Types of Spiritual Knowledge Self-Study
There are two types of knowledge in the higher realms. The first knowledge is to explore one’s self: self-study. This is the threshold of spirituality. A novice Sufi must explore and recognise his or her self and discover the secrets within. They must undo the different types of access codes to God that are buried within. As a result of self-exploration, a novice Sufi begins to know what types of spiritual journey they are capable of performing - what level of spirituality they may reach and what spiritual status should they be looking forward to obtaining.
Allama Iqbal said, ‘Elevate the level of self-exploration to a degree where God himself asks you, “What are you here for? What are you looking for, what do you want?”’
The word khudi which has been mentioned by Allama Iqbal countless times means 'to know yourself', It is an internal expedition.
Knowing one’s self does not mean to know one's name, ancestral lineage or heritage. This is not the knowledge being referred to. ‘Explore yourself’ simply means that there is a fortune cookie, so to speak, inside the aspirant. It must be cracked open to know one's spiritual optimum, to find out what level of trust God has bestowed upon them, the maximum nearness to God he or she may obtain, what God has written in the seeker's fate and which level of faith will their spiritual journey culminate at. Will they be able to go beyond the rank of Witnessing the Divine Splendour? Do they have sainthood in their fate? Will they obtain Divine Union?
His Divine Eminence Gohar Shahi says, ‘Every human being, even the son of a disbeliever, is born with the secret of sainthood within him’.
