to them, but this is moral. It is precisely their
aspect of being fulfillable in freedom, that is, the possibility of being fulfilled or violated remaining
always open, that gives them the special dignity we ascribe to things “moral”….As the subject of moral
action, man must therefore be capable of changing himself, his fellows or society, nature or his
environment, so to actualize the divine pattern, or commandment, in himself as well as in them. Isma’il
Raji al Faruqi, Al-Tawhid: Its Implications for Thought and Life, (International institute of Islamic
Thought, Herdon, Virginia, U.S.A.), 12-13.
268
The sacred resides in the nature of reality itself, and normal humanity has for the sacred just as it
has for reality which one distinguishes naturally from the unreal….the sacred which has always been a
living presence within normal civilizations, has become so forgotten ….to the exstent that the reality of
the sacred is accepted at least in religious circles, it is connected with the power of God rather than his
wisdom.” Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Gifford Lectures: Knowledge and the Sacred. (Crossroad
publishing, New York, 1981), 75.
266
Khalwah by Allah269270271. Once ascended, he began the descent back to normal life
and realized seeing the tree in its wholeness, the need for sobriety and completeness,
thus began to practice both the fard of Islam in the exterior and the esoteric inner
dimension of Islam; and then and only then he became an Wali272273, a true caliph of
creation.
What must be understood plainly from this dissertation is that while from the
Islamic point of view sorcery is considered an abominable crime against God, that,
wizardry is not sorcery and neither is magic. Furthermore the theurgist who
participated in the Pre-Islamic religions around the world was practitioners of a type
269
The ideal point of departure for an understanding of Fitrah is the metaphysical principle that
underlies the concept. By means of this principle we come to understand the place of man in the
universe, his essential spiritual nature and his ultimate destiny. It is the principle which provides the
foundation [for our creed] ….from which all other …[spiritual traditions]…are derived. Accordingly,
all other implications of Fitrah are rooted in this metaphysical principle….the implication is that the
principle of Tawhid is integral to the inborn nature of man. The mission of all the prophets from Adam
to Muhammad [PB upon them all] was to convey the message of Tawhid. Yasien Mohamed, The
Definition of Fitrah, from, Fitrah: the Islamic concept of human nature, (TA-HA Publishers Ltd. 1996),
85.
270
…and the prophet said: Truly some speech is magical” (Note that there was no derogatory look,
expression or rejection verbally of this sort of magical speech.) Mohd. (PBBH), Sahih al-Bukhari,
comp. Al-imam Zain udin Ahmad bin Abdul-Latif Az-Zubaidi, trlt. Dr. Muhammad Mushin Khan,
Islamic University Al-Madina, Al-Munawwara, Saudia Arabia, Maktabar-us-Salam, 1994), 944.
271
Islam sees the doctrine of unity (al-Tawhid) not only as the essence of its own message but as the
heart of every religion….assertion of al-Tawhid and all religions are seen as so many repetitions in
different climes and languages of the doctoring of unity. Moreover, wherever the doctrine of unity may
be found, it is considered to be of divine origin. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Gifford Lectures:
Knowledge and the Sacred. (Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 71.
272
And Solomon was not ignorant of the divine knowledge; rather that this knowledge was of that
possession that was bestowed upon Solomon, so that it was not suitable for any other person to be
manifested in the universe of witnessing with the same quality. …..The Arabic interpretation of these
two names is ar-rahman, ar-rahim, which means that the names that Solomon used to mean ar-rahman,
ar-rahim, are not the Arabic words ar-rahman, ar-rahim, but the Arabic words ar-rahman, rahim are the
meanings of these two words that Solomon used. Thus what the shaykh intends, the two compassionate
beatitudes were attributed to the haqq and that Solomon mentioned these two compassions in two
names. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Ismail bursevi transl., (Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996),
771-773.
273
Thus the name Interior (Batin) is realized for the servant, because hen Haqq becomes manifest in
the universe of chaptering with the images of the revelation of compassionate beatitude , the perfect
servant for its manifestation, and as the emanation of action of the Haqq from the place of manifestation
of the being of the servant, the servant was established in the being of the Haqq. Ismail bursevi transl.,
Fusus al Hikam by Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, (Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 770.
267
of Theurgy which is descended from a degenerated form of Pre-Islamic monotheistic
prophetic teachings. These teachings were and still are a part of Gods plan according
to the findings of such notable Islamic scientist as ibn sinna, ibn Arabi, Syyed Hossein
Nasr, René gunon, and fridjoff shuon and are therefore not in any way to be discarded.
But rather they are to be examined and gleaned for all the authentic truth that can be
discerned from the Islamic perspective as divine truth. And that the science of
alchemy, the science of Talismana, the science of thaumaturgy are not in any way in
alignment with sorcery, in fact it has always been the science of thaumaturgy which
has battled against such abominable crimes as position by spirits, evil spells from
sorcery and illnesses disseminated by the black arts. They have always been in the
forefront of the battle against the forces of evil and are not the enemies of Islam. In
fact if there are any people fighting the darkness of evil on the metaphysical realm in
Malaysia today, they are the thaumaturgist. We have gone over a great many details
and sources in order to illustrate the truth of the distinctions between these two
specialist and in the differences between the methods, tools, and perspectives related
to both, in order to make clear to the reader that the two cannot e bulked together and
labeled as the same when in reality nothing could be further from the truth. We have
also explained the situation of the thaumaturgist or the Khalwah in the area of Sufism
and charted his rise from the Bronze Age as a strict shaman, his conversion from
Hinduism to Islam and finally his acceptance of Islam as his chosen faith. It remains
abundantly clear that the Khalwah was indeed a monotheistic healer and thaumaturgist
whereas the Bomo remains a sorcerer and a practitioner of the black arts.
The role of the Khalwah has therefore been found to have been during the
transitional period between the Islamic and Pre-Islamic periods of Malay history to
have been a hybrid system which utilized aspects of the Indigenous, Aryan, Persian,
268
Chinese and Arab aspects of theurgy and evolved into monotheist thaumaturgy over
several centuries. The primary areas of effect are in summery as follows. In the art of
indigenous Malay theurgy the Khalwah kept Herbalism, knowledge of the subtle
realm, a love and connection with nature, especially the symbol of the tree of life.
From the Aryans the symbolic representation of the sun as the divine light of heaven,
the earth as the feminine principle of creation, and the practice of asceticism as a
means for communing with the energies of God. From the Hindus, the recitation of
mantras, the use of energy healing, the use of mythological hero tales such as the
Ramayana for illustrating the stages of development from average folk to ascetic.
From the Persians the transformation of charms into Talismana, the use of Arabic
letters for inscription of divine symbolism, and the remembrance of Ali as the ‘great
lion’ symbolic of the sun, transformed into the tiger as a form of particularization of
the universal symbol of the sun. From the Arabs the remembrance of the miracles of
the prophet Muhammad and the example of the perfect man, and remembrance of the
Nur of Muhammad as the primordial creative energy with which Allah made the soul
of man. The combination of these men many other theurgy motifs, symbols and
enacting gave the Malay thaumaturgist a certain un-orthodox appearance which many
have misinterpreted as being pantheist. However as this dissertation has shown, this is
a misconception of the Malay view. Furthermore the confusing of the Khalwah and
the Wali as Bomo or mythical figures has also resulted from this same
misunderstanding due to the ignorance of those who are naive as the Pythagorean
numerical symbolism inherent in this system of analysis which came to Malaya from
china through the Tocharian Aryans who were converts of Islam. All the elements
found within the character of the Malay Khalwah point decidedly to the conclusion
269
that he was indeed very different from his predecessors and perhaps on the verge of
evolving into an alchemist. The roots of local or particularized strict shamanism in the
Germanic and Malay form of religious tradition274 lies in the original form of
monotheism; in this case through the Aryan branch of Noah’s son according to the
monotheist view. After being coupled with the pre-Muhammedian form of monotheist
thaumaturgy, which centered on the divine symbolism imparted to their culture each
respectively, was epitomized by the tree of life. This symbolic degeneration through
division of divinity and anthropomorphic psychological projection began with the lose
of spiritual perspective by the Aryans in a similar manner which occurred amongst the
Hebrews during the period of their Babylonian exile. During this time period from the
2nd millennium BCE to the Bronze Age, the Aryans fel prey to already degenerate
religious traditions of the existent fertility cults of the Fertile Crescent and Wullendorf
or later Danubian culture. With the spread of the Aryan warrior driven migrations,
peoples across the glob from Siberia to Europe and from Central Asia to south East
Asia. By the Bronze Age the further degeneration of monotheist beliefs as introduce
by Adam and all the pre-Muhammadian prophets can be seen affecting other cultures
around the world. This is not an attempt to support universal syncretism, but rather a
stated fact that the cultures listed came into contact and in some ways had effect upon
the cultures they came into contact, trade and marriage with. This is seen clearly in the
274
Tradition contains a sense of truth which is both of divine origin and perpetuated throughout a
major cycle of human history through both transmission and renewal of the message by means of
revelation. It also implies and inner truth which lies at the heart of different sacred forms and which is
unique since Truth is one. Syyed hossain Nasr, Knowledge and the sacred, (Crossroad publishing, New
York, 1981), 71.
270
introduction of these teachings to Malaya via the Tocharian of central Asia, the Indo-
Aryans of India, in three successive waves of Aryan spiritual influence through trade
and marriage, resulting in the Proto-Malay Dongson who was the descendants of both
Aryans and Australasians. We may add to this list the last of the three the Persian
Iranians (Aryans) who brought along with their Islamic faith a substantial amount of
the indigenous pre-monotheist traditions and the Aryan groups listed above, and are
therefore a synthesis of the two. It has always been and perhaps always will be the
tradition of Malay people to absorb the advantageous aspects of those traditions they
come into close contact with. The spiritual traditions related to Malay and Germanic
thaumaturgy via the earlier form of theurgy; this spiritual adaptation can be seen in
brief best symbolically through the Tree of Life model, which has been developed in
an ascension model which has been degenerated from its original model from the
Islamic viewpoint. In western occultist have taken fro the re-written and manipulated
kabala the plan or blueprint of the tree of life which has served as a blue print for the
spiritual ascension for centuries for mystics of several distinct traditions and inverted
it; but this is not the existent of their manipulation from the Islamic perspective. They
have reassigned various angels, symbols, and talismanic elements in order to create a
new blue print, one which leads not to light but to darkness. The elements to which I
speak will be discussed in reference to the angels or archetypes first, secondly the
symbols and thirdly the meaning of the entire re-composition and its metaphoric and
spiritual repercussions not only in history but also to the ascension spiritually. The
highest point in the tree of life is that divine light which shines above it, representative
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of the divine light of God, traditionally among the Germanic Irmani it was the
swastika, the symbol of Odin and Asgardt. This is identical to the highest level of
realm of the divine. In Islamic tradition it was the prophet Khidr and or Khidr/Idris
who ascended to heaven and became to symbol, but on a higher level to the highest
station it was Muhammad when he went performed the miharaj275276277. This level
however is missing from the kabala due to their rejection of the prophet Muhammad;
therefore from an Islamic perspective the system is incomplete from the very start.
we will examine Islamic views of this from the examination of the ascension of Khidr
and then make comments on the ascension of Muhammad. On this highest level which
the kabala still refers to as Kether (Hebrew for Khidr) the truth of the pre-
Muhammadian station remains the same; however the tree has been totally inverted.
In the cabbalist hierarchy of the tree of life which is inverted and I will refer to as the
tree of “death”, the station of Khidr is therefore at the “bottom” of the tree in the
position of nature. For the Germanic Irmani and Malay this would have been
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….The story of moses: for he was speacially chosen ….and we called him from the right of mount
(sinai), and made him draw near to us, for mystic (converse)….and we raised him to a lofty
station….the signs of (God) Most Gracious were rehersed to them….such is the garden which we give
as an inheritance to those of our servants who guard against evil… Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy
Qur’an: text, translation and commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed.
2001),370-371.
276
As the mystic begins the ascent through the gardens of paradise, the point of the encounter is the
garden of the soul. This is the feminine principle within, structured by gateaways of sense. In order to
enter, the mystic must gather together the inner senses or faculties of intuition. The object being sought
by these faculties is the spiritual Heart, which is the abode of intuition. The mystic encounters perils in
entering the garden, as the soul is pulled away from center by physical desires. The mystic is in a state
of receptivity, with a readiness to be satisfied; but if the soul is actually satisfied, the mystic is expelled
from the garden as much as Adam was expelled from Eden, Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the
Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 28.
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Some are expressed outwardly with audible voice; some felt inwardly, silently, form the centre of
the heart. At the beginning one should declare in words what one remembers. Then stage by stage the
remembrance spreads throughout one's being – descending to the heart, and then rising to the soul; then
still further it reaches the realm of the secrets; further to the hidden. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret
of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi
al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 45.
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unthinkable, to place the founder of the Universe in their view at the bottom of the
tree of life. Equally unacceptable, in the Islamic viewpoint to place the prophet Khidr
at the bottom of the hierarchy would be the same as identifying him with sorcery
which is harram278279280281. The roots of the tree of life in Muslim mysticism are
equated with interaction with nature spirits, something which is a very remedial level
in reference to those who were searching before the coming of the complete form of
Islam. Therefore all traditions represented here would have categorically denounces
such a re-organizing of the sacred tree of life from the very start. Furthermore, in
Sufism the sun is representative of the metaphor of the divine light of Allah, which
cannot ever be placed at the bottom of the tree but which must always remain at the
top as a symbol of the achievement of gnosis. This re-assignment of the heist station is
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Allah describes the blessed olive tree, the tree of unity, as being neither or the East nor of the West.
In other words, it has neither a beginning nor an end, and the light of which it is the source has no rising
or setting. It is eternal in the past and never-ending in the future.... Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret
of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi
al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 53.
279
It is through symbols that one is awakened; it is through symbols that one is transformed; and it is
through symbols that one expresses. Symbols are realities contained within the nature of things. The
entire journey to God is a journey in symbols, in which one is constantly aware of the higher reality
within things. Symbols reflect both divine transcendence and divine eminence; they refer to both the
universal aspect of creation and the particular aspect of tradition. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of
the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 124.
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Accepted by Gunter and Dumezil were by it comes from the Indo Aryan root uer “to Bind”….Their
supreme God “creator of the earth”….”the most high master”….add to the term turem the qualification
of “Great”, “Luminus”…”White”, …”Lord master my father”…light from on high, and so on. In
prayers and in written text the sky God is often called “father”…….he who makes the world fruitful.
….that is to say universal sovereign. …in the titles of God the notion of… commander, is clear….As
creator, knowing and seeing all, guardian of the law …ruler of the cosmos; ….The Summerian term for
divinity (Dingir was translated into Akkadian [Semitic] as ellu, “Bright, shinning”)…. Jon R. Stone
(edt.), The essential Max Muller: on language, mythology, and religion, New York: Palgrave
MacMillan, 2002), 32.
281
…it seems to have come in several waves and is associated with the peoples speaking Malayo-
Polynesian (Austronesian) languages…it mixed with the …shouldered Adze …peoples speaking Môn-
Khmer (Austro-Asiatic) languages. One of the features of the quadrangular Adze culture was the
erecting of megaliths, and a complex of religious beliefs associated with them….The ziggurat was
perhaps reguarded as the body of the God (and being primarily concerned with chthonic powers a
cosmological aspect …paralleled by the ancient Chinese God of the soil was the personification of the
energies which reside in soil”, …was represented by a mound at the capital, while the hierarchy of local
earth Gods were represented by a mound in each of the territorial divisions…the fertility aspect of the
earth God…was represented by a tree…. H.G. Qaritch Wales, Ph.D. Pre-history and religion in South
East Asia, London, (Bernard Qaritch LTD, 11 Grafton street. 1957), 21-22.
273
therefore spiritually seen by those Sufis who recognize it as blasphemous. The next
great blunder made here is the assignment of the prophet Khidr through his symbolic
angel Raphael; this “angel” has been placed in the middle of the hierarchy as
malchime in Hebrew and is again taken from its proper place in the hierarchy and
made to be stationed at a lower plane of the tree. Hence the proper order of prophets
and angels according the Islamic perspective and that of most Islamic scientist has
been incorrectly jumbled in their hierarchical roles spiritually. Next we look to the
symbolism, we have touched upon the symbolism of the swastika representing the
light which has been degraded to the upside down lowest stage, properly belonging to
the heist; but now we encounter the archaic symbol of macrocosm and microcosm
coupled as another form of sun symbol seen in all pre-monotheist and in monotheist
society as the symbol of the sun, placed in the position of malchium at the centre of
the hierarchy. Again this is a degrading of the divine as medium in value rather than
central and atop the tree of life. Even more diabolical is that this confusion of adding
academic or spiritual would undoubtedly tell anyone who ask that the symbol of the
swastika and the concentric circles are on and the same “not separate” and therefore to
represent them in two distinct levels of the tree of life is an unforgivable mistake in
understanding which makes the entire diagram fall apart in symbolic significance 282283.
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When all is gone, what is left forever is the holy spirit. It sees with the light of Allah. It sees it. It
sees by Him; it sees in him; it sees from Him. There are n images, no likenesses in His seeing. Nothing
is like Him, and He is the hearing and the seeing. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation
and commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), Sura Shura, 11.
283
Nature is the collector, which means the state is that that which collects all opposites is Nature
because Nature is one reality by virtue of its matter and different things by virtue of its
particularizations and images. Consequently Nature accepts the determination of oppositions over the
images because it collects in itself the opposites through their realities, and in oppositions it is the same
as the opposite but it does not collect in itself the opposites with the particularization of oppositions in
the image in particularized matter….the one Being of the Haqq is manifested in the different mirrors
and is varied in places of reflection of the a’yan and receives the totality of the determinations of the
274
Spiritually the significance is even more dramatic and perilous due to the perhaps
irreparable damage it would do to the spiritual adept attempting to ascend the tree of
life spiritually in this manner, due to the fact it would almost certainly lead to rejection
of Tawhid284285286. This rejection would take the form of dualism, placing one symbol
of God in the centre and ten again in the bottom. One could argue that there is one in
the heart which represents the aspect of God within and one at the other end to
represent the divine; however this argument falls apart again due to the incorrect
understanding of the nature of the soul and the proper hierarchy. The soul is only the
microcosm and cannot become representative of the macrocosm until the tree itself
has been ascended, and even then is only representative of the microcosm/macrocosm
unity in the sense of realizing there is not duality in Tawhid287. This however does not
a’yan, by this aspect the Haqq is khalq. Thus, with the eye of vision look at it…by this aspect, he
referes to the words: He is one image in different mirrors. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Ismail bursevi transl.,
Ibn Sina And Mysticism: remarks and Admonisions: part four, (Kegan Paul International, New York,
NY, 1996), I354-358.
284
Stages of the Journey – When one is at the gateway, the beginning of the journey to the Absolute,
there are various states which descend upon the mystic. Each one is itself a gateway orienting the
seeker to the journey ahead. ….these are the second stage of the journey. The minute one enters the
door, one comes in need of actions, encounters,; one meets these with conduct which relates to the
states one feels and to this, the third stage. After encounter in goes more perfect self, one learns good
habits and dispositions from others and thus builds character by creating praiseworthy forms of self;
this is the fourth stage. ….it reflects only rational understanding. The means of psychological
participation are referred to as states, stations and presences. The word state (hal) means to ‘descend,
alight or penetrate a place’ ; it denotes a quality which is not permanent. …whatever change enters the
heart by means of pure love from the direction of truth, …, is called a spiritual state (hal). It enters the
mystic’s heart through desire, anxiety, thirsting, bewilderment, illumination or intuition. It may occur
as a flash, or it may remain longer, But it is never permanent. Feelings or emotions change or vanish,
and the subject finally becomes weary. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames
and Hudson, London, 1976), 97-100.
285
….and it is the same for Viceregents [ViceregentViceregents] from among men. Their height
through being Viceregent [ViceregentViceregent] is not an essential height. Had it been otherwise it
would have been for all men and as this is not general we have known that in this height the height is
for position,….and in respect to being he is the same as all beings, and things which are named as latter
things are high by their essence. And God, by virtue of being, is the same as the things that are, which
is high by its essenceis the ame as the being of God. Ismail bursevi transl., Fusus al-Hikam by
Muhyiddin Ibn arabi (Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 336.
286
The tree in the Garden is the Tree of life…its fruits…are universal meanings which relate all forms
and images to the inner sameness existing within all things. Universal meanings may be taken by the
mystic, however, only when there has been a phenomenal image, an imprint upon the soul. Laleh
Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 29.
287
Tawhîd is the corner-stone of the Islamic belief which was taught by all the prophets. The
Arabs deviated form tawhîd but it was restored to its original purity with the advent of Muhammad,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Divine Unity is expressed as lâ ilâha ill' Allah ‘There is no
275
mean and I repeat does not mean in any way that the person themselves becomes God.
What it means is that they remove the veils which separate them from the state of
Fitra thus realizing that all humans have the potential to return to the divine state of
Fitra. Furthermore when we add to this the fact that the veils can only be completely
removed by a prophet or Wali at the final stage of ascension (some which are demoted
to the bottom in this system) then the illogical organization of this model becomes
quite apparent. Therefore the ascension of the tree of death is not the ascension of the
tree of life, but is rather a descending of the tree of life in a mutated form concocted
organization of the tree of life model and perhaps the entire kabala. While we have
seen in the previous sections how the definition of Hakim, Khalwah and Sufi Sheik are
Islamic mystic under various folk titles can be seen to have been be deviant in several
areas as follows:
• The use of distructive non Muslim jinn in a way not sanctioned by Islam.
• Such jinn control the pretender and are not serving him.
After reviewing these four characteristics of the pretenders, we will look into
the ways in which we can recognize that the Khalwah (Herbalist, Exorcist & Hakim),
Wali (Mystic), and others who are in fact Muslims and do in fact submitted to Allah
deity but Allah’ and together with his expression of Muhammadun Rasûlu’llah ‘Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah’, a person is admitted into the fold of Islam. Tawhîd implies that Allah is One, and
that He is one and unique in His essence (dhât), His attributes (sifât), and His works. This monotheistic
concept of Allah liberates man from subservience to everything and everyone, and is the basis for the
unity of mankind. The antithesis of tawhîd is shirk which is considered to be the only unforgivable
wrong action (Qur'an 4:48), and it signifies the association of partners with Allah. Blind submission to
one’s own desires is also described as shirk (Qur'an 25:43).
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and Islam and are also involved in battling evil through exorcism, healing, protecting
and teaching Islamic alchemy of the heart. However one of the most important
differences in the popular mystic or Khalwah and the Orthodox Sufi Mystic is that the
“True” Hakim works for the good of the Ummah and for the enlightenment of the
Ummah. He sees himself as non-existent except in the oneness of Allah to which all
belong, come from and return to upon death. It is not this world and the riches and
joys of the nafs, which interest him, but the Akhira or the next life with Allah, which
he strives for. For centuries Sufi wise men and saints have constantly strove to perfect
themselves in the cause of Allah and for the sake of their souls’ deliverance from evil.
They strove to improve their Ummah and to teach using all of the tools you have seen
above. The difference between a practitioner of Islamic science or Sufism and a Sufi
Mystic or Mystic is only the difference in added emphases upon Islamic medicine and
healing as a secondary role to the Sufi way of life on the road to enlightenment288.
However it should be very clearly stated here that the “True” Hakim does not
ever in any way advocate pantheism, polytheism, or any other view that would run
contrary to the teachings of Islam. Islam and the oneness of Allah as seen in Nature,
The Qur’an and Hadith of the prophet (PBBH) are the very cornerstone of the Sufis
Mystics life289.
Therefore what we see in the above discussion is a summary of the road that
Malay sorcerers, tribesmen, healers, and others have traveled to change the animism
288
Among its members several Muslim saints. ‘Muslims’, it is laid down’ must feed the district judge,
the officials in the mosque, the magician and the midwife. The muezzin is king in the mosque ad the
magician [wizard] is king in the house of the sick… Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The
Malay Magician, Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford University
press, 1969), 72).
289
…there has been the recurrent conflict between the transcendentalism of the orthodox theologians,
for whom God is in heaven, and popular mysticism, which starting from animism inclines toward a
pantheism that finds him closer than the veins in ones neck. Bun no Muslim theologian, however
orthodox in his transcendentalism, would conceive in God to be in heaven, detached, as it were, from
the world. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Some aspects of Sufism: As Understood and Practiced
among the Malays, (Malaysian Socialogical Research institute LTD., Singapore, 1963), 18.
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which it was intermingled with their adapt into a Islamic lifestyle. The Pre-Islamic
prophetic teachings which remain with the Malay have been rediscovered and revived
in Sufism. Sufism elevated these teachings along with organic unity, a love of nature
(including nature spirits) and many other aspects of Malays tribal life to a level of
scientific application of Islamic ideals coupled with Malay ethics and culture, to
become the modern form of Malay spirituality: a form of spirituality that embraces the
examination of Nature in a broadminded and very Islamic manner. One way of seeing
an Islamic Ummah, is: “people who help each other, care for each other, point to the
path of proper action, and seek the miracles of nature and life together, and believe in
all the truth of God290291. Taking this for our definition of an Islamic Ummah, I would
say that Malays have a better foundation build than any other ethnic group I the world.
The changes that were brought about by Muslim Sufis of Malaya were brought about
heart and an open mind must never be forgotten. It was this peaceful form of Da’wah
which was the key to this overwhelmingly proficient form of conversion. A form of
conversion that converted the Malay and gave birth to the well-balanced form of
Islamic monotheism that exists in Malaysia among Malay Sufis of today’s Malaysia.
The development of both popular mysticism and Islamic mysticism in the proper
sense have developed over the centuries, and taken on aspects of one another. The
290
The Sufi, in contrast with the magician, has a close connection with religion as a regular institution.
The magician would force the “spirits” to grant what he desired, which may be that which guards
against evil. Or that which procures favors from the “spirits”. The Sufi does not demand what is
desired, rather he Submittes to the divine will upon which man feels dependent. Syed Muhammad
Naquib al-Attas, Some aspects of Sufism: As Understood and Practiced among the Malays, (Malaysian
Socialogical Research institute LTD., Singapore, 1963), 49.
291
Islamic science and technology affirm the importance of maintaining aharmonious relationship
between man and the environment. Islamic civilization can take pride in the fact that its scientific and
technological culturedid not result in environmental and echological disasters….The traditional Muslim
view on science and the enviromentis that there is a major fault not only with modern attitudes toward
the natural environment , but also with the modern scientific and t4echnological enterprise. Osman
Bakar, Environmental Wisdom for the Planet Earth: The Islamic Heritage, (Center for Civilizational
Dialogue: University of Malaya, 2007), 16—18.
278
Sufi form of mysticism was accepting of the aspects of animistic cosmology and
healing which were accepted by their wider group of Islam and rejected only those
which were haram or forbidden such as black sorcery. If we can see Islamic
and the use of examining Nature as the “Qur’an of creation”, includes the subtle realm
of the jinn and the angelic realm. Then, this form of mysticism which I refer to as
Islamic mysticism grew from the early Malays as a result of spiritual balance created
by the changing role of the individual as mentioned above and the mystical techniques
employed by them for the community. Winstedt seems to look at the Malay Khalwah
forbidden, while healing under the guidance of a Sheik is permitted. This occurrence
is symptomatic of the overall changes and developments taking place in Malay at the
time of conversion and illustrates the great value of the relationship between Malays
and the world of Nature that is the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. the
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which the Malay mystic utilized in his efforts to help the community in his role as
class of spiritual specialist or Islamic mystics, these mystics were experts in the
healing arts of both the indigenous tribal herbals in an oral form and the Islamic
medicine which had been given them by the examples of such great Islamic healers as
al-Razi. For this reason the Islamic mystic or healer should not be confused with the
Pre-Islamic healer or Bomo who was a sorcerer. While there are similarities between
the healing methods of the tow, the fundamental difference is in the application of
their healing arts and the cosmological view they utilized. The Islamic healer was a
techniques foreign to the Bomo such as Talismana, which is the use of talismans using
Arabic inscriptions taken from Qur’an. Talisman was brought to Malaysia from Persia
and was the result of the Islamic mystics of Malaya adopting the Arabic inscriptions
of Islam into a tool for battling the evil spirits of the rebellious jinn who they had been
between the local Muslims and the subtle energies or jinn which were in constant
295
In his early work, Jung was convinced that the archetypes are “Psychoid” , that is, “they shape
matter (nature) as well as the mind (psyche)…. Houston smith, Forgotten Truth: the common vision of
the world's religions,(San Francisco, Calif. : HarperSanFrancisco, repr 1992, 1976), 40.
296
…one which breaks down absolute barriers between entities and between space and time, but
also between observer and observed, …between mind and matter…in other words…a Holistic concept
of being. J.J. Clarke, Jung and eastern thought: a dialogue with the Orient, (London: Routledge, 1994),
98.
280
learning through Hidayah. Hidayah comes from following the basic elements of
Islam. This process includes many techniques in order to attain the following. When
we error in the path toward Isan, we can find our Hidayah through Taubah or
instincts of the human psyche; molded by the development of Isan is what is termed
road of Wilaya if the aspirant does not accept and investigat the signs of Allah in
Nature.The oneness of Tawhid is the oneness of Allah’tallah, that is Tawhid and the
development of the entire of existence of the sublime and gross entities is composed
of his divine energy. Modern scientist refer to this as the imperical world, Islamic
scientist have named it the Cosmos. This was put into place via the “Universal soul”
or “Wahy”297298299. For what purpose was this done? And what has it achieved? From
the perspective of Islamic Science Allah put the souls of humans into the world to
know him and worship him in order to give them balance, that they might know love
and happiness through following his way of life. The truth of this is seen by Sufis as
297
According to one sacred Hadith (Hadith Qudsi), God desires to be known, so he creates the
universe…The central figure in this created universe is man who, by virtue of the supernatural character
of his intellect and it’s cognitive powers, and by virtue of being a universe in miniature,….Thus the
human intellect has often been referred to as the subjective, partial or particular revelation of God (Al
Wahy Al-Juz’i)…. Osman Bakar, Tawhid and science: Islamic Perspectives on Religion and Science,
second edition, (ArahPublications, Sha Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, 2008), 26.
298
….Both the manifestation of his Essence and the manifestation of His attributes are dependent on
His Essence Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani,
interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994),
53.
299
The absence of shadow in Persian miniatures reveals that they spring from the world or archetypes
which reflects the light of the divine … The reflective mirror. A second concept of creation important
to Sufi expression is that of the mirror. Before the creation of human beings, the universe had been
brought into being, but it was unpolished, unreflective, unconscious of the divine presence. The
macrocosmic universe came into being so that the manifestation of self in the form of a Divine name
would have a ‘place’ … The mystic aspires to become this reflective mirror. Polishing the mirror in
order to make it a place for the Divine self to see self depends upon two modes: the first, the
‘preparedness’ of the place, is the ability to receive, conceive and give birth to the second mode, the
descent of one of the Divine names. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames
and Hudson, London, 1976), 15.
281
illustraited in Ayat Kudsi. In addition we have been given the books of divine
revelation and the teachings of the prophets to teach us the methods in which to
implement Islamic din for building a balanced way of life. As stated above the
introduction of Wahy by Allah was done in order to know himself via his creation
serving him through love and action that is this process is seen through in a series of
steps.
spiritual.
• Alechemy of the heart, knowledge and actions consistent with the Qur’an
and Sunnah.
• To help one’s self and the community by being patient, humble and kind.
The first example of this is the life of the prophet Muhammad, however if we
would like a summary which is in the same spirit of the prophets teachings we may
However in the perspective of Islamic Science and most Muslims; the right
intentions are not enough, we must struggle to be knowledgeable of our faith and
understand what it is that we are doing in our life Islamicley. This way is done by
ethically and spiritually we are developing in various stages stages, throughout life. In
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The life of the heart is knowledge, so preserve it, The death of the heart is ignorance, so avoid it.
Your best provision is true devotion, so provide it. This advice of mine is enough for you, so heed it…
David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, AL—GHAZALI: The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of God: Al-
maqsad al-asna fi sharh asma’ Allah al-husna, (Islamic Text Society, India, 1992), Introduction.
282
order for this to development to work properly we need to develop a higher form of
through individual spiritual ethics and communitie ethics, which follow the Shari’ah
misused for political gain or personal agendas301. For this reason those who strive be
knowledgable are those who are best among the people, as long as their ethical
lifestyle is well built on the foundation of faith and deeds 302. Furthermore one should
advised, and good aspects of a Islamic lifestyle are ‘fundamental’ meaning merely
basic, rather than foundational. Foundational meaning that those truths are not only
basic but also contain something within their meaning substantial enough to build
upon. Islamic foundational truths are necessary for the development of knowledge and
thus necessary for the development of equilibrium. This fact makes the acquisition of
Equillibrium. In its truest sense Islamic personality has many facets and is made up of
301
The principal cause of heedlessness is ignorance of the reality of the divine laws and orders. What
keeps one in this stage of ignorance is a darkness that completely covers one form the outside and fully
invades one's inner being. Some of the properties of this darkness are arrogance, pride, envy
miserliness, vengeance, lying, gossiping, backbiting and so many other hateful traits. It is these traits
that reduce the best creation of Allah to the lowest of the low. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of
Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-
Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 55.
302
Our Master the Prophet said: 'At each renewal of ablution Allah renews the belief of His servant
whose light of faith is repolished and shine brighter,' and 'Repeated purification by ablution is light
upon light.'...Inner purity can also be lost, perhaps more often than outer purity, by bad character , low
behaviour, harmful acts and attitudes such as pride, arrogance, lying, gossiping. Slandering, envy and
anger. Conscious and unconscious acts by one's sense soil the spirit: the mouth which eats unlawful
food, the lips which lie….When inner purity is thus souled and spiritual ablution broken, the renewal of
ablution is by sincere repentance, which is performed by realizing one's fault, by painful regret
accompanied by tears (which are the water washing the dirt from the spirit), by intending never to
repeat this foult, by wishing to leave all faults, by asking the forgiveness of Allah, and by prying that he
prevent one form committing a sin again. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great
Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul
Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 71-72.
283
rights, responsibilities and actions and an acquisition of knowledge. The primary
theological and philosophical. The term ’duty’ is often mis-used by zealets and
splinter groups who refer to themselves as Muslims, this Duty is not control, free will
has been given to Muslims and all of humanity as is stated in the Qur’an. Free will
was given in order than man may sojourn the life he is given along the strait path in
order to find balance and become close to God. Therefor the term duty, when
misapplied and the idea of forcing faith are not appropriate in making clear the path of
empirical and spiritual well being of this world we live in. Furthermore the
illustrated above. This degeneration has resulted in a view which has transformed real
Muslims into blind followers of those who believe in the philosophical theory referred
to as the “Divine Order”303. The correct form of Islamic din is in no way related to
such headless robotic behavior and directionless violence. The truly Islam form of din
is in the view of Islamic Scientist the result of using all of the above techniques to
nature. Nature is a part of Tawhid and comes utilizes aspects of Islamic theology,
science, communal cooperation, ecology and many other Islamic activities and skills
for the betterment of the natural realm, inclusive of mankind. The true form of Islamic
303
A rule-deontologist can avoid the problem of possible conflict between basic principles if he
can show there is a single basic non-telelogical principle that with a long and important history is the
divine command theory, also known as theological volunteerism, which holds that the standard of right
and wrong is the will or law of God….if and only if and because it is the command ed or forbidden by
God,….and nothing else….he will ensist that such conduct is right because and only because it is
commanded by God. …many religious thinkers have rejected the Divine Command theory, …e.g., St.
Thomas Aquinas and Ralph Cudworth. William Frankena, Ethics, second edition: Foundations of
Philisophicay Series, (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1973), 28-29.
284
Personality is responsible for their trust to Allah. All those who perceive him perceive
him through Tawhid, which make necessary the understanding, that, if Islam is to calls
itself the “one and only” way to God; it could it could not possibly bear witness or
“ashadu” as in ashadu a le illahi ill Allah, as “Illahi” infers directly that the ‘oneness’
acceptance of Tawhid in the Shihada This implies immediate acceptance that ‘all
truth’ manifest is from God The Qur’an itself note clearly that “this book does not
abrogate any of its previous teachings” and so it becomes clear, that, all spiritual truth
from pre-Mohammmedan prophets are truth from God and therefore a part of Tawhid.
Thus we see the confirmation of primordial Islam among all peoples, inclusive of a
love of Nature. This is done through seeing the signs in Qur’an and in signs of the
In the path of Wilaya we see the concept of Nietzsche’s Der Uber Mench
taking place in the most advance manner possible in spiritualism, inclusive of the
acceptance of Tawhid as proven thus far in this thesis, or to put it to a single term
Tawhidism. The Sufi on the path of Wilaya does not see himself as Der Uber Mench
the “over man” or the first among men, rather he sees himself as the ’last’ the one who
serves, and therefore becomes the first by being last. Through this lifestyle he
becomes the truest version of Der Uber Mench.306 Furthermore, the completeness of
304
The goal of Islamic Science is to know the true nature of things…to demonstrate the unity of the
“laws of nature” as a reflection of the unity of the divine principle….Muslims who submitted to the
divine law which God had promulgated. Osman Bakar, Tawhid and science:Islamic Perspectives on
Religion and Science, second edition, (ArahPublications, Sha Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia,
2008) 69-70.
305
There is not an animal (that lives) on the eart, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of)
communities like you…..Those who reject Our signs are deaf and dumb, --in the midst of darkness
profound…. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary. Surah al-Nur, Saba
Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001),Surah 6:38-39, 160.
306
The prophet (PBBH) says, ‘a single divine inspiration which cuts one off from the world and
bestowes upon one the reflection of the divine attributes, showing one the signes of dvines unity, is
worthy of the experience of both worlds.’ And ‘the one who has not experienced ecstacy and therebye
received the manifestation of divine wisdome and truth, has not lived.’, Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The
Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-
285
Tawhid has become manifest in message of the prophet Muhammad and the books
Divine Revelation as the culmination of the organizing principle created for these
teachings, they bring together of all of the Pre-Islamic prophetic religious views. The
truth of this can be discerned by the Aqil and the Ein al Qalb in examining the
and the Qur’an of creation, thus culminating in the most balance and complete view of
truth. The eliments of knowledge in both the Qur’an Tadwini and the Qur’an Takwini
found in Tawhid itself are a manifested in the imperical realm or cosmos. Therefor
they are a way of examining that which exist; in other words- God is everything, and
everything is connected to God in one way or another. And yet no element may claim
to be God, for God as the perfected form or essence is beyond the concepts conceived
of in the empirical world. He is both the unseen and seen in perfect balance and
harmony.
One of the most unfortunate aspects of the modernization of the world has been that
Muslims have stepped aside and given control over the responsibility to preserve the
balance between mankind and the natural world to the Christians, Buddhist, Hindus
and other peoples of varying beliefs. Rather than leading the fight to care for the world
we have ignored the cry of nature, and on the Day of Judgment we will be judged for
the failing of this sacred trust from Allah. Here we find the most challenging problem
of how to examine and accurately explain the relationship between religion and
energy usage for healing. The way in which the Malay and Germanic tribesmen saw
these energies was both cosmological and spiritual based upon a Casual relationship
286
between the organic realm and empirical world. A world set in order by physics or
natural laws which overlap with the sublime realm or the realm of metaphysics set in
order through a different set of natural laws307. The Qur’an Takwini consists of both,
for both are a part of Nature. One must take into consideration that there are various
differing views on the role played by nature as conceived of by tribal peoples and their
true knowledge began with the start of time, and so from the very beginning of
religious traditions throughout the world the primordial religion of Islam was the
the view we are taking here. And while we agree, that Islamic is the final culmination
of all of these kernels of truth, we do not exclude any kernels of divine truth simply
because of the degeneration of its authentic message from God. Rather we have
sought to separate the negative and or subjective human views of the human
perspective from the more perfected understanding of Tawhid seen from the Sufi
perspective. That is to say that, in using al-shirazies view, we see Pre-Islamic Malays
knowledge and in having something from the divine which drove their traditions to
evolve. Furthermore we see that these kernels of divine wisdom in the two respective
groups were represented primarily in the role of the theurgist and later Thaumaturgist
307
…man is proclaimed the final victor in the long struggle against a hostile naturl environment ,
then conciouslu or otherwise, we will seek to emphasize our right to dominate all natural
things….rather than the idea of mans harmony with it….If however we view the natural world as a
realitythat also possesses a spiritual meaning and significance, then our sence of responcibility
towards nature has to be viewed in broader and more fundamental [foundational] terms….a personal
God who presents himself as the Omniscent, the Omnipotent and all-wise Creator (al-Khaliq), and the
entire universe as His created order (khalq) or as the domain od His creatures, both the physical and
non-physical, the animate as well as inanimate. Osman Bakar, Enviromental Wisdome for Planet Earth:
The Islamic Heritage, ( Center for Civilizational Diologue, University of Malaya, Luala Lumpur, 2007),
55.
287
Emotional intelligence and nature
The best method for examining this relationship is to first examine the ‘creative
spirit’. The primary mode of expression for Malay and Germanic tribes of the
spirit’. These two tribes did not rely upon analytical thinking as their primary mode of
intelligent discourse. Their primary way of expressing knowledge was through the
heart and in the mode of Art, Poetry, Magic, and Ritual. This is seen quite clearly in
the phrase implicit in both cultures prior to their conversion to monotheism “my heat
tells me so”. This phrase in German is “myn seigin megin spraken ich” and in
Malay”Rasa Hati” which means virtually the same thing. In the case of the Malay it
comes in the form of intuitions, exorcisms and healing of the shaman, and signs found
in nature. Another way they expressed this was through their relationship with the
immutable or metaphysical realm see in their close relationship with Nature and the
manner in which they saw aspects of the Divine in Nature in the form of energies and
When we look at these signs in Nature we cannot help but see that Allah is
sending us the message that there are signs in all of nature. Beginning with man as the
microcosm of creation we can see scientific evidence support the idea, that, the world
is an open book of God. This is seen in the scientific fact that man is composed of
every element in the universe. Thus far 83 elements have been found in the human
body, all found by secular scientist with no interest in verifying these views, thus
animals used as symbols in the Qur’an are significant pointers to this relationship.
288
As we have seen above, light is an important metaphor and functions as a
double meaning in Islam, the term Nur makes reference to both light and divine
eminence which can be seen in the Surah of light308309. Identification of God with the
sun and the prophet which is to say that, just as the prophet reflects the divine message
of Allah, so too does the moon reflect the light of the sun. And therefore we see the
Qur’an of creation revealed in the form of symbols, signs, metaphors and analogies.
All of these facts support the idea that the open book of nature is the “Qur’an of
The role of man as a microcosm and the Viceregent of the creation are an
example of the signs and symbolism of each Ayat or “sign” to be found in Qur’an.
This also presents us with the opportunity to examine the Qur’an as the symbolic
significance of nature as reflected through these signs in nature. The written Qur’an is
a great tool in Islamic science into examination of nature, the unseen, the fact that
311
Allah has created all existence in pairs for a reason. As we see in the above
308
God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of his light is as if a niche and within it a
lamp: the lamp enclosed in glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: lit from a blessed tree…. though
fire scarce touch it, light upon light! God doth guide whom he will to his light… Yusuf Ali, Trans., The
Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd
ed. 2001), Surah An-Nur, 24: 35.
309
Allah Most High first created, from the divine light of His own Beauty, the light of Muhammad
(PBBH). He declares this in a divine tradition related by the prophet (PBBH): ‘I have created the soul
of Muhammad from the light of my manifestation (Wajh)…. He sent that light from were it was
created, from the Ultimate Realm (alam al-lahut) – which is the realm of the manifestation of Allah’s
Essence, of unity, of absolute being—to the realm of divine names, the manifestation of divine
attributes, the realm of casual intelligence of the Total Soul. There he dressed the souls in robes of light.
These souls are called sultan-souls. Then he caused them to descend to the world of matter, of water
and fire, earth and ether, and they became human souls. Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets:
The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti.
(S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 5-6.
310
The doctrine of symbolism may e concluded from other verses in which the Qur’an affirms that
every single thing on earth has been sent down in finite measure, sent down as a loan rather than a gift,
for nothing here below can last, and everything must in the end revert to its supreme source….the
Archetype is always the heir who inherits back the symbol I wich it manifest itself. Syyed Hossein
Nasr, Islamic art and spirituality, (Golgonooza press, UK, 1987), 15 from M.Lings, symbol and
archetype: A study of the meaning of Existence, p.1-2.
311
“The Sufi’s basing their idea on data provided by the Qur’an, formulated the doctrine of “the
five presences” (al-hadarat al-ilahiyyat al-kams) to depict the hierarchy of the whole of reality. Osman
Bakar, Tawhid and science:Islamic Perspectives on Religion and Science, second edition,
(ArahPublications, Sha Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, 2008), 22.
289
statements the Qur’an of creation is not the property of any Pre-Monotheistic and is in
reality completely within the realm of the Islamic view of life. It was the degeneration
of tribal animism whose original views resulted in the rise of spirit worship among
almost every single place in the earth. However, with the coming of Islamic science
and the way of Muhammad from which it sprang we find that most of these people
slowly developed their own unique forms of monotheism. Let me start by saying, that
before examining what Islamic science is, we should say that, Tasawuff or Sufism “Is”
physical, mental and metaphysical means beginning from the divine essence, traveling
through the heart to the brain and manifesting in the actions of speech of the body and
its other actions as a direct result of the polishing of the heart 312313. The road of Wilaya
way of developing the equilibrium of mind, body and spirit (anima, corpus, spiritus).
This way of viewing Nature and the Divine was through the Qur’an al Takwini and
the Signs of Allah in Nature, was forever altered for the Malay when the use Aql was
introducted in an entirely different way. The introduction of Logic through Islam and
Sufi mystics in Malaysia brought about a cultural and linguistic revolution. The
challenge of developing both sides of the brain, as an extension of the heart was
312
...But as a theater wherein are reflected aspects of the divine qualities, as a myriad of mirrors
reflecting the face of the Beloved, as the Theophany of reality which resides at the center of the being
of man himself. To see the Cosmos as Theophany is to see the reflection of one-self in the Cosmos and
its forms. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Gifford Lectures: Knowledge and the Sacred. (Crossroad
publishing, New York, 1981), 191.
313
The Islamic tradition, the sense of objectivity, understood as referring to the qualities of
impartiality, disinterestedness, and justice in the domain of knowledge, is inseparable from the religious
consciousness of Tawhid. Osman Bakar, Tawhid and science: Islamic Perspectives on Religion and
Science, second edition, (ArahPublications, Sha Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, 2008), 9.
290
Sufism314.
314
Man is created with a fitrah (good nature). Virtue is innate to him. However, he is susceptible to
evil stimuli. This evil influence could be external such as, shaytan or human being, while the internal
influence is referred to as the psyche or nafs, inner dimension of man. The emotional and the
psychological impulses of man are not inherently evil, but are readily susceptible to evil influences.
Temperament, desires, egocentricity and personality traits require urgent identification and address.
This is the fulcrum towards shaping positive attitudes and attributes. (Emotional intelligence) They
need to be controlled and directed to the right path by following the prescribed teachings of the Divine
laws. Emotions and desires occupy a vital part of human soul and both emotion and psychological
dimension of man have positive and negative impacts on man behaviors. If a man’s emotions are well
managed and oriented to a higher spiritual objective, then his psychological nature is disciplined. -
Psycho-spiritual Dynamic - The self has a dual nature, i. e., the soul and the body. It is described as
animal soul (al-nafs al-Ωayaw®niyyah) on the one hand, and as rational soul (al-nafs al-nafliqah) on
the other. The soul attached to the body is of a nobler and higher nature than the body, since it is of
divine and incorporeal origin, while the body is corporeal. From the body originates the blameworthy
qualities in man; and the qualities of animal soul which, in spite of their being beneficial to man in
some respects, are in conflict with the rational soul. The attachment of blameworthiness to the animal
soul should not be confused with the idea of the denigration of the human body which is against Islamic
teachings.The rational soul, not only derives knowledge from the senses, but also from its own essence,
i.e. reason (‘aql), which is more accurate than that of the senses, for the soul is itself capable of
rectifying many of the errors of the senses prior to arriving at any sound judgment. Thus, the rational
soul induces ethical behavior in man which involves the recognition of the vices and virtues; as such it
must also be considered as the seat of true submission….. Dr. Fatima Abdulah, Unpublished
Manuscript, 6..
291
Seeing the Signs of Allah in the Natural realm with ‘Ain al-Qalb’
The tribal Malay, with the exception of not having a complete understanding of both
the Malay via such scholars of Islam as Hamzah Fansuri, al-Raini and others. Due
partly to this position and view of nature was lacking the proper intellectual
However with the arrival of Sufism we see Sufism and in particular Islamic Mysticism
gaining ground in the conversion of Pre-Islamic Malays of the 1400-1500s. It was the
respect for nature as the Qur’an of creation, their understanding of metaphysics, and
the patience which Sufis displayed that made them a magnet to the Pre-Islamic
Malays315. Furthermore, the Sufis offered the last remaining element to Malay
cosmology which was lacking “the intellect”. While Malays had an oral teaching
system that carried their tribal tales down through the centuries, the form of hierarchy
created in the triangular reasoning of the Sufis (Intellect [Aql] Heart [Qalb] and Spirit
[Nafs & Ruh) gave them the ideal tool for assisting their Malay brothers to elevate
their existing cosmological reasoning to a new level. Having already gained a foothold
in Ache Indonesia and Malacca, the Sufi mystics and scholars such as Hamzah
spirituality through the above hierarchy and its relationship to Allah as the divine
essence and lord of all worlds. By using ideas like man as the microcosm, the Organic
Unity of the natural realms, the sublime realm of the jinn and that angelic realm, they
315
and it is the same with for the viceregents [ViceregentViceregents] from among men. their height
though being vice-regent [ViceregentViceregent] is not an essential height. had it been otherwise it
would have been for all men and as this is not generally we have known that in this height the height.
…but sine their height is not generalized for every person it is known to us that the height of the
viceregent [ViceregentViceregent] is specifically for this position, that is, for their degree, and that
degree is the degree of viceregent [ViceregentViceregent] which ….necessarily-so-ness of reality and
particularized at that degree is manifest with the image of God, together with the image of the universe.
Shams Inati, Ibn Sina and Mysticism, Remarks and Admonitions: Part Four, (Kegan Paul International,
NY, New York, 1996), 335-336.
292
were able to amaze and give awe to the stories they told of Sufi saints and greatly
interest Malays in this wonderful new way of magic, which was in reality a fist look at
believes in a personal and all powerful God. This is stated in the five pillars of Islam
in which Tawhid stands as a foundational aspect. Tawhidism is, therefore the concept
that every religion in the world had a prophet sent to them at one time or another
hence the truth of those prophets is still true. While it is still true that Islam is the final
culmination of every religious belief in history, the completion of religion can be seen
Tawhid manifest in message of the prophet Muhammad and the books revelation as
the culmination of the organizing principle created for the teachings which brings
together of all of the Pre-Islamic religions317. Except that the truth of these can be
discerned b y the human mind and the Ein-al-Qalb in examining the messages of Pre-
Islamic prophets as well as examination in the books of revelation and the Qur’an of
creation. The mystical path of Tawhidism is the act of becoming a Mystic of Islamic
medicine and a sage of the mystical path of Wilaya, which is one who heals the spirit
mind and body, most accurately portrayed by the Khalwah and Wali. Through this
healing he functions within society helping all of those who need his help. Through
316
Do they not reflect in their own minds? ….did God creates the heavens and the earth, and all
between them [the angelic and sublime worlds?]: ….praise be to God, who created (out of nothing) the
heavens and the earth, who made the angels…he adds to creation as he pleases. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The
Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd
ed. 2001), Surah. 30:20 and 35:1.
317
Islamic intellectual authorities….were fully aware of….the subject of knowledge…the sciences
[were] derived not only from Qur’an and Hadith, but also developed by Islamic scientist and….earlier
civilizations such as those of the Greeks, Persians, and Indians. Osman Bakar, Classification of
knowledge in Islam, (International Institute of Thought and Civilization, (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, 2006),
xii.
293
practicing the healing of Khalwah and reflecting the polished heart after it is cleansed,
his heart reflects the immaculateness of God through his actions, thoughts and
emotions to say that such a person is non-Islamic or to say that such a person has gone
astray from Islam, is an oxymoron statement. What proves this fact is that, if one is to
deny that one who is on this path and is performing these deeds errors in his the
performance of such kindnesses is an error in and of its self. The truth of this is
manifest through the truth; which by manifesting the truth of Tawhid and the oneness
of God and implementing them into the empirical world through mind, body and
Muhammad than one who adheres to the exoteric particulars alone. This is
exemplified by the fact that he goes beyond the fard or regulatory actions of the
exoteric orthodox or in most cases exstreemist Muslims. The misguidance of this can
be seen in the Trinitarian outlook of such groups who ‘literally’ see Allah as existing
imperially ‘above the throne’ which is impossible due the fact that Allah is
immaculate and beyond time and space, therefore both empirical in his manifestation
of the cosmos and subtle or un-manifest in his essence. His actions therefore illustrate
the fullness of implementing the most complete example of action, knowledge, and
spiritual behavior in motion in the empirical and metaphysical realm. This is in stark
dichotomy to the exstreemist who may be performing required actions in full or in part
the same level of heartfelt devotion, which the Khalwah illustrates above; this is
eximplified the statment by Ibn Arabi on ‘True Knowledge’ seen in the above
thesis.318 The fact that there may be some among the Khalwah who accept the signs,
318
No one – this I can promise-who attends these lectures, be he Christian or Jew, Hindu or
Mohammedan, shall hear his own way of serving God spoken of irreverently. But true reverence does
not consist in declaring a subject, because it is clear to us, to be free of unfit for free and honest inquiry;
far from it! True reverence is show in treating every subject, however sacred, however dear to us, with
294
divine symbolism, creatures and or foliage of the natural realm as important or
significant in that they are from God, does not cause deviation from Islam. The
Khalwah does in fact take these signs as signs of the one and only God and that these
actions, symbols, creatures ect, are only some of the varied ways in which God
animal and plant kingdom within the animal realm. This stands in stark dichotomy to
themselves but is simply an incomplete understanding which was appropriate for its
place and time in tribal society. When we examine all of the indigenous beliefs
throughout world history, what we find is that, a culmination of these signs symbol
ideas perceptions of the natural realm, with the coming of the various differing Islamic
sciences which have been applied with a better understanding of Nature; that the naive
tribal peoples, gained a more complete definition of Tawhid which becomes evident in
their respective communities after the arrival of Sufism. Again while orthodox
Muslims are capable of and often do apply the teachings of the books of divine
revelation in understanding nature, law, medicine and other areas before mentioned,
this is done also in an incomplete manner. Going beyond one or the other the
Khalwah goes beyond the duality of these two and establishes equilibrium in his way
perfect confidence; without fear and without favor, with tenderness and love, by all mean, but, before
all, with an unflinching and uncompromising loyalty to truth. we know that in alchemy there lay the
seed of chemistry, and that astrology was more or less a yearning and groping after the true science of
astronomy….The very title of the Science of Religion jars on the ears of many persons, and a
comparison of all the religions of the world, in which none can claim a privileged position, must seem
to many irreprehensible in itself, ….I would not and could not allow myself to surrender either to what
I hold to be the truth, or what I hold still dearer than the truth, the right test of truth. Nor do I regret
it….the science of religion…doesn’t not entail the loss of anything that is essential to true religion….
Jon R. Stone (edt.), The essential Max Muller: on language, mythology, and religion, New York:
Palgrave MacMillan, 2002), 110-111.
295
of life through embracing and using both within the context of Tawhid and the
God’s perfection through polishing his heart or cleansing it and reflection the
equilibrium that allows him to go beyond shallow sectarianism and to ascend to the
station of one who walks the path of Wilaya. This is all done under the understanding
that at the same time, his heart is continually growing and being polished from station
Islamic prophets is that if at least one Khalwah in each nation examines the writings
“attributed” to each and every one of these prophets in order to ascertain which
aspects of these surviving traditions were in fact the products of the prophets to those
particular peoples or not, then the truth of Pre-Islamic Prophethood will become self
evident.
The modern world does not acknowledge the sacredness of nature. Although it
sees the laws of nature in the form of scientific findings, they fail to see that there is
order and harmony in nature, because of this many conservative Monotheist have
eliminated from their lives the spiritual and metaphysical significance of nature itself.
small problem319320.
319
Mazoor insist on the centrality of the sacred view of nature in Islam. He distinguishes between
sacrilization and divinization and asserts that, whereas Islam supports the de-divinization of nature,
only God being divine as such, it certainly opposes the desacrilization. In the Islamic world, then, while
the environment continues to deteriorate and not enough attention is paid by religious authorities to the
subject….some have sought to revive the traditional Islamic cosmologies and understanding of the
order of nature. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Religion and the Order of Nature. (Oxford University press,
1996), 215.
320
296
environment around us which is deeply profound in its ability to balance the psyche,
body, and spiritual calm which is so desperately needed to improve human life. In a
worst case scenario, failure to do so may result in ecological damage and disruption,
destroying the mother that gave birth to us all, Tera matter. Typically these Islamic
Mystics or Wali (Hakim - Wise men) make use of the traditional modes of Malay
healing and apply Islamic methods in line with the use of the 4 elements, the hierarchy
of Nature in the Sufi sense, and various other tools for the expulsion of wayward
spirits and heal the sick etc. However before those Khalwah and Wali became men
who could assist their community it was necessary for them to build a firm foundation
in Islamic personality. Let us briefly examine the foundational aspects of the ritual
In this dissertation we have set forth all of these truths, substantiated them and made
mediumship.
• The Malay Bomo sorcerer was a distinctly separate figure, whom Prof.
thaumaturgist.
• That the Malay form of emotional intelligence is difficult for the western
emotional intelligence in both their healing arts and mysticism has led to a
297
greater love for nature as a part of Tawhid, which has intern assisted them
culture which were Islamic and those which were Pre-Monotheistic, and in
doing so have made clear that the Malay form of spirituality cannot
art.
• Finnal, and most importantly that the sum total of all of the above proven
labels sense projected upon the Malay Wali by Dr. Winstedt are false, and
While Prof. Winsted’s books are filled with long explanations of detailed
observations in reference to the Malay theurgist, he does not recognize their rise to
have developed over the centuries, each taking on aspects of the other via diffusion
and adaptation, thus binding the two together via a common love of nature in Malaya;
this one of the most prevalent aspects of Malay culture.321. It was the peaceful form of
Da’wah brought to the Malay by Sufis that became the key to this overwhelmingly
proficient form of conversion, a form of conversion that changed Malay culture and
language forever. Conversion of the Malay gave birth to a well balanced form of
321
Islam being brought to the Malay by Indian converts from Hinduism came moulded in a shape not
utterly foreign to his past, for the first time he became the servant of the one God, in who’s name one
might banish spirits of evil,…. Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt. The Malay Magician, Shaman,
Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford University press, 1969), 81.
298
Islamic monotheism. A form of rarely exist in the world today on that maintains a
Tawhid is the most important aspect of the five pillars of Islam. When we say
illahi il Allah, ana ashadu a Muhammad a Rasullulah”. This phrase is quite clear in
its affirmation that ‘Illahi’ is the one and only ‘Lord of Tawhid’ he is in fact ‘Tawhid’,
which is a part of the prayer and the use of Surah al fatihah as a part of the daily
prayers of “all” Muslims worldwide. Therefore the acceptance of Tawhid as the most
and its relationship to Hati, Semangat and the Malay culture, both in its animist and
Islamic stages of usage. Tawhid means God is one, and while many Pre-Islamic
peoples have named him in their own tongue, this has unfortunately, in some cases,
developed into anthropomorphism. Furthermore, it has often taken away from the
meaning referring to the same deity; they refer to the one almighty and Omni- present
God Allah. However each culture has chosen to speak his name in a different
language.
The most divinely inspired ideas, sent down to men from heaven are all the
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And this is not like this except particularly for that which is named Allah. But really this essential
height and absolute perfection and completion is not established except particularly for that which is
called Allah which is the divine Ipseity, one and eternal forever, which is manifested by the real perfect
and complete man. Thus, the Ipseity of God, which is particularized by the first particularization, is
named by the name Allah, and for the Ipseity of God that Name is the Biggest Name (ismi-a’zam)
which denotes and guides to the singularity of Ipseity of the completion of the totality of totalities.
Ismail bursevi’s translation of an commentary on fusus al-hikam, muhyiddin ib ‘arabi, (Oxford :
Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society, 1987), 360.
323
The attraction of Renaissance man for the quest of origins and the “primordial Tradition” that
caused Ficino to put aside the traslation of plato for the Corpus Hermeticum, which was then
considered as more ancient and primordial, an attraction which also became part of the world view and
zeitgiest of the ninteenth century, has caused much confusion in the question of the meaning of
“primordial tradition” in its relation to various religions. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Gifford Lectures:
Knowledge and the Sacred. (Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 69.
299
same seed or root which can be seen in all religions from the tribal to the monotheistic
state religions such as Catholicism. In Germanic tribal belief the roots of Irminsul
flow through the world and into heaven perhaps as a metaphor for this dissemination
of Gods many messages and many names. It is not unlike the Greco-Roman traditional
cosmological viewpoint which affects both the Germanic language and the culture
profoundly. This can also be seen as the tree of life that is used in the celebration of
Yul. This is a good example of the manner in which the original idea of Organic unity
in nature or ’Nature’ as the ‘ Qur’an of creation’ has been misapplied and distorted
Religions are political and social institutions that are in their exterior
orientation cultural constructs. The creation of religions as a political and social unit
of solidarity is an act of man. Spirituality however is the creation of God, thus Islamic
din is beyond this sort of confusion primarily due its completeness in both its internal
and exterior aspects. This can be seen clearly in the fact that the ‘oneness’ of God is
the link between all forms of spirituality, and yet only in Islam are the defining lines
lifestyle kept in their proper designated roles. That is, to say that, all religions are not
the same in totality is true; however to say that they are not related in any way is not
organic unity of science and spiritual knowledge. An example which explains via
illustraition how this works is that of the ancient Germanic tribal temples and how
they build their temples. Instead of building the walls of the temple with raters and
butresses of stones, the beams and sometimes walls are actually trees. The trees
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themselves were utilized as the architectural materials imbedded in the temple. Their
deep connection to nature has caused them to view the temple not merely a self-
contained building, but rather as a temple-grove. Ground forms, fauna and stones were
as important as door frames, walls and the structures themselves. Examples of such
trees or poles are those still standing beside the temple at Uppsala and that ancient
pillar of the Germans called Irminsul. These are actual objects round which ritual
revolved and in the case of the former was regarded as the world tree or Tree of
Life.”324
The information written here is the most truthful and academically sound information
that can be presented based upon our research in refrence to the phenomena of the
Khalwah, Wali, and our disagreement with Prof. Winstedts labeling them as pantheist
and magicians.. Therefore I leave you to judge whether these men should be ridiculed
by the extremist in our midst or given the proper respect for all that they have done on
behalf of God and the Malay people. That however was the intention of this thesis, to
give a fair and illustrative look into the truths and falsehoods which surround the
Malay Khalwah and Wali and make clear the aspects of their archetype which have
examine the facts in their completeness without sacrificing the Islamic science
approach of leaving God in the equation. Therefore the answer to the statement that
324
While for Germans there is the old runic script, developed from Greek, which in the first
centuries A.D. passed from Helenized Gothic provinces northwest of the Baltic sea….There is a figure,
furthermore, Othin(Woden, Wotan), self-crucified on the World Ash as an offering to himself, to gain
the occult wisdom of those runes, which is clearly a Hellenistic motif….the guardian of the tree—the
World Tree, the philosophical tree, the tree of the Garden, the tree of Christ’s cross, the bo-tree of
Buddahood—and the wounded Fisher King….from the great above to the great below is equally the the
axis mundi… Campbell, Joseph, The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology. (New York, Viking, 1959),
503.
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Dr. Winstedt made in his ‘Malay magic’ which we took issue with and which we have
following conclusion.
Thus far we have shown clearly that the process of development in Malay mysticism
was an example of a Pre-Islamic mystical evolution among a people who had a partial
insight into the Doctrine of Unity. This understanding was in all likelihood both the
result of their environment and in the teachings of a Pre-Islamic prophet Khidr later
referred to in a deified manner as Batara Guru and Theurgist and exorcist325. This
prophetic teachings. However the most important difference Between Bomo Sorcerers
and Islamic Mystics was that the Sufi wise man who worked for the welfare and
325
Then man is born in the Logis which is in fact the prototype of man and another face of that
same reality which call the Universal Man and which each Tradition identifies with its founder.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Gifford Lectures: Knowledge and the Sacred. (Crossroad publishing, New
York, 1981), 170.
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.... the knower is uninterested in studying others or collecting information about them. Again, this is
either because his concern with the Truth leaves no room for concern with other things or because his
grasp of the Truth already gives knowledge of other things. …The knower is generous because his love
is directed only toward the Truth. This means that he can give away everything else, including money,
with not expectation of anything in return. He is also forgiving of any bad deeds against him because no
such deeds can ever hurt him. This is because his soul, which is him his body being just a bundle of
external attachments – is superior to evil things, and the superior cannot be harmed by the inferior.
Shams Inati, Ibn Sina and Mysticism, Remarks and Admonitions: Part Four, (Kegan Paul International,
NY, New York, 1996), 90.
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“The parish magician [Wizard] must be long headed [intelligent], suave [having Adab],
industrious and truthful, and must not have intrigues with woman. If a person is sick he must attend
immediately….It led him often to try to immolate the living Muslim saint, to whom folk resort to for
advice…or to remove blight on crops or confound enemies. Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt, M.A., D.Litt.
The Malay Magician, Shaman, Siva and Sufi: A Study of the Evolution of Malay Magic, (Oxford
University press, 1969), 72.
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community, it was the Khalwah not the Sorcerer. The Khalwah was under strict
regulations of the Wali his sheik. He sees himself as non-existent except in the
oneness of Allah to which all belong, come from and return to upon death. He saw his
role in the Malay community as a servant and enlightener of the common folk as a
way of immolating the role of the prophet Muhammad the ‘Ideal man’328. Through this
he was able to climb the mountain of Qaf after the path of Wilaya and find the levels
of Kashf, which would enable him to attain gnosis. Once returned to sobriety he could
again do great good for the world in miraculous ways. It is not this world and the
riches and joys of the Nafs, which interest him, but the Akhira or the next life with
Allah which he strives for. The enormous responsibility and effort necessary to
become a true Viceregent of creation is the goal of the Wali. For becoming a
requires going far beyond the stages we have examined and undergoing the Sufi’s
ascension of states. Although the Khalwah was a student of the imams, sheiks, and
Wali; he was not a complete Viceregent of creation. We too cannot in our everyday
lives, with the Nafs and egos attain the complete level of Viceregent of creation. The
truth of the matter is that to attain such a position is the goal of gnosis itself, to go far
beyond the attachments of the ‘myn’ and the ‘ours’ and embrace the reality of the
‘oneness’ of Tawhid, through which all is a part of God and all belongs to him. What
you find in this dissertation is for the most part speaking to the partial Viceregentship
which is usually discussed in Islamic circles. However we will now discuss the
meaning of the complete and whole Viceregent of creation, he who is the vice-regent
of Allah ta’ala.
328
The hadith qudsi, “verily my saints are under my domes, and only I know them,” is often cited
to support this idea. The saints are governors of the universe…. Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical
Dimensions of Islam, (University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975), 203
303
Islamic science and the Viceregent of creation
This study has in many ways been a hierarchical examination into many areas
of Islamic Science, aspects which are independent yet overlapping areas of influence.
In fact in traditional Islamic Science there have always been just as many, if not more
as there are in Modern western Science. Necessarly, our study has remained fixed
upon those areas of Islamic science which are primarily related to Metaphysics and its
relationship to the Natural realm, specifically Natural science and especially the
seventh miner science of Qubt al-din al-shirazi’s Natural sciences. This thesis is not
Islamic sciences, but to utilize the above miner science along with a general
understanding of Islamic science to shed light upon the questions answered in this
thesis. Islamic science is the development of an open minded and spiritual form of
scientific examination into the universe and its relationship to Allah via the creation of
man as the microcosm and Viceregent of creation. Allah’s divine intellect is reflected
upon the microcosm or human form of existence as well as every living thing in the
universe by the will of Allah. The gateway to the human soul is the heart. There are
many differing areas of Islamic Science, This hierarchy of existence was formulated
and examined by Sufis who are Islamic scientist and yet is not fully understood by the
mere analytical examination into the stations of empirical objects, creatures or things,
all of the before mention are to be examined in the light of Nature and to be know also
through the Ain- al-Qalb, or the “eye of the heart”. The linear connection between
Allah and man is the central focus in this examination due to the necessity of that
manifestation of the cosmological world through divine revelation and the Qur’an of
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creation or the world of nature. All of this is accomplished by the Sufi in an entirely
Islamic manner and in accordance with the Sharia which is the guidance in the
organizational principle and in the proper manifestation of Adab and Islamic lifestyle.
However this is not an organization or lifestyle which rejects or expels inquiry and
mastery of the subtle world for the just and noble purposes of the Islamic mystic. 329330
We must remember that the word Sharia never appears in the Qur’an Al-Tadwini, the
word Shar does; however the compilation and development of the organic and
authentic Shar’ia came about long after the death of Mohammad. The immolation of
his example is claimed by both theologians and mystics and is an ongoing spiritual
discourse. The indigenous anthropomorphic view of nature among the Malay has
endured over a thousand years in its original state, with only minor interruptions by
Hinduism until the arrival of Islam. The Islamic form of mysticism has influenced the
popular form of mysticism in the form of symbolic rituals, Islamic terminology and
practices, which have been adopted by the Tok-imam formerly Dokun, the local
Theurgists who view themselves as both Muslim and shaman, this is however an
concepts in gnosis, Wilaya, Khalwah and Zikr (Dthikr) as the foundational elements of
Islamic thaumaturgy became the tools by which the Malay Khalwah was able to make
329
...Al-Batin --- ... the Hidden ---...For things are manifest or Hidden only in relation to modes of
perception. Now God -- may he be praisedand exhalted --- is hidden when He is sought by sensory
perception or using the resources of imagination, yet manifest when sought by way of inferance using
the resources of reason....were it concievable that God --- the most high and holy One --- cease to exist
or to be hidden from some things, heaven and earth would collapsealong with everything cut off from
His light, and the contrast between the two states would be percieved, and His existence would
certainly be become known! AL—GHAZALI: The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of God: Al-maqsad al-
asna fi sharh asma’ Allah al-husna, transl. David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, ( The Islamic Text
Society, India, 1992), 134-136.
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“methodology of knowledge (al ilm) in its most c comprehensive sense- one cannot be confronted
by the hierarchic nature and reality of the subjective and objective poles of knowledge…. hierarchy in
both the microcosmic and macrocosmic orders of reality represent many manifestations of the divine
principle….sciences, al Farabi would say, [are] rooted in the nature of things…alchemy and
interpretation of dreams, were excluded from his enumeration (although he wrote treatises on them),
…, treated… as one of al Farabi’s important works… Osman Bakar, Classification of knowledge in
Islam, (International Institute of Thought and Civilization, (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, 2006), xii, 43.
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the transition from a shamanic form of soul searching to the Islamic form of
the world of the earth and the unseen world of the sublime or the world of the Jinn, we
will also discuss aspects of the role of Angels in relationship to their study. There are
several very important aspects to the role of the Islamic mystic. The examination of
the works of the angels and jinn are also an important aspect of man’s job as
Viceregent of the empirical world, because of this man must understand the goings on
of angels and jinn, their position and the purpose they serve in their obedience or
disobedience to Allah. For example, we know that jinn were used to build the prophet
Solomon’s palace and that through the study of Islamic scientist we know that they
world on a sub-atomic and molecular level constructing and reconstructing the objects
of the empirical world. Because jinn work in a different dimension or world created
for them by Allah and because they are passionate creatures, they move in ways that
man cannot see, and sometimes abuse these abilities, as in the case of the strongest
jinn who masquerade as false Gods. Because man is the Viceregent of this world, it is
his responsibility to confront and control these jinn by the power of Allah when they
go astray and disturb the rest of the creation, thus we seen the need and responsibility
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medicine and Islamic spiritual healing or the repulsing of evil found in the subtle
realm are inseparable due to the organization of creation and the manner in which the
It is obvious from the above definition, which the creation of Nature is a very
giving him several areas of test to assist him in this journey to Isan. Those areas are:
Nature or the Natural realm is a trust to mankind This trust is a sacred truth
between Allah the creator and man as a Muslim. This trust was offered to the other
trust of Nature and the whole of the natural realm must be taken very seriously by
The signs of Allah are to be seen in the names of Allah, and al-Qur’an, but
also in nature the ‘Qur’an of creation’, this is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an in
numerous Surahs.
Allah in Qur’an. “do they see our sings and not contemplate them?”
contains many Ummahs of kingdoms, the various animal kingdoms, veritable or flora
kingdom, and that of the subtle world. The subtle world and the physical world make
up what we call the natural realm. The world of nature is dominated by the subtle
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world and as thus cannot be ignored in being a Viceregent of creation. The Viceregent
is responsible not only for safe keeping of nature but all elements within nature which
he can affect positively in the way of Islam. Many helpful gifts from Allah are given
to use via the creation of the cosmos including the natural realm, and by extension
through manifestation of the divine creative principle “Herbs” for healing, minerals
for heat in the winter such as coal and oil, cotton and other fibers for making clothing.
In fact every singly physical need man has can be met by the creation Allah has made
for us. Again this trust given man is not a trust to be taken lightly. If we destroy this
• Wars
• Nuclear devises
• Waste
• Pollution
If we do these things we are not keeping the trust entrusted to use by Allah. We
are “Viceregent” “Rulers” of this world, and a ruler is not just a king. In the Islamic
sense of Ruler or Viceregent, there are responsibilities to those you are ruling over.
These include both responsibilities to protect and teach them, but also responsibility to
be answerable for your actions. Answerable to both those we rule over (E.G. the
animal kingdom) but more importantly responsible to the one whom entrusted us
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Allah’tallah.
I have chosen two examples for my illustration of how this trust works in this
balanced form of living. Based upon the tenants of Islam we must live as the prophet
did, preserving the natural environment, protecting it, caring for it and developing the
from the Islamic science viewpoint was that of the spiritual world. By spiritual we
mean the unseen realm of Allah, angels, and jinn. These two topics as case studies in
the examination of the Natural realm and the unseen or subtle real as a part of the
natural realm will yield information on the ways in which man interacts with the
natural realm in the form of thaumaturgy in the esoteric and as Viceregent in the
exoteric form. The two fold manner in which man interacts with the cosmos is a
equilibrium which when performed by the Wali on a higher level is an attribute of his
level without the adequate mono-theist foundation for ascending to the station of one
who is closest to God; and yet can be compared with the Wali as the final form of man
The View of Naturalist worldwide trying to save the ecology is a beautiful and in
many cases has said all that needs to be said333, except one thing. That is that ‘Allah’ is
333
We live in two interpenetrating worlds. The first is the living world, which has been forged in an
….crucible of a period of four billion years. The second is a world of roads and cities, farms and
artifacts that people have been designing for them selves over the last few millenniums. The condition
that threatens both worlds – unsustainability – results from a lack of integration between them. Now
imagine the natural world and the humanly designed world bound together in intersecting layers, the
warp and woof that make up the fabric of our lives….we need to acquire the skills to effectively
interweave human and natural design. The design mess we have made of our neighborhoods, cities, and
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the ultimate creator, planner and architect, it is he who created the world of Nature.
Reguarless of the fact that the above quotation was written by a modern planer; a
person believes in evolution, which as Muslims we do not, Much can be learned and
should be used by Muslim. For example, as Muslims, it is our duty to implement all of
the improvements listed above as stated the Holy Qur’an. In addition it is our duty to
be involved in such projects even if we are not leading them. An important part of
Islamic personality is being a light to the people of the world and following the
Muhammad was respectful of the world of nature in reference to the earth (rocks,
earth, pebbles, sticks, ect.); the Botanical world (trees, shrubs, plants, grass), and the
animal kingdom (bees, spider, deer, wolves, all God’s creatures), in fact he is the best
example of a man who was kind and responsible in his dealings with all Allah’s
creation334. This is the example we are given, however do we follow this example?
No, not usually. When done correctly in immolation of the perfect man, man becomes
the Microcosmic aspect of God as the Macrocosm and reflects his goodness in all
his observations of the Malay theurgist actions, and in public ritual, was indeed
eco systems owes much to the lack of coherent philosophy ….until our everyday activities preserve
ecologic al integrity by design, their cumulative impact will continue to be devastating….we need to
consciously cultivate an ecologically sound form of design that is consonant with the long-term survival
of all species. We define ecological design, as any form of design that minimizes environmentally
destructive impacts by integrating itself with living processes. This integration implies that the design
respects species diversity, minimizes resource depletion, preserves nutrient and water cycles, maintains
habitat quality, and attends to all the other pre-conditions of human and eco health….ecological design
provides a coherent framework for re-designing our landscapes, buildings, cities, and systems of
energy, water, food, manufacturing, and waste. Ecological design is simply the effective adaptation to
and the integration with natures processes. Van der Ryn, Sim and Stuart Cowan., Ecological Design,
(Washington, DC: Island Press, 1996), 17-20.
334
The idea of the unicity of nature is derived from the application of the principle of al-tawhid
contained in the first Shahadah , La ilaha illa ‘La to the domain of nature. The idea is understood to
mean the interrelatedness of all things that exist in the natural world. Osman Bakar, Environmental
Wisdom for the Planet Earth: The Islamic Heritage, (Center for Civilizational Dialogue: University of
Malaya, 2007), 27.
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interesting. However his understanding of the subject is lacking in several extremely
important areas. Therefore I saw the opportunity to explain those flaws through the
Malay mystics and healers in their role thaumaturgist. This resulted in the separation
and correct categorization of what is now known through this dissertation to have
been four primary forms of both theurgies in the Pre-Islamic fashion and thaumaturgy
in the Islamic sense. The two specialist examined in the Pre-Islamic time leading up to
our focal time period, the fifteen century, were indeed proven to have been affected by
Indo-European and Indo-Aryan forms of polytheism. This was seen to have been
layered upon the Neolithic fertility worship which we take to have been a
degeneration was so dramatic and remote in antiquity that the form of worship by the
arrival of the Aryans was degenerated into a form of panentheism which is quite
difficult to discern from pantheism, but which is not pantheism. The next stage we
prophet Khidr in another form, by the Tantric practitioner of India335336337. From the
335
at any rate we are now confronted with clear evidence of the formation in northern India of a new
type of culture organically combining Traditions of the local bronze age civilization and new features
clearly connected with…the culture of the first Aryan princedoms….there are indeed links between the
culture of eastern Kazakhstan Taklamakhanians] remains and …the timber-grave culture of eastern
Europe….in the second millennium B.C …thus in the Indus valley the immense capitals of Harrapan
culture, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, …life declined in …centers of habitation….Alone with the
decline…there was a transformation of culture rather than a break… V.M. Masson and A.H. Dani (edt),
History of civilizations of central Asia, (paris: Unesco, 1992), 337.
336
[the Wali] In his spiritual being, hidden behind his appearance, each person is different. Therefore
special private laws spply to him....Rising from level to level he may reach the stage of the spiritual
path, passing into the realm of wisdom, 'There is a very high state. The prophet [pbbh] prases this state,
saying, ' There is a state in which all and everything is gathered - and it is the divine wisdom.'....To
reach that level, one first has to abadone false appearances and the hypocracy of doing things so that
others might see or hear. Then one must set for ones self three goals. These three goals are actually
three paradises. The first is called Ma 'wa - the paradice of security of home. That is the earthly
paradice. The second is called Na' im - the garden of the delight of Allahs grace upon his creatures,
which is the paradice within the angelic realm. The third is Firdaws - the heavenly paradise. That is the
paradise in the realm of the unity of the cusual mind, home of souls, of the divine names and attributes.
Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted
by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S.Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), 10-14.
337
…in Cambodia it was the temple-mountain, emplacement of the lingam[axis mundi] of the royal
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Aryan/Harrapan Indian systems in cosmology and mysticism came the cult of the tree
of life among the Indians which constituted the combining of one prophetic tradition
of Khidr with one non-prophetic of the fertility cults of northern Indian indigenous
religion as epitomized by the Harrapan yogic Theurgy. In addition we saw how these
remnants of the thaumaturgy of the prophet Khidr were the bases for the thaumaturgy
of the Aryans who once again came to Malaya in the form of the Persians. Persians
are of course speakers of an Indo-European language and inheritors of the same pre-
peoples. Next we move after having illustrated that the similarities between these
teaching which existed among the Germanic tribes also referred to as the Irmani or
Irminoni were extremely similar to those of the Malay, and that this is in all likelihood
the result of 5 waves of Aryan influence upon Malay spirituality. Finally we arrived at
the focus of our examination the Malay Khalwah and Wali as the final version of the
Malay thaumaturgist in its highest states, to find that the Khalwah was the student of
the Wali and than many legends had been attached to the Wali; Legends, which, in no
way take away from his role as the ‘Viceregent of creation’ or authentic friend of God.
In having explained all of these facts we have proven that Prof. Winstedt’s findings in
reference to the so called Malay “Magician” was only partially correct and that he
made many rash generalizations, based upon his own colonialist mentality,
generalizations which were based on information that was incomplete and in some
cases incorrect. However we concede that he was in life an extraordinary scholar and
a dedicated academic of his time. However this was a time in which analytical
God…the Khmer temple mound which now equates to the Chinese [Taklamakhanian] mound of the
Chinese God of the mound… Eight Khmer inscriptions refer to Siva… [as Girisa] the mountain lord.
This term for Siva…united with that deity…majumdar list forty six names for Siva, ..it is a Cham
inscription of A.D. 658, not a Khmer one, that records the fu-nan legend. From this we can infer that
the …origin of the first fu-nan dynasty was considered Chams to be something …of the Cham and
medieval Indo-Javanese cults actuated by a very differently constituted local genius. H.G. Quaritch
Wales, Prehistory and religion in south East Asia, (Bernard Quaritch, LTD., London, 1957), 125-130.
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colonial attitudes towards tribal and Islamic peoples respectively were quite close
minded by comparison with the modern academic way of assessing the data. Nor did
he have the advantage of examining the material he compiled in the light of Islamic
have found, as I have that; the Malay as a population in general consists of a tendency
to think as groupers in the typical fashion of right brain thinkers. That is to say that
they have a tendency to the creative. He does indeed mention very briefly that the
Malay have never been more talented in any other area than poetry. However the use
of poetry is not the only form of mystical learning, and the in depth governing
dynamics of the Malay cultural form of mysticism lies in this area, the area of
symbolism. In the form of legends, songs, communal festivals, and many other areas
which appeal directly to the right hemisphere of the human brain and is most
prominent in creative people, we find the root of the Malay situation. The before
mention system OIE makes use of examining the right hemisphere of the brain, not
only as a thinking tool, but also as an extension of the heart as is indicated in Islamic
science and Sufism in general. Furthermore, the tendency to right brain thinking has
been proven by scientist to have irrefutable effects on the enactment of right brain
thinking as well as mysticism. It is a well known fact that both Theurgy and mysticism
are highly dependent upon right brain dominance in the area of the Imaginal realm,
to the intensive importance of Hati in the realm of the kampong or village. The
kampong village life as a communal activity is centered on the concept of Hati and
Adat, therefore one cannot easily separate the two, if at all. Therefore, what we see in
Prof. Winstedt’s insistence that the Khalwah was a result of syncretism, enacting an
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imitation of the Wali devoid of true spiritualism, is a retardation of true situation. This
thaumaturgy within the Malay communal world, the use of Hati in all of the areas
thinking which is right brain dominant, and finally because this process is known in
and has been known for quite some time among the Malay to be the road to wisdom or
Wilaya338. There are two possible roads to this same destination by definition which
have been illustrated for us in the writings of scholars of Islamic science. These are
the path of the mystic through symbols, and the path of the mystic through
philosophy. This does not infer that either is devoid of the other, however what it does
illustrate is that the first of the two is no less valid than the second in the view of
Islamic science and is therefore a valid manner in which a mystic may grow into the
role of an Islamic mystic and transcend the bounds of the terrestrial realm through
symbolism of legends (IE the heroes journey) and the symbolism of culture (IE the
tree of life). These symbols as proliferated in Malay culture make clear their devotion
to a form of right brain thinking or emotional intelligence which was not devoid of
thought, but which reversed the directional method of traditional European analytical
thought. That is to say that while humanist, secularist and Darwinist as well as
“modern” science, take the stance that only analytical thought can produce true
knowledge. In stark contrast, it has been proven that terrestrial physics and other
338
In the case of Epistemological paradigm of Islamic science, based as it is on the idea of Unity
(Tawhid), it does posses a unified and coherent vision of what the multiplicity of methodologies means.
These methodologies, in fact, issue forth ultimately from the Qur’anic view of reality and man’s place
in that reality….it has also enabled us to have the first clear glimpse of traditional Muslim scientific
minds at work and of the inner reality underlying their intellectual creativity, which is so central to our
understanding of the conception of methodology in Islamic science. Bakar, Osman. Tawhid and
Science: Essays on the History and Philosophy of Islamic Science. Kuala Lumpur, Penang: Secretariat
for Islamic Philosophy and Science, 1991.), 17-19 top.
314
empirical sciences cannot properly interpret or define the mystical experience,
primarily due to the fact that it lacks the transcendental understanding of geometric
Hermetisism, western occultism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and most world religions, that
significance of divine symbolism. The fact that the Malays utilized this symbolism in
both thought and ritual is highly significant since the above mention groups count in
terms of population as the ‘Majority’ of human beings living in the world and
therefore they are the majority. As we know throughout time it is the majority and not
the minority which establishes norms in the world we live in and these norms related
foundations of all terrestrial or empirical truth. Therefore the validity of the Malay use
invalidates their role as Muslims. Furthermore, this goes to support the conclusion,
that Winstedt’s assumption that the Malay form of thaumaturgy was simply the
need of revision. It is for that purpose that we have focused on his work, and have
illustrated in the best possible manner those areas such as symbolism, emotional
intelligence through Hati and Malay communalism; in order to make clear that these
assumptions are extremely flawed. Furthermore, all of these findings are substantially
supported by the science of depth psychology and the mono-myth concepts that grew
from Prof. Joseph Campbell’s work with Prof. Jung’s depth psychology methods. The
end result was of course that both modern depth psychology and the mono-myth
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technique support the use of legends and symbolism in the ushering forth of wisdom
areas of the brain could be reached through taping into creativity, that is to say depth
intelligence works with the Aql (intellect) via the hearts communication with the right
side of the brain through OIE (optimum Islamic Equilibrium) that the balance between
Qalb (Hati/Heart) and Aql (mind) right brain thinking is the vehicle by which the
Qalb becomes a door to the inner self. Islamic science refers to the inner self as the
soul or the culmination of the tripartite true self. Prof. Jung one again agrees with this
although utilizing other terms, he states quit specifically that the source of this wisdom
The Muslim Malay worldview has always been linked to Tawhid. In fact the
development of a fully philosophical and theological view point which can be called
the first fully formed Islamic world view of the Malay has existed since the 16 th
century. However the roots of respect for Nature and a semi-Tawhidic or naturalist
view in the naive traditional culture has existed since the Bronze Age and has
developed with each successive stage through the evolution of religious syncretism.
From animism to Hinduism, and finally to Islam, the growth and development of a
worldview which revolves around the oneness of the Universe and the truth of
339
knowledge in nature has blossomed from the seeds of Tassawuff.
339
…there has been the recurrent conflict between the transcendentalism of the orthodox theologians,
for whom God is in heaven, and popular mysticism, which starting from animism inclines toward a
pantheism that finds him closer than the veins in ones neck. Bun no Muslim theologian, however
orthodox in his transcendentalism, would conceive in God to be in heaven, detached, as it were, from
the world. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Some aspects of Sufism: As Understood and Practiced
among the Malays, (Malaysian Socialogical Research institute LTD., Singapore, 1963), 18.
316
The organic unity of Tawhid among the Malay is a tripartite construct of
metaphysics, ethics and epistemology, each one which is affected in some way or
Metaphysical which has had the greatest influence among the Malay, especially in the
beginning of contact between the Malay and Islam, however Philosophy and theology
had it rise in development during the 17th century onwards. Epistemology has also
taken several paths, the result is a multi-Fiquah set of beliefs, which reflect the same
lesser degree. For example, the Sufis in Malaysia tend to emphasize a Tawhidic
worldview, with divine revelation as the foundational element, the philosophical and
epistemological as its companions and they see metaphysics as the higher realm of
gnosis, through which one must pass only after going through education and
implementation of both the ethics found in divine revelation and the ontological
found in traditional enclaves requires ethics and theology become predominant and
Therefore you can see that while all have respect for Tawhid and take a
Tawhidic view of the cosmos, the emphases has split in two. Therefore there are two
worldviews, which are revered mirror images, with slight differences. What most
340
Abdul Kadir al Jilani is completely international. He is venerated in Nigeria as well as in
Indonesia….his followers organized in a tarika, …as far a field as Zaire and Malaysia….no body
knows how many saints the re have been in the world of Islam, ….but the tombs of all know saints are
venerated… Knappert, Jan, Islamic Legends: Histories of the Heroes, Saints and Prophets of Islam
(Leiden: Brill, 1985), 19-20.
317
academics and historians specifically fail to address is the fact, that, all monotheistic
religions in the world are built on the foundation of a Tawhidic worldview, which
existed among each of the cultures from which they have sprung.
while the outer trappings of Pre-Monotheistic “icons” may be the motifs secular
and is directly related to both oral tales and symbolism. If we follow the Islamic view
and utilize Islamic science methods in examining the Hierophanies and archetypes
existent within these symbolically anthropomorphic projections we will find that they
Khidr and Solomon. The pre-Mohammedan prophetic teachings began with the
prophet Adam, and the forms we are interested in here are primarily those of the
monotheistic equivalent to the Allfather archetype, a historical man, who was more
than the typical man, producing miracles or ’wonders’, then he could only have been
Khidr or Khidr. While scholars are continually debating the role and classification of
hazrat al Khidr, the role of Khidr as the first prophet to produce many of the arts still
341
The Islamic intellectual tradition in both its Gnostic (marifah or irfan) and philosophical and
theosophical (Falsifah-hikmah) aspects saw the source of this unique truth which is the religion of the
truth (din al-haqq) in the teachings of ancient prophets going back to adam and considerer the prophet
idris, whom it identified with hermes [mercury & trimagerious] whom it considered the “father of
philosophers”…. Syyed hossain Nasr, Knowledge and the sacred, (Crossroad publishing, New York,
1981), 70.
318
employed in Islamic mysticism and in other mystical systems, remains a fact for those
who believe in Prophethood342343. All Muslims are enjoined in the Qur’an and through
the Shihada to believe not in one, but ALL of the prophets, including Khidr.
Therefore, if there is any doubt in the minds of the readers as to who the Allfather
archetypes historical bases begins with and degenerated from, then I suggest they read
the book of Enoch. It is abundantly clear to me, that it was none other than the Prophet
Khidr who visited the Germanic and Malay peoples and was the prophet sent to them
by Allah344. The development of the love for nature, use of the control of the weather
through mystical means, the respect for the metaphysical as well as knowledge of
language, the four elements, and many other forms of Karamat, incantation or healing
of the sick, as well as battling with deviant jinn, were all hallmark traits of the prophet
Khidr and leave little doubt that it was he who’s truths and story degenerated into the
Allfather archetype and installed the semi Tawhidic ideas which relate to nature into
the lives of the Irmani and Bumi. Therefore what we see here is that the Malay
Tawhidic world view is not Pre-Monotheistic, but monotheistic, and has been
adversely affected by those who would alter the message of God, with the ideas of
men and either willingly or unconsciously upset the balance of Allah’s message to the
Malay people via their prophet Khidr. Whether or not a person wishes to accept it the
wonder working of prophets and Wali have been a part of the din of Islam from the
342
The nobility and prestige of medicine and in traditional Islamic society was further enhanced by the
belief that this art was originally revealed to mankind through prophet Idris. Osman bakar, philosophy
of Islamic medicine and its relevance to the modern world, Secretary for Islamic philosophy and
science, Penang, Malaysia, 1996) 5.
343
….Idris: he was a man of truth (and sincerity), (and) a prophet: we raised hi to a lofty station. Yusuf
Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), Surah Maryam, 19:56.
344
Phoenician tradesmen had a great deal to do with spreading Runic amongst the Europeans. …First
they taught the Lycians….the Grecians learned Runic scripture from Anitolians…the laten alphabet …
became the scene in the age of the Roman Empire….in the crimea….under the leadership of king Odin
and established the kingdom of Viking. M. Turgay, Kurum,Runic scrimenpture Eurasia,
www.kuzeyipekyolu.com (Ocak / Turkey, 2002), 4-8.
319
beginning of time, if anyone doubts this, let then read the Qur’an 27:7-14 were Allah
states very clearly and specifically that wonder working by prophets and the pure of
heart are a sign of God345346. Although academically there is no need for adherence to
Islam, the reader is advised that, those who inhabited Malaya at the time were
beginning to convert and were converted by Indian people who were believers in the
signs of God, including the working of wonders. It was not until the Indian Sufis
brought the full version of Tawhid, its appropriate relationship to nature and how the
subtle realm and gross realm overlap, interact and coexist in nature or the empirical
world. These sciences, which Sufism refers to as the natural sciences were brought to
the Malaya archipelago by Sufis. Through this system we see the revitalization of the
Malay view of naturalism, the cosmos, and a way of life previously referred to as
proto-Tawhidic. If we deny the importance of the Natural realm and what is referred
345
But when he[Moses] came to the fire a voice came to the fire, a voice was herd: “Blessed are those
in the those around: and glory to God, the lord of the worlds. “O Moses verily, I am God, the exalted
in might, the wise! Now do thou throw thy rod!”. But when he saw it moving (of its own accord) as if
it had been a snake, he turned back in retreat…O Moses! (it was said) fear not: truly, in my presence,
those called messengers have no fear, - But if any have done wrong….I am Oft-forgiving, Most
Merciful. Now put thy hand in thy bosom, it will come forth white without stain (or harm): (these are)
among nine signs (thou wilt take) tp pharaoh and his people….Our signs came to them, that should
have opened their eyes, they said: “this is sorcery manifest!” And they rejected those signs in iniquity
and arrogance…so see what the end of those who acted corruptly was. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy
Qur’an: text, translation and commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed.
2001), Surah 27: 7-14.
346
….He was broken-hearted and lay down to sleep; in a dream he saw Khidr amidst the verdure. Who
said: Hark! You have held back from praising God: why do you repent of calling unto Him?....said
Khidr: Nay: God saith: That “Allah” of thine is My”Here am I, and that supplication and grief and dour
of thine is My messenger to thee. Thy fear and Love are a noose to catch My favor, beneath every “O
Lord” of thine is many a “Here am I” from Me. Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam,
(University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975), 165-166.
347
There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms a part
of) communities like you. Nothing have we Omitted from the book, and they (all) shall e gathered to
their lord in the end. Those who reject Our signs are deaf and dumb, - in the mist of Darkness profound:
whom God willeth, He leaveth to wander:…. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and
commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), Surah Al An’am 6:38-40.
320
us as Viceregents of Allah. Through practicing the healing of Muslims and reflecting
the polished heart after it is cleansed, his heart reflects the immaculateness of God
through his actions, thoughts and emotions to say that such a person is non-Islamic or
to say that such a person has gone astray from Islam, is an oxymoron statement 348349.
This proves that, if person denies another a person is a Muslim when that person is on
the path of Islamic mysticism, he fails to see clearly350. The mystic in Islam is
performing good deeds, healing, performing exorcism and other acts of goodness. The
judgmental Muslim who speaks against this man errors in his the performance of such
kindnesses; this is an error in and of its self. The validity of this is illustraited through
manifesting the truth of Tawhid and the oneness of God, then implementing them into
the empirical world through mind, body and spirit, and is actually the truest
348
He granth wisdom to whom he pleases, and he to whom wisdom is granted receives indeed a benefit
over flowing. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary, Sura Baqara, 269,
(Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), 66.
349
....the imagination, which is a faculty of language, receives weak semblances of the superworldly
experiences of the theoretical intellect. With this is in mind, some general vague statements can be
made about this holy condition. Nobody can fully and accurately describe this condition, as it is by
nature indescribable. Therefore, full communication about it is impossible. The only way to grasp it is
to experience it. Ismail bursevi transl., Fusus al-Hikam by Muhyiddin Ibn arabi (Kegan Paul
International, New York, NY, 1996), 49.
350
...one needs knowledge that comes from the hidden realms, a knowledge which overflows with the
divine consciousness: ...whom We had taught knowledge of Our divine Presence. Sura kahf, 65....Such
a teacher who inculcates knowledge into one has to be close to Allah and able to see into the Ultimate
Realm....[Allah prefers] Those who spend in ease as well as in adversity and those who restrain [their]
anger and pardon men. And Allah loves the doers of good [to others]. Sura Al Imran, 133-34....and put
our inner being in order through acquiring wisdom. Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text,
translation and commentary, (Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), Sura kahf,
65, Sura Al Imran, 133-34.
351
there upon the holy prophet raised his hands at once. While there was not a speck of clouds in the
sky, but I swear by Allah in whose hands my soul is, that he had not lowered his hand before the clouds
were appearing like mountains and before he descended from his pulpit, I saw the rain coming down on
his beard….The Apostle then raised his hands and said: O Allah! (Send rain) round about us, but not on
us…The messenger of Allah did not point at any region in the clouds without their breaking up; and
medina became like a gap [in the rain]. Three hundred authenticated miracles of Muhammad, Badr
Azimabadi,. …..After the battle of Badr….the Holy prophet went near the well and called, “so and so
and son of so and so! Have you found true what your deities had promised you to be?...(umar) asked…
how can you speak to bodies with no spirits? The apostle of Allah replied “ you are no better able to
hear what I am saying than they are… Badr Azimabadi, Three hundred authenticated miracles of
Muhammad, Adam publishers & Distributers, shandar Market, Deli, India, 1993), 90-93.
321
exemplified by the fact that he goes beyond the Fard or regulatory actions of the
literalist Muslims. His actions therefore illustrate the fullness of implementing the
most complete example of action, knowledge, and spiritual behavior in motion in the
which reflects God’s perfection through polishing his heart and reflection of the
sectarianism and to ascend to the station of one who walks the path of Wilaya352.
Many people in the world today who call themselves Muslims disagree with this fact
and nature353354355. The attempts of the true Viceregent of Nature walk the path as
many Malays do, with the understanding that Tawhid is the center of their connection
352
The Sufi, in contrast with the magician, has a close connection with religion as a regular
institution…which may be that which guards against evil. Or that which procures favors from the
“spirits”. The Sufi does not demand what is desired, rather he Submittes to the divine will upon which
man feels dependent. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Some aspects of Sufism: As Understood and
Practiced among the Malays, (Malaysian Socialogical Research institute LTD., Singapore, 1963), 49.
353
The tree in the Garden is the Tree of life …. its fruits … are universal meanings which relate all
forms and images to the inner sameness existing within all things. Universal meanings may be taken by
the mystic however, only when there has been a phenomenal image, an imprint upon the soul. Laleh
Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 33.
354
The material world, also called the gross world, is immediately enclosed and dominated by the
psychic domain, also referred to as the subtle world. These two worlds together form the domain of
nature. And it is the angelic world which governs all natural laws in both the subtle and gross domains.
Bakar, Osman. Tawhid and Science: Essays on the History and Philosophy of Islamic Science. Kuala
Lumpur, Penang: Secretariat for Islamic Philosophy and Science, 1991.), 21.
355
Universal (or natural) symbols are symbols as they appear in the nature of things. They are
primordial to mankind, and in this sense they are trans-cultural. Particular symbols, or even particular
interpretations of universal symbols, differ according to the various traditions. They are sensible or
intelligible forms consecrated by God through revelation to become vehicles of Divine grace. They
posses, in a sense, the theophanic light which confers a dimension of transcendence on the particular
tradition in which they are revealed … Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames
and Hudson, London, 1976), 27.
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station to station, as he walked the path of Wilaya356357.
After examining these traditions we have born in mind that while syncretism
did occur among both of these forms of theurgist within the Malay community on
symbolism. Examination of Particular symbolism among the Malay has also have
brought to light some of the distinctions between the two. My hypothesis is that the
Malay Wali or Malay Sufi Hakim, was never a sorcerer, and never participated in any
admixture of sorcery to his Islam as is stated by Winsted in his book ‘the Malay
magician’ to the contrary the Malay Wali was never deviant from the path of Wilaya.
Rather the Malay Wali has been marginalized by the imaginative writings of
Orientalism in the west and fundamentalist found in the Islamic Ummah. This was
primarily due to improper comparison of Wali Songo and the Khalwah with the Malay
Sorcerer or Bomo and his pantheism. These two extremist views have sought to write
history in their own way, rather than addressing the unbiased and academically correct
historical facts. For centuries Sufi wise men and saints have constantly strove to
perfect themselves in the cause of Allah and for the sake of their souls’ and
356
Abu Bakr Siraj al-Din tells us, “is a Divine name, recalled, remembered, invoked in an upward
aspiration towards the truth. The firms set root of the Tree is the [zikr. Invocation], itself uttered with
firm set purpose. The heaven reaching branches represent the tremendous import of the [invocation] as
it passes upwards through the whole of the universe; and the fruit of the Tree of the reality in whose
remembrance the invocation is performed. Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest.
(Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 27.
357
…. there upon the holy prophet raised his hands at once. While there was not a spec of clouds in the
sky, but I swear by Allah in whose hands my soul is, that he had not lowered his hand before the clouds
were appearing like mountains and before he descended from his pulpit, I saw the rain coming down on
his beard….The Apostle then raised his hands and said: O Allah! (Send rain) round about us, but not on
us…The messenger of Allah did not point at any region in the clouds without their breaking up; and
medina became like a gap [in the rain]. Three hundred authenticated miracles of Muhammad, Badr
Azimabadi, p. …..After the battle of Badr….the Holy prophet went near the well and called, “so and so
and son of so and so! Have you found true what your deities had promised you to be?...(umar) asked…
how can you speak to bodies with no spirits? The apostle of Allah replied “ you are no better able to
hear what I am saying than they are… Three hundred authenticated miracles of Muhammad, Badr
Azimabadi, , Adampublishers & Distributers, shandar Market, Deli, India, 1993), 90-93.
323
deliverance from evil. They strove to improve their Ummah and to teach using all of
the tools you have seen above. The difference between a practitioner of Islamic
science or Sufism and a Sufi Mystic is only a difference in added emphases upon
Islamic medicine and healing as a secondary role to the Sufi way of life on the road to
enlightenment. However it should be very clearly stated here that the “True” Sufi
Mystic does not ever in any way advocate pantheism, polytheism, or any other view
that would run contrary to the teachings of Islam. Islam and the oneness of Allah as
seen in nature, The Qur’an and Hadith of the prophet (PBBH) are the very
religion on earth and for the good of all on earth, not a reactionary revisionist
the many prophets before Muhammad, yet its tenets place the truth of these prophets
within the outline, truths, and conceptual constraints of the seal of the prophets by
example and the truths exemplified in the books of divine revelation. The
development of both popular mysticism and Islamic mysticism in the proper sense
have developed over the centuries, and taken on aspects of one another. What we
have seen in the above discussion is a summary of the road that Malay Dokuns,
tribesmen, healers, Khalwah, Wali and others have traveled far in their development
of their the Pre-Islamic faith which was adapted in unison with their communal
naturalist lifestyle. The best elements of the Pre-Islamic prophetic teachings which
remain with the Malay have been rediscovered and revived in Sufism. Sufism elevated
358
...the great Persian saint Abu yazid al Bastami. The founder of the ‘ecstatic’ school of Sufism, he is
famous for the boldness of his expression of the mystics’ complete absorption in the Godhead. This
station (which come upon the mystic as a transient state; ….the wine of the knowledge of the divine,
enraptured by the contemplation of God. The second group are the mystics known for their sobriety.
According to this group, which has a larger following…intoxication is only the beginning of oneness.
Laleh Bakhtiar, Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest. (Thames and Hudson, London, 1976), 94-95.
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these teachings along with organic unity, a love of nature (including nature spirits) in
the form of Muslim jinn and reverence for the essence of all natural kingdoms; and
many other aspects of Malays tribal life to a level of scientific application of Islamic
ideals coupled with Malay ethics and culture, to become the modern form of Malay
broadminded and very Islamic manner. One way of seeing an Islamic Ummah, is:
“people who help each other, care for each other, point to the path of proper action,
and seek the miracles of nature and life together, and believe in all the truth of God”.
Taking this for our definition of an Islamic Ummah, I would say that Malays have a
better foundation build than any other ethnic group in the world today. Their
conception of Hati and its relationship to nature has been of great assistance in their
path to the developing Ein-al-Qalb and the polishing of the heart through Islamic
Alchemy in the spiritual sense. You will find no home among Malay families were
families do not treat their community with kindness and hospitality, and this is their
true strength, the strength of love. The changes that were brought about by Muslim
presenting Islamic monotheism with a kind heart and an open mind this must never be
forgotten. It was this peaceful form of Da’wah which was the key to this
359
Though the Sacred Law of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) superseded all
previously valid religious laws, it was identical with them in beliefs, such as tawhid or "oneness of
God", and so on, a fact that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) emphasized by saying,
"Let none of you say I am superior to [the prophet] Jonah," (Bukhari, 4.193: 3412), for the illumination
of Jonah's tawhid (upon him be peace)--under the darkness of the storm, the darkness of the sea, and the
darkness of the belly of the fish--was not less than the illumination of the Prophet's tawhid at the zenith
of his success as the spiritual leader of all Arabia (Allah bless him and give him peace). The light of
their message was one, in which sense the Qur'an says, "We do not differentiate between any of His
messengers" (Qur'an 2:285),…."The Shaykh [Muhyiddin Ibn al-`Arabi] sometimes criticizes specific
distortions or misunderstandings in the Qur'anic vein, but he does not draw the conclusion that many
Muslims have drawn--that the coming of Islam abrogated (naskh) previous revealed religions. Rather,
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what has been proven here and this is the true goal of an Islamic Ummah. Therefore
for those who would call all Malay traditional energy usage “sorcery” I would
recommend they read the holy Qur’an, Hadith of the prophet, and the writings of Ibn
al Arabi thoroughly and they will find that God has never once ordered men not to
work with the energies of light, quite the reverse the apostles of Jesus were “Given”
this ability by Allah himself360. These men were truly on the road to meeting God and
the road to humility, truth, spirituality, and purity is what we call the ‘ascension of the
tree of life’, it is also what Joseph Campbell called the heroes journey and the Hindu
call the heroic path, it is one man’s attempt to see God through nature and sacred text
and to take that journey further in his heart and mind until he attains the ultimate
balance in his life, so that he might die with the peace of Gods truth and love in his
he says, Islam is like the sun and other religions like the stars. Just as the stars remain when the sun
rises, so also the other religions remain valid when Islam appears. One can add a point that perhaps Ibn
al-`Arabi would also accept: What appears as a sun from one point of view may be seen as a star from
another point of view. Concerning abrogation, the Shaykh writes, “All the revealed religions (shara'i')
are lights. Among these religions, the revealed religion of Muhammad is like the light of the sun among
the lights of the stars. When the sun appears, the lights of the stars are hidden, and their lights are
included in the light of the sun. Their being hidden is like the abrogation of the other revealed religions
that takes place through Muhammad's revealed religion. Nevertheless, they do in fact exist, just as the
existence of the light of the stars is actualized. This explains why we have been required in our all-
inclusive religon to have faith in the truth of all messengers and all the revealed religions. They are not
rendered null (batil) by abrogation--that is the opinion of the ignorant.'([al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya,] III
153.12[16]) ….," it is true, but is something that has waited for fourteen centuries of Islamic
scholarship down to the present century to be first promulgated in Cairo in the 1930s by the French
convert to Islam Rene Gunon, and later by his student Frithjof Schuon and writers under him…."Since
the manifestings of Him Meant by Worship are manifold, so are sects and creeds. For the aim of
worship is to exalt with reverence, and the lowliness and humility of every worshipper is only rendered
to someone able to harm or benefit, give or withhold, to give sustenance, to lower or raiseand these
attributes are not in fact, those of anyone except one alone, who is Allah Most High, and He is
absolutely beyond perception (ghayb mutlaq). Nuh Ha Mim Keller, On the validity of all religions in
the thought of ibn Al-'Arabi and Emir 'Abd al-Qadir, a letter to `Abd al-Matin © 1996, 1-2.
360
The vital spirit is neither aphysical nor a spiritual substance. Rather, it is a subtle body and the spirit
in its theological sense. The function of the vital spirit is to direct the organization of the life of the
body. The possibility of this function presupposes a certain level of refinement and perfection in the
mixtures of the humors of which the body is comprised. The vital spirit is of three kinds: the natural
spirit, the psychic spirit, and the vital spirit proper. (1) The natural spirit – This…travels in the veins.
(2) The psychic spirit- This spirit…has its center in the brain…it travels through the nerves. (3) The
vital spirit proper- This spirit…Functioning through the heart…preserves life by preparing sutable
conditions for functioning of the biological systems associated with the natural and psychic spirits, and
through travelling within the ateries to all organs and tissues. Osman bakar, philosophy of Islamic
medicine and its relivance to the modern world, (Secretary for Islamic philosophy and Science,
University Sains Malaysia, Penang, 1996), 19.
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heart361. While the Thaumaturgist is at a lower level than the Wali, he is none the less
on the same path, and the Wali is most certainly a ‘Viceregent of creation’362363, which
is the view we wish to emphasize here, that the paths these men had both similarities
and differences, but in the end they both saw the truth of the signs of God in nature
and the beauty of his divine majesty in the wonders that were so powerful, their source
could only be God himself. And they were in awe and blissful abiding of these
miracles of God and for this reason devoted themselves to helping others and fighting
evil, and for this they both should be thought of in kindness and honor, for “Allah
does not like those who reject his signs364’.What Muslims ‘are’ forbidden to do is to
dabble in the Black arts of Sorcery, which are Haram. Knowing the differences
361
The first share of knowledge of these meanings by way of witnessing and unveiling, so that their
essential realities are clarified for them by a proof which does not permit any error; and God’s
possession of these meanings as His characteristics is revealed to them in a disclosure equivalent in
clarity to the certainty achieved by a man in regard to his own inner qualities which he perceives by
seeing his inward aspect, not by outward sensation. How great a difference there is between this and a
faith derived from ones parents and teachers by conformity and persistence in it, even though it be
accompanied by argumentative proofs fro Kalam! David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, AL—GHAZALI:
The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of God: Al-maqsad al-asna fi sharh asma’ Allah al-husna, (The
Islamic Text Society, India, 1992), 30-31.
362
If God reveals him self in images of particularizations of and the degrees of revelations, he reveals
number and pluralarity and brings into emergence couplings and singularities. Consequently, according
to the consideration of these images of particularizations are the degrees of descent from the being of
the one God. And what is there in existence except him? Among the number there are some which are
(of) non-existence and some which are (of) existence. That is to say, some of the numbered become
inexistent in the exterior and I appearance. It sometimes happens that something is inexistent by virtue
of the intelligence. It is inevitable that it either from number or from numbered. Thus it is possible that
sometimes a thing is from the point of view of the senses inexistent, yet it is existent from the point of
view of the intellect… Ismail bursevi’s translation of an commentary on fusus al-hikam, muhyiddin ib
‘arabi, (Oxford: Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society, 1987), 343.
363
He has reserved the height of position for degrees of viceregent [ViceregentViceregent] this means
that the height of position which is particular to the perfect man is the height of the degree of viceregent
[ViceregentViceregent] which is the degree of collectevity of singularity of perfection and
completeness. Ismail bursevi’s translation of an commentary on fusus al-hikam, muhyiddin ibn ‘arabi,
(Oxford: Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society, 1987), 334.
364
…there comes to you messengers from amongst you, rehersing my signs unto you, …those who
reject our signs and treat them with arrogance, ….who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against
God or rejects his signs?...to those who reject our signs and treat them with arrogance, no opening will
there be of the gates of heaven, nor will they enter the garden, until a camel can pass through the eye of
a needle…Yusuf Ali, Trans., The Holy Qur’an: text, translation and commentary, (Saba Islamic Media,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2nd ed. 2001), Surah 7: 35-40.
327
science. It is not possible to ignore those metaphysical powers around us, those which
are from God are a part of his signs, for particularization and subjectivity of Gods
perfection is the greatest sin of all, it is rejection of the oneness of faith in the one and
perfected immaculate God of all creation and the utter denial of Tawhid; and those
which are dark, black or evil, must be confronted and made to remain in check; for
their creed is denial of Tawhid. The Wali of Allah and the Khalwah of Allah
confronted this evil365. In having confronted the Wali of Shayton (Bomo); the Wali
and apprentice of the Wali of Allah, the Malay Thaumaturgist become Caliphs of
must understand that the journey from a degenerated form of monotheism among the
Pre-Islamic Malay we see a return journey to Wilaya and Islam; in that in every
journey to Allah there is a circular cycle. This circular cycle is the return of from the
ascension to the ecstatic experience in the life of the thaumaturgist. The Khalwah
365
shaykh put the special knowledge uder the category of possession (Mulk) because possession is the
manifest estate,and knowledge is the secret estate, and manifest estate with the hidden estate and with
the divine knowledge is its spirit and results with it, ….by the order of God and by the permission of
God, the tassarrufs in the higher and lower universes are manifested for them, yet they are not manifest
like Solomon with tasarruf in the universe of witnessing. Ismail bursevi’s translation of an commentary
on fusus al-hikam, muhyiddin ib ‘arabi, (Oxford: Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society, 1987), 771.
366
A second way of sharing in these meanings belongs to those who so highly esteem what is disclosed
to them of the attributes of majesty of their high regard releases a longing to possess this attribute in
every way possible to them, so that they may grow closer to the truth…with the possession of such
characteristics they become similar to Angels, who have been brought close to God – great and
glorious. Moreover, it is inconceivable that a heart be filled with high regard for such an attribute and
be illuminated by it without longing for this attribute following upon it, as well as a passionate love for
that perfection and majesty,…No one will lack this longing except for one of two reasons : either from
inadequate knowledge and certainty that the attribute in question is one of the attributes of majesty and
perfection, or for the fact that ones heart is full of a another longing and absorbed by it. David B.
Burrell and Nazih Daher, ( The Islamic Text Society, India, 1992), 31.
367
Ruzbin Balqi, who speaks of a hierarchic structure of three hundred persons whose hearts are like
Adams heart, forty who’s hearts are like Moses heart, five whose hearts correspond to Gabriel’s heart,
three whose hearts correspond to that of Michael, and one, the qubt, whose heart is equal to israfil’s. He
added to this group of saintly persons the four prophets who have been lifted up to heaven alive – Idris,
Khidr, Ilyas, and Jesus….Numerous stories have been told about them, and there are local names in the
Near East connected with their presence, such as Kirklareli, “the country of the forty,” in the European
province of Turkey. The word abdal, usually connected with the forty, seems to have assumed this high
spiritual meaning only gradually. Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam, (University of
North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975), 202.
328
attained esoteric experiences as a means to opening to Islam368. This opening to Islam
was the return to the center and in every return to the center is inclusive of equilibrium
and balances the din of the person making this “heroes journey”. As such the
Khalwah who became a Wali was completing his din by moving from the exclusivity
Islam in prayer, charity, good deeds, and all the fard of Islam. Once he accomplished
this his din was balanced and whole. The third stage was the path of Wilaya complete,
as a Wali he was then capable of helping others into the light of Allah369. This is the
of the tree of life; from the roots of the tree of life representative of pre-monotheist
prophetic teachings, to the injured roots chewed by the great dragon (Iblis) which
resulted in injury to the Pre-Islamic prophetic teachings. Next to the Body of the tree
Allah. Here he met the eagle symbolic of Allah’s divine light or Nur, the light ushered
his soul towards seeking the experience of Gnosis. It is only fair to note that while the
368
The knowledge that is sent down to us is twofold: exoteric and esoteric, meaning the sacred law
[shari'a] and direct understanding [ma'rifa]. Allah (Exalted is He) has commanded us to apply the
sacred law to our outer being, and direct understanding to our inner being, so that the combination of
the two will result in knowledge of Reality [Haqiqa], just as fruit is produced by the tree and the leaves.
Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Secret of Secrets: The Great Hadrate of Abdul abd Al Jilani, interpreted
by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. (S. Abdul Majeed & co publishing, 1994), p. 10.
369
For once he has understood the teaching, if these meanings were presented to him, he would receive
them and memorize them. These are the levels of most scholars, to say nothing of those who are not
scholars. In relation to those who do not share with them in those three levels, these should not be
denied credit, yet they are clearly deficient with respect to the acme of perfection. For ‘the merits of the
[merely] pious are demerits in those who have drawn near to God’. The first share of knowledge of
these meanings by way of witnessing and unveiling, so that their essential realities are clarified for
them by a proof which does not permit any error; and God’s possession of these meanings as His
characteristics is revealed to them in a disclosure equivalent in clarity to the certainty achieved by a
man in regard to his own inner qualities which he perceives by seeing his inward aspect, not by outward
sensation. … David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, AL—GHAZALI: The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of
God: Al-maqsad al-asna fi sharh asma’ Allah al-husna, (The Islamic Text Society, India, 1992), 30-31.
329
movement as a bridge for ecumenical oneness of the brotherhood of man and
rightfully so, such inner dimensional discussions may not be understandable by all
students of Islam as has been noted by Associate Prof., Dr. Fatimah Abdulah370371372.
However, we should not forget that there are stages of development in understanding
dimensions must be viewed in both an esoteric and exoteric manner, each appropriate
370
As a form of religious pluralism the theory of the Transcendental Unity of World Religions (TUR)
is an extreme attempt to bring about some form of unity between the many diverse religions in a
universal form….According to them the existence of various religions only constitutes variant
conceptions and perceptions of, and responses to, this one Ultimate divine reality. Since all religions
come from one source, each religion contains within itself a measure of the absolute truth and at the
same time is a valid method and means for the attainment of that truth… Such a belief has a good
intention, however when utilized by those who are not prepared through the necessary path of
Willayah, could have very dangerous results for both the student and the persons they misguide with
their partial understanding of the true oneness… al-Attas stands as one of the strongest critics of this
particularized form of deviance. In his monumental work, Prolegomena he clearly and convincingly
shows that this claim springs from a misconception of Islamic metaphysics, particularly that which is
based on wahdat al-wujËd. (Dr. Fatimah Abdullah, Transcendent unity of religions, unpublished
manuscript, 3.
371
The physical and psychic functions of man are integral to nature, and as such they obey the laws
pertinent to them with the same necessity as all other creatures. But the spiritual function, viz., the
understanding and moral action, fall outside the realm of determined nature. …necessary fulfilment
applies only to elemental or utilitarian purposes of God, his commandments to man, do have a base in
the physical world, and hence there is a utilitarian aspect to them, but this is moral. It is precisely their
aspect of being fulfillable in freedom, that is, the possibility of being fulfilled or violated remaining
always open, that gives them the special dignity we ascribe to things “moral”….As the subject of moral
action, man must therefore be capable of changing himself, his fellows or society, nature or his
environment, so to actualize the divine pattern, or commandment, in himself as well as in them. Isma’il
Raji al Faruqi, Al-Tawhid: Its Implications for Thought and Life, (International institute of Islamic
Thought, Herdon, Virginia, U.S.A.), 12-13.
372
The sacred resides in the nature of reality itself, and normal humanity has for the sacred just as it
has for reality which one distinguishes naturally from the unreal….the sacred which has always been a
living presence within normal civilizations, has become so forgotten ….to the exstent that the reality of
the sacred is accepted at least in religious circles, it is connected with the power of God rather than his
wisdom. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Gifford Lectures: Knowledge and the Sacred. (Crossroad
publishing, New York, 1981), 75.
330
to the time and stage set for them in the life of the ascetic or Khalwah by
Allah373374375376. Once ascended, he began the descent back to normal life and realized
seeing the tree in its wholeness, the need for sobriety and completeness, thus began to
practice both the fard of Islam in the exterior and the esoteric inner dimension of
Islam; and then and only then he became an Wali377378, a true caliph of creation. What
must be understood plainly from this dissertation is that while from the Islamic point
373
The ideal point of departure for an understanding of Fitrah is the metaphysical principle that
underlies the concept. By means of this principle we come to understand the place of man in the
universe, his essential spiritual nature and his ultimate destiny. It is the principle which provides the
foundation [for our creed] ….from which all other … [spiritual traditions]…are derived. Accordingly,
all other implications of Fitrah are rooted in this metaphysical principle….the implication is that the
principle of Tawhid is integral to the inborn nature of man. The mission of all the prophets from Adam
to Muhammad [PB upon them all] was to convey the message of Tawhid. Yasien Mohamed, The
Definition of Fitrah, from, Fitrah: the Islamic concept of human nature, (TA-HA Publishers Ltd. 1996),
85.
374
…and the prophet said: Truly some speech is magical” (Note that there was no derogatory look,
expression or rejection verbally of this sort of magical speech.) Mohd. (PBBH), Sahih al-Bukhari,
comp. Al-imam Zain udin Ahmad bin Abdul-Latif Az-Zubaidi, trlt. Dr. Muhammad Mushin Khan,
Islamic University Al-Madina, Al-Munawwara, Saudia Arabia, Maktabar-us-Salam, 1994), 944.
375
Islam sees the doctrine of unity (al-Tawhid) not only as the essence of its own message but as the
heart of every religion….assertion of al-Tawhid and all religions are seen as so many repetitions in
different climes and languages of the doctoring of unity. Moreover, wherever the doctrine of unity may
be found, it is considered to be of divine origin. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Gifford Lectures:
Knowledge and the Sacred. (Crossroad publishing, New York, 1981), 71.
376
Modern Muslims, who have embraced the modern scientific world-view and the modern philosophy
of technology, usually out of ignorance of the Islamic scientific and technological tradition…. But this
kind of intellectual stance is to beg the question “what do we mean by good Muslims?” …When it
comes to science, to be a “good Muslim” means more than just to be able to use it wisely in accordance
with Islamic ethical principles. It also means to be able to produce a science that is “true” in accordance
with Islamic metaphysical, cosmological, and epistemological principles. Prof. Osman Bakar, Article:
Environmental health and welfare as an important aspect of civilizational Islam, (Center for
Civiziational Diolog: University Malaya, Kuala Lumpor, 2007), 13.
377
And Solomon was not ignorant of the divine knowledge; rather that this knowledge was of that
possession that was bestowed upon Solomon, so that it was not suitable for any other person to be
manifested in the universe of witnessing with the same quality. …..The Arabic interpretation of these
two names is ar-rahman, ar-rahim, which means that the names that Solomon used to mean ar-rahman,
ar-rahim, are not the Arabic words ar-rahman, ar-rahim, but the Arabic words ar-rahman, rahim are the
meanings of these two words that Solomon used. Thus what the shaykh intends, the two compassionate
beatitudes were attributed to the haqq and that Solomon mentioned these two compassions in two
names. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Ismail bursevi transl., Ibn Sina And Mysticism: remarks and
Admonisions: part four, (Kegan Paul International, New York, NY, 1996), 771-773.
378
Thus the name Interior (Batin) is realized for the servant, because hen Haqq becomes manifest in
the universe of chaptering with the images of the revelation of compassionate beatitude , the perfect
servant for its manifestation, and as the emanation of action of the Haqq from the place of manifestation
of the being of the servant, the servant was established in the being of the Haqq. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi,
Ismail bursevi transl., Ibn Sina And Mysticism: remarks and Admonisions: part four, (Kegan Paul
International, New York, NY, 1996), 770.
331
of view sorcery is considered an abominable crime against God, that, wizardry is not
sorcery and neither is magic. In addition the theurgist who participated in the Pre-
Islamic religions around the world was practitioners of a type of Theurgy which is
These teachings were and still are a part of Gods plan according to the findings of
such notable Islamic scientist as ibn sinna, ibn Arabi, Syyed Hossein Nasr, René
gunon, and fridjoff schuon and are therefore not in any way to be discarded. But rather
they are to be examined and gleaned for all the authentic truth that can be discerned
from the Islamic perspective as divine truth. And that the science of alchemy, the
science of Talismana, the science of thaumaturgy are not in any way in alignment with
sorcery, in fact it has always been the science of thaumaturgy which has battled
against such abominable crimes as position by spirits, evil spells from sorcery and
illnesses disseminated by the black arts. They have always been in the forefront of the
battle against the forces of evil and are not the enemies of Islam. In fact if there are
any people fighting the darkness of evil on the metaphysical realm in Malaysia today,
they are the thaumaturgist. We have gone over a great many details and sources in
order to illustrate the truth of the distinctions between these two specialist and in the
differences between the methods, tools, and perspectives related to both, in order to
make clear to the reader that the two cannot be bulked together and labeled as the
332
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