The Difference Between Walayat and Wilayat.
Colonel Akhtar Ahmed Khalili has asked a question.
'Please tell us about the different ranks in sainthood and how they render benevolence.'
'In light of my very limited knowledge, what I understand is...'
'...these saints also seem to have different ranks.'
'And perhaps they have different neighbourhoods, areas, responsibilities, authority and power.'
'If you consider it appropriate, please speak on this subject. May God bless us with his special mercy, amen.'
Yes.
First of all, Colonel, sainthood is divided into two categories.
One type of sainthood is the actual, factual, practical sainthood.
And the other is honorary sainthood.
Which we know as 'Ezaazi' [in Urdu].
The greatest rank is the Station of Wasl (Divine Union).
Those at the Station of Wasl are known as 'Wasileen'.
[They have a] very unique relationship with God.
This is an extremely unique connection with God.
This word, 'Wasl',
is an Arabic word.
It means 'Arrival'.
Arrival.
In Persian, it is 'Amad'. In Arabic, it is 'Wasl'.
And in English, it is 'Arrival'.
So when we refer to people at this stage as 'Wasl Billah',
it means, 'God Has Arrived'.
'God has arrived in him.'
[That is what] Wasl Billah means.
So that is the Station of Wasl (Divine Union).
The Koran 50:16-19 says for such people, 'I am closer to you than your jugular vein.'
The Koran 50:16-19 says, 'O' my servant...'
'I even know what thoughts cross your mind.'
How? 'Because I am closer to you than your jugular vein, sitting inside you.'
Now, practically only someone sitting inside you can know what you are thinking.
So this is the Station of Wasl.
At this stage, a human being becomes a Perfect Human Being.
A human being becomes a Perfect Human Being.
According to a Prophetic Tradition, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said,
'Man will mirror God.'
Meaning, 'Man will mirror God.'
Man is a mirror of the Lord.
He becomes a mirror of God when God settles within him.
This is known as the Station of Wasl.
What is it called? [Audience: the Station of Wasl].
Yes, this is the Station of Wasl.
When God arrives in somebody,
the question arises: which [manifestation of] God settles within them?
The same God that is sitting at the Empyrean of God? No.
For everyone at the Station of Wasl, [God thinks],
'I have to visit each of them.'
'And I have to bless every individual with one of my divine entities.'
For example, suppose you have four wives.
What do you do? There is just one of you.
So you allot time for each of them.
Right?
You'll allot time, won't you?
But there are many people who love God.
How will God make time for them all?
You have four wives. There are only four - you can make time for them.
But there must be many lovers of God.
Now, if God gives each of them time individually,
then it will be a big problem. God won't be able to do anything else.
So what God did was, for this divine relationship,
he made a divine individuality.
A very unique, divine individuality.
Do you understand?
Think of it like this: God made a prototype, so to speak, of himself.
What did he make? [Audience: a prototype].
Do you understand what a prototype is?
God made a prototype of himself. Just like they do in the army and other institutions.
They put makeup on [a double of] General Qamar Bajwa.
And made it seem like that person roaming around was General Qamar Bajwa.
This is one of the tactics they army uses.
Now, since I am talking to a member of the army [I am using this analogy].
So the army has tactics like these.
They put makeup on someone to make them pass as the army chief.
And then they have the double [appear in public, seeming to be the army chief].
To what end? To defeat the enemy.
They say, 'The general is near the border.'
And what does the enemy do? They say, 'Their chief is near the border!'
Immediately, they send a missile.
But it was somebody else [in the guise of the general]!
And now the [army] has an excuse to retaliate against the enemy.
So that was a prototype [so to speak].
Do you understand?
Similarly, there is a prototype for every type of ammunition.
[Hindi/Urdu proverb meaning, 'All is not as it seems.']
In the same way, God has made his prototypes of people at the Station of Wasl.
What are they?
One is the Jussa-e-Tofeeq-e-Ilahi (Divine Sub-spirit).
And the other is Tifl-e-Noori (Body of Divine Light).
They are prototypes of God.
Or think of them as reflections of God.
One is a reflection of God's individuality and the other is a formation of God's light.
Do you understand?
So those at the Station of Wasl either have the [Jussa-e-Tofeeq-e-Ilahi] or [Tifl-e-Noori] in their bodies.
If the Jussa-e-Tofeeq-e-Ilahi enters the body,
that person becomes a Aashiq-e-Ilahi (Divine Lover).
And if the Tifl-e-Noori enters the body, they become a Sultan ul Fuqra (King of Spiritual Poverty).
This is all to do with Wasl (Divine Union).
Now, there is a stage below it.
Right?
There is a station below it as well.
It is known as 'Walayat'.
'Walayat'.
What I just explained was Wasl.
It is the people at the Station of Wasl who said things like, 'Rise with God's command,' [to the dead].
And the [dead] stood up.
And some of them said [to the dead], 'Rise with my command',
and they were revived.
This is not something the [average] saint can do.
Just look at Ghous Pak (Abdul Qadir Jilani). You think he was just a saint, don't you?
Well, how can saint be the Leader of Saints?
If Ghous Pak himself was just a saint, how did he become the Leader of Saints?
He himself wasn't a saint; he was at the Station of Wasl (Divine Union).
That is why he said, 'One who intends to worship after reaching the Station of Wasl has committed an act of ingratitude.'
No [average] saint talks about the Station of Wasl.
He was at the Staton of Wasl.
Now let's talk about sainthood.
One type of sainthood is 'Walayat'.
With the accent on top.
And the other is 'Wilayat'.
This [Walayat] is factual and actual [sainthood].
[ON THE BOARD: Factual, actual]
Whereas 'Wilayat' is honorary [sainthood].
It is just honorary.
Meaning it is just...[sainthood in name only].
They are just admirers [of God].
'Walayat' - with the accent on top -
- this relates to God. Those at this stage are friends of God.
So, first let's talk about Walayat.
For this...
there are two types [of people].
One category is for the people who have managed to witness the divine splendour.
The other category is of people who converse with God.
They speak with God.
Those who witness the divine splendour
through their subtlety of Ana, they see God from the Station of Mehmood.
So then their subtlety of Ana absorbs God's image having witnessed the divine splendour
and the image is transferred from the Ana to the eyes and from the eyes onto the heart.
Then when the image of God is in their hearts, 360 divine theophanies begin to fall on them every day.
Such people are saints. They are known as 'Deedar Walay (those who see God)'.
Right?
So Fana Fillah, Liqa Billah and Baqa Billah [are ranks from this category].
To see God is Liqa Billah. 'Liqa' means 'to see'.
Lesser in rank is the sainthood in which you converse with God [only].
You don't have the knowledge through which you could see God.
In this sainthood, through special divine inspiration, God's word is revealed to the man and man's word reaches God.
After those who witness the divine splendour, people in this category are also known as saints of God.
They converse with God and the others meet God.
They see God and they meet God.
If one neither speaks with God nor sees God, he is not a saint (Wali).
He is not a saint.
Then after that, there is honorary sainthood.
It is known in spirituality as 'Faqr-e-Bakaram.'
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has established a sort of spiritual police force.
In order to control his Nation.
So that the Lower Selves of people in his Nation continue to be tamed and purified.
For this purpose, he made an esoteric force.
And there is a panel of 360 saints in this force in every era.
The head of this force is known as Ghous uz Zama.
Under him are three Qutb who aid him.
Under them are the 40 Abdaal.
Then Abrar and Akhiyar.
All of these are different types of minor saints.
Who have never spoken to God or seen God.
God's theophanies do not fall on them.
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has appointed them and granted them honorary sainthood.
This is the category which the Ghous, Kutb, etc fall under.
It was in reference to them that Sultan Haq Bahu said [a stanza of poetry].
They come to the world [often].
They have their own duties and functions.
But a true saint is one who has either seen God or spoken with God.
If one has neither seen God nor spoken with God, he is not a saint at all.
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