Now, there are two things for you to understand here.
One thing is for your lower self to compel you to do wrong.
So what happens when the lower self is purified?
Now your lower self will not compel you to do wrong.
So should you be happy now?
Nope, not just yet.
So what's going to happen now?
The Satan's Attack Post Purification of the Lower Self
In spirituality, for as long as your lower self is impure, God is lenient and knows the fact that you are liable to sin if your lower self is impure.
Try to understand this point.
For instance, we forgive children for making mistakes.
We know children do silly things, right?
But once they grow up and make the same mistakes, then you won't forgive them, you'll ask them why they've done such a thing.
There is a similar spiritual law. As long as the lower self is impure, you're forgiven.
The condition of the lower self being purified saves you at this point.
Therefore, all your mistakes and sins are forgiven.
However, once the lower self is purified, you can no longer sin.
Ask me why.
Because the substance that makes you sin has been annihilated, then how can you still sin?
So, once the lower self is purified, one must be vigilant.
And once the lower self is purified -
You must understand two things here.
First of all, there is one type of inclination towards sins that your lower self commands you towards.
Once the lower self is purified, what shall happen then?
Now, your lower self won't compel you towards wrongdoing.
So, should you be happy yet?
No, not yet.
Now what shall happen?
The things that roam in the atmosphere will give rise to temptations.
Now, your lower self has been purified, but there still remain things in the atmosphere around you that tempt you.
Something that you start salivating over.
Now, your lower self is purified [but] the world around you is still impure.
The lower self is pure, it's not troubling you now, however, there still roam things around you that tempt you.
There is an onslaught of outward temptations.
And the punishment for this is great.
Yes!
I was perplexed when I esoterically heard that the Muslims don't need to lower their gaze upon seeing a woman
because they are still devilish from head to toe.
It is the momin that must their lower gaze upon seeing a woman unrelated to them.
So I was initially surprised.
And this is not for the initial momin either, this is for the elevated momins.
To lower their gaze when they see women.
I was even more surprised at this.
And then we learnt that this is obligatory upon the elevated momin because they have purified their lower selves,
however, if they succumb to the temptations, then they won't be forgiven.
Prior to the purification of the lower self, you are still liable to be forgiven because your lower self is blameworthy for your evil inclinations,
but once the lower self is purified, you are commanded not to be tempted by anything; to lower your gaze, so why didn't you do it?
Because now the lower self is no longer to be blamed.
Now, you have sinned due to your own lust.
God does not forgive these sins.
He holds you accountable for them.
HDE Gohar Shahi wrote of an incident in 'Rouhani Safar (The Spiritual Journey)'
HDE wrote that a man was undergoing spiritual austerities in Lal Baagh.
HDE said, 'I would watch him, he would extend his arm and say, 'Allah', then bring his towards his mouth and extend his arm back out and say 'Hoo',
He would pretend as if he is consuming God.
Allah...Hoo. Like this.
One day, the man was crying so HDE asked, 'What's the matter?'
He said, 'When I began worshipping, a great side effect was that whenever the adhaan was made in the Kaaba, I'd hear it'.
'But one day, I was travelling on a boat and I touched a woman with my pinky finger with indecent intentions...
As soon as this happened - it means he touched her with lustful intentions - and when he did, everything he had earned spiritually was wasted.
He could no longer hear the adhan. He was empty from within.
Your finger coming into contact with someone isn't a big deal - well, it wouldn't have been if you were already a sinner.
However, once your lower self was purified, how did you raise your finger with the intention of lust?'
How did you give in to the temptations?
This leniency only lasts until the lower self is purified, because once it is purified, there's no forgiveness.
You have to stuggle to mantain [the purity].
Now, do not corrupt what I have said.
What do I mean? The Pakistani nation is corrupt.
From the army, to the politicians to the public.
But do not corrupt spirituality.
And what do I mean?
If you cunningly think, 'since the lower self is impure, your sins will be forgiven, so let's remain impure' -
Let's remain impure.
This will ensure your expulsion from spirituality.
It's extremely hard to purify your lower self,
however, it's even tougher to maintain its purity once it has been purified.
That's much more difficult.
Because for as long as your lower self is impure, the devil is at peace,
because his agent sits within you, so he doesn't need to make any extra effort.
Try to understand his [Satan's] psyche.
For as long as your lower self is impure, satan is relaxed.
Why is he relaxed?
Because he knows his agent is sitting inside you and it will keep you engaged by compelling you to do wrong.
So you'e protected against his extra bit of efforts.
He won't need to make any extraordinary efforts to misguide you, because he knows that his agent sits within you and is enough to misguide you.
However, once your lower self is purified, a notification is sent to the Satan
that 'Haseeb's lower self is now purified. He can't be controlled anymore'.
So now the Devil prepares.
And what does he do?
Now begins the onslaught of temptations.
And now that person will begin to notice that random women are giving him attention.
A woman walks past, gesturing suggestively and Haseeb loses his mind.
'Is she flirting with me?!'
If I don't explain it like this you will not understand it.
These are the practical things in spirituality.
The satan will now provide opportunities for you to sin.
Prior to this, you didn't have the opportunities, however, the Satan will now pave the path for opportunities of sin to find you.
Temptations!
Something happened once with me.
I was once returning [to the UK] from Karachi, Pakistan and I had some extra Pakistani cash on me
and [in Pakistan] there are often people standing outside [the airport] to exchange your money. It's not like an [official] money exchanging booth.
There are guys standing outside and they exchange Pakistani rupees into pounds and dollars.
So I approached a man and said, 'Yes, I'd like to exchange Pakistani money with pounds'. He ushered me over.
So I went to him. He exchanged the money. I trust him and pocketed the money.
Now, I went inside, finished with the immigration and sat in the departure lounge.
That's when I thought to check how much money he gave me.
He was supposed to give me £60.
When I counted, it was £660.
Momentarily, I was really pleased.
I thought, 'Wow! He gave me 600 more!'
But a voice from within said, 'You're a follower of HDE Gohar Shahi.
You cannot do such a thing'.
My lower self chimed in, 'It's not like I've sinned. It's not like I've snatched his money'.
'I didn't commit fraud', said my lower self.
'He gave it to me himself!"
The other voice said, 'He made a mistake. Go and return it'.
'Why should I return it?'
'When you know that these don't belong to you, that he has made a mistake, then you must go and return it'.
Said my inner voice.
My lower self said, 'No, what's done is done. I've crossed immigration now, I can't go back'.
'I can't go back now'.
And the inner voice said, 'You must not do this. You claim to be a Sufi but refuse to return the money. You have bad intentions'.
Then my lower self agreed.
'Alright, let's try going to the immigration'.
The thing is the lower self was fully convinced that the immigration officer wouldn't allow me to go back outside.
Because everything was done, so the lower self was convinced they wouldn't let me back out. So I thought, 'Alright, let's silence that voice...'
So I approached the immigration officer and said, 'I need to go back outside, it's important'.
They told me I could no longer go outside.
And that inner voice said, 'Tell him: there is a poor man outside who has given me more money than he earns in an entire month. His wife and children will starve'
That voice compelled me.
So I said, 'Listen, the problem is someone's accidentally given me extra money',
And £600 is a lot in Pakistani rupees.
'The man will suffer needlessly. I shall just return the money to him and come back'.
'You can keep my passport and I'll hold on to the boarding pass'. But they let me go.
He said, 'Keep your passport and [boarding pass], and go'.
So I went outside and began looking for the man but couldn't find him anywhere.
I searched for him for 30 minutes.
So when I saw him, I ushered him toward me and said, 'Hey, listen! You exchanged my money'.
Now, he thought he gave me less money so he waved from a distance and said, 'No, it's okay. I gave you the right amount'.
I said, 'No, you fool! You gave me £600 more. Come and take it back!'
'What?!' I said, 'Yeah...'
'Here, take it'.
He began to cry.
Now, this happened in '93.
It's been 29 years.
So, there was no forgiveness for this.
After the lower self was purified - this temptation came in the form of money. I would have lost everything had I kept the money.
I would have lost my faith, destroyed my spirituality.
Why were you inclined towards sin after your lower self has become purified?
Even after the purification of the lower self, the lower self can still be inclined toward sin. Why?
Because of temptations.
Because of external temptations.
A purified lower self is at the stage of Mulhima (Inspired Self).
When the lower self becomes Mulhima, it is known as pure.
Now, it is your responsibility to maintain its purity.
Do you know why most people become misguided?
When they see the spiritual guide.
They see that the spiritual guide is eating well and going here and there,
but what they don't know is that the lower self of the spiritual guide is under divine theophanies.
He doesn't have to maintain [the purity of] his lower self.
He doesn't need to do it because he is under a shower of theophanies.
Whereas you must maintain your purified lower self through abstinence and penance.
You must not imitate [the spiritual guide].
This is where most people fail.
A saint does not need to maintain the lower self.
Why not?
Because his lower self is under 360 divine theophanies every day.
So he shall remain pure. This is why God has given him a guarantee, 'I am pleased with you, you be pleased with me'.
This is not for those who have achieved Mulhima (Inspired Self).
One who has achieved Mulhima had to strive to maintain the purity [of the lower self].
And maintaining the purity of the lower self is very difficult.
For this, you require abstinence.
You must adopt abstinence after purity.
People think that abstinence must be adopted in order to be purified, however, no!
Abstinence must be adopted following the purification of the lower self.
Not before.
This is the spirituality we have been taught by HDE Gohar Shahi.
[Abstinence] comes later.
I noticed once that someone asked me, 'Would you like to eat?' And I had already eaten.
So I said no [because] I had eaten and didn't feel hungry.
So I sat down and then came the Nihari...
Haleem and biryani...
It was all so aromatic.
I was misguided.
I thought I'll have a couple bites.
This is what you call temptation.
That hot and fresh biryani decorated with fresh mint, fragrant aroma spreading throughout the air...
One would be compelled to take a couple of bites.
And that's temptation.
To save mankind from such temptation, God has introduced the concept of the veil for our mothers, sisters and daughters.
So that we are saved from this temptation.
But you raise slogans of 'my body, my choice'.
You are destroying the society.
Fair enough, your body and your choice - but then don't bring calamity on others.
Practise this notion in your homes.
Your body, your choice, [in] your house. Don't bring this to public places.
If a woman exploits indecency - I speak the truth, to hell with political correctness.
A woman should wear modest clothing, not immodest clothing.
Because seeing immodest clothing shall give rise to their temptations and cause corruption in the society.
This is what I think. If you do not agree, there's no problem with that.
I am of the opinion that our mothers and sisters should wear modest clothing which covers their intimate body parts.