Question:
What is Firasah? How can one obtain the blessing of firasah?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-sal?mu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatull?hi wa-barak?tuh.
Firasah means intuition.
Rasulullah ??? ???? ???? ???? said,
“???????? ????????? ?????????? , ????????? ???????? ??????? ???????”? ????? ??????: {????? ??? ?????? ???????? ??????????????????} [?????]
Beware of the believer’s intuition, for indeed he sees with Allah’s Light. Then he recited, Surely, in this are signs for those who read the signs. ??? ??????? ? ???? (5/ 149)
Intuition is to have a deep feeling or thought of something to come or happen. If what the person said comes true, then it will be classified as being firasah. This type of feeling is inspired by Allah Taala. Rasulullah ??? ???? ???? ???? cautions not to take the intuitions of a believer lightly.
The quality of firasah comes about through Allah consciousness, taqwa, adherence to sunnah.
Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari (rahimahullah) (d. 1014/1606) states in Minah al-Rawd al-Azhar: Know that the Prophet ? said, “Beware of the deep insight (firasa) of the believer, for he sees with the light of Allah.”[1] Then he recited, “Lo! therein verily are portents for those who read the signs”[2] (Qur’an 15:75) (Tirmidhi).
Firasa, “deep insight” or “spiritual intuitiveness” is of three types: firasa imaniyya, firasa riyadiyya, and firasa khilqiyya.
1. Firasa imaniyya or “faith-based insight” is a light which Allah Most High places in the heart of His servant. Its reality is that it is a thought that enters into the heart and pounces upon it like a lion pounces upon its prey. The word firasa is actually derived from the same root word as the word farisa, “prey.” This type of insight is proportionate to the strength of one’s faith, such that those with stronger faith will have deeper insight. Abu Sulayman al-Darani (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “Insight is the unveiling of the self (mukashafat al-nafs) and the seeing of the unseen (mu‘ayanat al-ghuyub); it is from the stations of faith.”
2. Firasa riyadiyya or the “insight attained through exercise” is what is attained by disciplining the self through hunger, sleeplessness, and isolation. For when the self is shed of hindrances and ties with creation, it develops insight and unveilings according to its freedom from them. This type of insight is found among both believers and unbelievers, and it is not a sign of faith or nearness to Allah (wilaya). It does not unveil any beneficial truth or the straight path. Rather, its manifestations are of the same type as the intuitive perceptions that administrators, interpreters of dreams, traditional healers, and others possess.
3. Firasa khilqiyya or “physiognomy” is a study about which physicians and others have written, by which insight is gained into the inner character of someone from their outward appearance due to the relationship created by Allah Most High between the two. This is similar to inferring the weakness of the intellect from an abnormally small head and the strength of the intellect from the large size of the head, and inferring a generous persona from the broadness of one’s chest and a mean character by its narrowness, etc.[3]
Abu ‘Ali al-Juzajani (d. 352/964) advised, “Be a seeker of steadfastness, not a seeker of miracles. Verily your lower self is engaged in seeking miracles, but steadfastness is what your Lord is seeking from you.”[4]
Shaykh Suhrawardi (d. 632/1234) says in his ‘Aw?rif: This is important advice on this matter, for a great number of diligent worshippers who hear of the pious predecessors and the miracles and extraordinary experiences they had, constantly pursue them and wish for something similar to happen to them. Consequently, some of them may be disheartened, reproaching themselves on the correctness of their worship when no miracle occurs to them. If they only knew the secret of this [path], the matter would have been much easier on them. They would then know that Allah opens this door only to some of those who struggle in sincerity. The wisdom behind this is to increase such a person in certitude, by the miracles and signs they witness testifying to the power of Allah; in turn, their resolve for asceticism in this world and escaping the pangs of desire becomes strengthened. Thus, the path of the truthful one demands the self to be steadfast, and this is the ultimate miracle.[5] [6]
Our goal is not to perform miracles. Our goal is to seek the pleasure of Allah through steadfastness in good deeds and avoidance of evil deeds. Even if one is sincere and remains steadfast in the worship of Allah, there is no guarantee that one will gain firasah. There is no specific action or wazifa that ensures that one will gain firasa. Firasah is a quality that Allah grants to whomever He wishes and withholds from whomever He wishes.[7]
If one has a wrong intention, one should change his aspiration[8] from seeking firasah to seeking the pleasure of Allah.[9]
And Allah Ta’?la Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Mahmood | darulmahmood.net
______
[1]
??? ??????? ? ???? (?/???)
???? – ?????????? ????????? ???? ???????????? ?????: ?????????? ???????? ???? ????? ?????????? ?????: ?????????? ???????? ???? ????????? ???? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ?????????? ???? ????? ??????? ???????????? ?????: ????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?????????: «???????? ????????? ?????????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ???????»? ????? ??????: {????? ??? ?????? ???????? ??????????????????} [?????: 75]: ” ????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??? ????????? ?????? ???????: {????? ??? ?????? ???????? ??????????????????} [?????: 75] ?????: ?????????????????? “
??? ??????? ??? ???? ??????? (2/ 775)
852 – [3127] “???????? ????????? ?????????”.
??? ?? ?????????: ” ??????? ???? ??? ??????? ??????: ?? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ????????? ???? ????? ?? ???? ???????? ??????? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????.
???????: ??? ????????? ???????? ???????? ??????? ????????? ????????? ?? ????? ???????? ???????? ??? ?????? ????? ??????”.
[2]
[?????: 75]
{????? ??? ?????? ???????? ?????????????????? (??)}
[3]
??? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? (?: ???-???)
??????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ???????? ?? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ???? ??.
?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?: ????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????: ?? ?? ??? ???? ????????? [?????: ??]? ?? ?????????? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ???.
???? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ????? ?????:
????? ???????: ?????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ?? ??? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???????? ????? ????????? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ???????? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ???????? ???? ????: ??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????? ???????. ?????.
?????? ??????: ??? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??? ??? ?? ??????? ??????
???? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????? ???????? ??????.
?????? ?????: ??? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ???????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ?????????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ???.
[4]
????? ?? ???????? ????????? (?:??)
???? ??? ??? ????????? ?? ???????
??? ??? ??? ?????????: ?? ????? ????????? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ?????????.
[5]
????? ??????? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ????????? ???????? (?: ???-???)
???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ???????. ???? ?? ????????? ?????????? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ????????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ???????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ???. ???? ????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ????????? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ????? . ??? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????. ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????????? ??? ?? ???????. ?? ??? ??? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ????. ????? ???? ???????? ????? ?? ?????????.
????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ???????.
[6] Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf, Imam Abu Hanifa’s al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained, pp. 163-164
[7]
[???????: 54]
{?????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ???? ??????? ????????? ??????? ??????? (54)}
[8]
[??????: 32]
{????? ???????????? ??? ??????? ??????? ???? ?????????? ????? ?????? ??????????? ??????? ?????? ??????????? ????????????? ??????? ?????? ??????????? ??????????? ??????? ???? ???????? ????? ??????? ????? ??????? ?????? ???????? (32)}
[9]
????? ?????? ??? ????? ???????? = ????? ?????? ?????? ?????? (?/??)
????: (??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???) ???? ???? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ???????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ???????
???? ?????? (?: 455)
??? ???????
??? ???? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ????:
?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?? ??????? ??????? ?? ??????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ??????.
??????? ??????? ??????.
??? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ????????? ???? ?? ??????? ???? ???????? ????? ??????? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?????: {?? ?? ??? ????? ?????????} ????? ??????: {?????? ???????} ????? ??? ???? ???? ????: “????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ????” ????? ??? ???? ???? ????: “??? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ???”.
???: ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ????????? ?? ?????? ????? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ??????.
????? ???????? ??? ????? ???????? (1/ 280)
?????????????? ?????? ????????????? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????????? ??????? ???? ????????? ??? ??????? ?????????: {???? ????? ?????? ???????? ??????????} [???: 48] ?????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ????????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ?????????? «????????? ????????? ??????????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ???????» ??????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????????? ??????????? ????????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????????? ????????? ????? ?????????? ??????????? ?????? ???????????? ??????????? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????????? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ????????? ?????????????????? ???????? ?????????? ??? ????? ????????? ????????? ????????????? ??????? ?????????? ??? ????? ??????????? ????????????? ???? ?????? ???????????? ????????? ??????? ??????????.
