M y s t i c - p o w e r
Some people try to attain mystic power for becoming perfect. Such mystic power might militate against one’s progress towards God-realization. For one who acquire mystic power, there is the danger of becoming proud of his achievements, as a result of which he would be compelled to gradually neglect God. Mystic power is not at all required for progression on the devotional path. However, Allah can award mystic power to His dear devotees for the execution of their particular service to Him, though they themselves care little for mystic power. When the devotees are endowed with mystic power for discharging devotional service to God, such endowment is beneficial for devotees and people alike. If it is required, Allah Himself will award mystic power to the deserving person.
Thus Allah explains in the Holy Qur’an how He bestowed mystic power to His messenger, namely Moses:
Wa ma tilka bi-yaminika ya-Musa
Qala hiya ‘asaya ‘ata-wakka-’u ‘alayha wa ‘ahushu biha ‘ala ganami wa liya fiha ma-’aribu ‘ukhra
Qala ‘alqiha ya-Musa
Fa-’alqaha fa-’iza hiya hayatun-tas-’a
Qala khuzha wa la ta-khaf / sanu-’iduha siratahal-ula.
Wazmum yadaka ‘ila janahika takhruj bayza min gayri su-’in ‘ayatan ‘ukhra
Li-nuriyaka min ‘ayati-nal-kubra:
“What is that in your right hand, O Moses?
He (Moses) said: ‘It is my stick, on it I lean and with it I beat down branches for my sheep, and in it I find other uses.’
(Allah) said: ‘Throw it down, O Moses!’
So he threw it down and behold! It was a snake slithering.
(Allah) said: ‘Grasp it and fear not. We shall restore it to its former condition.
Now thrust your hand under your armpit; it will come forth unharmed, white (and shining), as another token -
In order that We may show you (some) of Our greater signs’.” (20.17-23)
Wa ‘izis-tasqa Musa li-qawmihi faqulnazrib-bi-’asakal-hajar / fan-fajarat min-husnata ‘ashrata ‘ayna / Qad ‘alima kulli ‘unasim-mashrabahum: “When Moses asked for water for his people, We (Allah) said: ‘Strike the rock with your stick.’ Then, from there, twelve springs gushed forth (so that) each tribe knew its drinking-place.” (2.60)
Here we have a reference to the tribal organization of the Jews, which played a great part in their forty years of march through the Arabian deserts (Num. I and II) and their subsequent settlement in the land of Canaan (Josh. XIII and XIV). The twelve tribes were descendants of the sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (soldier of Allah) after he had wrestled with Allah (Genesis XXXII.28). Israel had twelve sons (Gen. XXXV.22-26), including Levi and Joseph. The descendants of these twelve sons were the “Children of Israel.” Levi’s family obtained the priesthood and the care of the Tabernacle. They were exempted from military duties. For such exemption, the census was taken (Num. I.47-53). They were distributed among all the Tribes, and were really a privileged caste and not numbered among the Tribes. Moses and Aaron belong to the house of Levi.
The above mentioned verses of the Holy Qur’an are connected with the story of Moses, the messenger of God (20.9-99).
Long after the age of Joseph, who had been a minister to one of the Pharaohs, there came on the throne of Egypt a Pharaoh who hated the Israelites and wanted them to be annihilated. He ordered the Egyptian midwives to kill Israelite male babies. But fortunately, Moses was shielded from them, and his mother hid him. But when the danger of discovery was imminent Allah instructed her thus: “Feed Moses with your breast milk; then put him into a basket, and send the basket floating down the Nile. The great river shall throw him onto its bank whence an enemy to Me and to him shall take him away. But you need neither fear nor grieve. I shall bring him back to you and make him one of Our messengers.”
She did this and sent her daughter to follow the basket and see where and into whose hands it went. So Moses’s sister observed him always from afar. The basket was floated into the river Nile. It flowed on into a stream that passed through Pharaoh’s garden. It was picked up by Pharaoh’s people and the child was adopted by Pharaoh’s wife. The Pharaoh had apparently no son, but only a daughter, who afterwards shared his throne. It is probable that it was an early Pharaoh of the XVIIIth Dynasty, say Thothmes I, about 1540 BC. Thus, the family of Pharaoh Thothmes I took him up.
Then the sister of Moses went to them and said: “Shall I search out a good wet-nurse for the child, that she may rear the child you are going to adopt?” That was exactly what they wanted. She ran home and told her mother. The mother was delighted to come and fold the infant in her arms again and feed it at her own breast. Thus Allah restored Moses to his mother so that she may be comforted and no longer grieve, and so she will know that the promise of Allah is true.
Years passed. The child grew up. When Moses reached his full strength and was ripe, Allah gave him wisdom and knowledge. One day, he went to the Israelite colony and saw all the Egyptian oppression under which Israel labored. He saw an Egyptian smiting an Israelite, apparently with impunity. The Israelite asked Moses for help. So Moses struck the Egyptian with his fist and killed him. He did not intend to kill him, but in fact the Egyptian died of the blow. Moses was full of regrets and repentance, and he prayed to Allah, and obtained Allah’s forgiveness.
In the morning one man came, who was friendly to him, from the utmost part of the city.
He said: “O Moses! The chiefs are making plans to slay you. Therefore escape.”
So he fled out of Egypt to the Sinai Peninsula, to the land of the Midianites. There he married one of the daughters of the Midianite chief, and lived with the Midianites for many years.
After many years spent in a quiet life, grazing his father-in-law’s flocks, Moses came one day to the valley of Tuwa underneath the great mountain mass of Sinai, called Tur. He saw in the distance a fire and said to his family: “Wait here. I see a fire in the distance. Perhaps I shall bring you tidings, or a charred piece of wood from the fire so that you may warm yourselves.”
When he reached it, he was addressed by Allah: “O Moses! I am your Lord. So take off your shoes, for you stand in the sacred valley of Tuwa. I have chosen you. What is that in you right hand?”
Moses answered: “This is my stick.”
Allah ordered: “O Moses, throw it down.” So he threw it down, and it became a snake.
Allah said: “Grasp it again and fear it not. We shall return it to its former condition. Also thrust your hand within your armpit, it will come forth white and shining without hurt. This will be another token, which We may show you from Our greater signs. Now go to Pharaoh. He has transgressed the limits.”
Moses said: “O my Lord! Relieve my mind, and ease my task for me. I beg you remove the impediment from my speech, so they may understand Your message. And give me a helper from my family, Aaron, my brother. Strengthen me through him, and let him share my task.”
Allah replied: “You are granted your request, O Moses. Now go with your brother to Pharaoh and speak unto him a gentle word, that perhaps he may heed or fear.”
They said: ” Our Lord! We fear that he may be hasty with us or that he may be cruel and unjust.
Allah replied: “Fear not. I am with you both always, hearing and seeing. So go on to him and say: “We are two messengers of your Lord. So let the Children of Israel come with us, and do not torment them. We bring you a token from your Lord.”
Their mission was in the first instance to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians, and then to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
When this message was delivered, Pharaoh asked them: “O Moses! Who is your Lord?”
Moses replied: “Our Lord is He Who gave to each created thing its form, then guided it aright.”
Pharaoh again questioned: “What then is the condition of the previous generations?”
Moses answered: “The knowledge of that is with my Lord duly recorded.”
Pharaoh said: “If you came with a token, then produce it.”
Then Moses threw down his stick and it become a snake, and he drew forth his hand from his bosom and it had become white in color and shining for the people to see.
The chiefs of Egyptians accused Moses of a design to deprive them of their land, and of exercising black magic.
Pharaoh said: “We surely can produce similar magic.”
So he called all the famous magicians. The magicians cast their spell first which deceived the people’s eyes. Their ropes and their sticks, by the magic, seemed to move about like snakes. So realistic was the effect that even Moses felt a fear in his mind.
Allah said to him: “Fear not! You is higher. That which they have made is but a magician’s trick, and a magician shall not be successful to whatever point of skill he may attain. Throw your stick!” Moses did this and his stick swallowed up their sticks. Thus Truth stood victorious over illusion.
Then the magicians fell down prostrate, crying: “We believe in the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron.”
Pharaoh said: “You believe in Him before I give you permission! Moses is your chief who taught you magic! This is the plot that you have plotted in my city so that you may take its people with you. Now surely I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify all of you.”
The magicians replied: “We no longer see you as higher than the Truth that has been revealed to us or see you as higher than He Who created us. So do what you will do. You will end for us only the life of this miserable world. We believe in our Lord, that He may forgive our sins, including the magic unto which you forced us to do. Verily he who comes to his Lord as a sinner, - for him there is hell. There he will neither die nor live. But those who come to Him as believer, having done righteous works, there are higher stations. O Allah! Invest unto us steadfastness and allow us to die as men who have surrendered to You.”
Pharaoh’s order against the magicians was drastic enough. But his Council is not satisfied. “If you leave Moses and the Israelites alone,” they say, “where will be your authority? You and your gods will be defied!”
Pharaoh said: “We will slay their male children and save alive their females. The race of Israel would thus be at an end.”
Time passes, and at last Moses is commanded by Allah: “Take away My servants by night and strike for them a dry path through the sea, fearing not to be swallowed by Pharaoh’s army or by the sea.” Moses did this. He took the people of Israel and went to the Red Sea shore into Sinai Peninsula. There Moses tapped the sea with his stick and created a dry path in the sea. The people raced across this path. When Pharaoh followed with his armies, the sea folded itself over, wiping out the whole army.
From this story we can understand that Allah provides any kind of mystic power to His pure devotees to establish His mission. While people who try to develop mystic powers and make show of it are condemned.
Thus in the Holy Qur’an, it is explained that mystic power is bestowed by God and can be useful in the service of God. Otherwise it is useless. Those who desire the material perfections of mystic power are all restless because they want something for themselves, but the devotee is completely peaceful because he has no demand for himself and is always ready to serve the desire of the Lord. The master of mystic powers, can exhibit eight kinds of wonders by becoming smaller than the atom or lighter than a feather, getting anything and everything he desires, going anywhere and everywhere he likes, creating even a planet in the sky, etc. There are many mystics having different proficiencies in these wonderful powers. They can perform such wonderful things, far beyond the ordinary living beings capabilities. The devotees of the Lord do not directly practice the process of attaining mystic powers, but, by the grace of the Lord, His devotee can defeat even a great mystic. Those who have reached the highest perfectional stage of mystic power can see everything in the past, present and future. Similarly, the devotees of the Lord can see everything that is in the revealed scriptures clearly. The devotees of Allah can very easily understand the science of Allah, as well as the situation of the material and spiritual creations. Devotees do not have to endeavor for any perfection in mystic powers. They are competent to understand everything by the mercy of the Lord. Mystics are generally attracted to the by-products of mystic power, for they can become smaller than the smallest or greater than the greatest, achieve anything they desire, have power even to create a planet, or bring anyone they like under their subjection. Mystics who have incomplete information about the result of devotional service are attracted by these powers, but these powers are material; they have nothing to do with spiritual progress. Just as other material powers are created by the material energy, mystic powers are also material. A perfect devotee’s mind is not attracted by any material power, but is simply attracted by unalloyed service to the Supreme Lord. For a devotee, the process of merging into Allah’s effulgence is considered to be hellish, and mystic power or the preliminary perfection of mystic power, which is to control the senses, is automatically achieved. As for elevation to heavenly planets, a devotee considers this to be simply hallucinatory. A devotee’s attention is concentrated only upon the eternal loving service of the Lord, and therefore the power of death has no influence over him. In such a devotional state, a perfect devotee can attain the status of immortal knowledge and bliss.
